[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 685]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         EXPAND SCHIP SENSIBLY

  (Mr. REHBERG asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. REHBERG. Madam Speaker, the State Children's Health Insurance 
Program is important to the people of Montana. In fact, in November, we 
voted to expand eligibility within our State. SCHIP was created by a 
Republican Congress and a Democrat President in 1997. It was one of 
those rare government programs that really works like its supposed to, 
and I am proud to support it.
  Unfortunately, as is often the case, when a Federal Government 
program works, the temptation is to add to it until pretty soon, the 
original program, the one that worked so well, is overwhelmed by well-
intentioned changes. Eventually the good parts of the program are 
smothered.
  So let's expand SCHIP sensibly. Let's do it in a responsible way that 
does not undermine an effective program. Let's keep the Children's 
Health Insurance Program about children.

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