HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

Washington, Sep 20, 2007 - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement supporting President Bush’s call to extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) before it lapses on September 30 and warned the majority not to play politics with health insurance for low-income children:

“Republicans believe we should renew SCHIP to cover all low-income children who have no health insurance, not adults who already have health insurance. Time is running out for the SCHIP program and yet the majority seems intent on putting politics before the needs of low-income children. Congress should focus on providing health care to low-income children and work toward a commonsense, bipartisan solution so that the 6.6 million children benefiting from SCHIP won’t be the victims of Washington’s political games. The flawed partisan approach on SCHIP offered by the Democratic leaders will be vetoed. I urge Speaker Pelosi to schedule a vote on Rep. Barton’s SCHIP extension so partisan politics does not push this program into further peril as September 30 approaches.”

NOTE: Yesterday, Boehner and Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urging her to back the 18-month extension of SCHIP introduced by Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Republican Joe Barton (R-TX) and avoid a presidential veto. The SCHIP law is set to expire on September 30, 2007.

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