[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 11 (Thursday, January 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM

  Mr. GRASSLEY. I thank the Presiding Officer.
  Should the Children's Health Insurance Program be reauthorized? Of 
course it should be reauthorized. It has a long history of strong 
bipartisan support. This is a major issue in reaching the point of 
whether we need to get something passed--and we do need to get 
something passed so the government doesn't shut down. In regard to the 
Children's Health Insurance Program being a part of that, this started 
very early last fall, when the Senate Finance Committee overwhelmingly 
passed a 5-year extension from that committee, once again stating the 
strong bipartisan support that the Children's Health Insurance Program 
has.
  Thankfully, it is moving along in the House of Representatives. That 
body has included a 6-year extension of the Children's Health Insurance 
Program in the continuing resolution that we have to get through the 
U.S. Senate. That 6-year extension would be the longest extension of 
the program since it was created over 20 years ago.
  I am sure this is going to be surprising to our constituents, for 
sure, and maybe even surprising to Members of this body, but this 
reauthorization of 6 years actually saves $1 billion.
  I cannot believe that we are in a situation where people who have 
said that they support the Children's Health Insurance Program would 
vote against its reauthorization when the House resolution comes over 
here, but that is what the leadership of this body is dealing with. The 
reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program has been 
elevated in this debate, so people know that those who have been crying 
for a long period of time about finally having CHIP reauthorized could 
be in a situation of voting against what they have been pleading for 
over a long period of time.
  My colleague from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Feinstein, 
said: ``Healthcare coverage for kids should be a no-brainer.'' I agree. 
This Children's Health Insurance Program reauthorization is a no-
brainer, both in the value it has for the kids and in saving us money 
at this point.
  Senators Warner and Kaine from Virginia wrote: ``We ask that you 
include bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the Children's Health 
Insurance Program in any upcoming funding legislation.'' Well, it is 
here for all of those Senators who want the Children's Health Insurance 
Program reauthorized. This is the opportunity to reauthorize it.
  Will you vote against what you have been advocating for a long time--
the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program? In my 
State of Iowa, 68,792 children--the latest enrollment--are in CHIP and 
are depending upon Congress to do the right thing. The right thing to 
do is to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program as soon as 
possible--which could be today or tomorrow--for 6 years so that we 
don't have to deal with it for a long period of time.
  My fellow Senators, this is a time for statesmanship, not 
gamesmanship. It is time to vote for a prompt reauthorization of the 
Children's Health Insurance Program.

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