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Press Release

GOP Rescissions Bill Cuts Federal CHIP Funding in Half

Bill would make working families pay more after a GOP tax scam that gave away trillions to corporations and the wealthy.

Washington, June 7, 2018
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) released the following statement as House Republicans are poised to pass a bill tonight at the urging of President Trump that largely targets children who rely on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for doctor visits and health care. Florida serves 345,000 kids through CHIP per MediKids, Healthy Kids and Children’s Medical Services. The Republican rescissions bill follows the Republicans tax scam law that racked up $1.8 trillion in debt with benefits provided largely to the well-to-do, but little to middle class families and families striving to get into the middle class.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) released the following statement as House Republicans are poised to pass a bill tonight at the urging of President Trump that largely targets children who rely on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for doctor visits and health care.  Florida serves 345,000 kids through CHIP per MediKids, Healthy Kids and Children’s Medical Services.  The Republican rescissions bill follows the Republicans' tax scam law that racked up $1.8 trillion in debt with benefits provided largely to the well-to-do, but little to middle class families and families striving to get into the middle class.

“This Trump-GOP rescissions bill is a hypocritical attempt by Republicans in Congress to pretend that they care about the national debt.  No one is fooled.  Instead, the bill highlights the lengths Republicans in Congress will go to – cutting health care for kids – to provide tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy at the expense of everyone else,” U.S. Rep. Castor said.  “This bill screams hypocrisy, as Republicans are now asking working families to pay more after a tax law that gave away trillions to special interests, the wealthiest among us and big corporations.  Republicans in Congress are turning their backs on the health of our kids, maternal health, early childhood education, biomedical research, community health centers, and other important initiatives.  In case anyone thought the legislative goals of Republican leadership in Congress would help hardworking Americans, this bill also includes numerous cuts to programs that create jobs, grow our economy, and strengthen communities.”

The Trump-GOP rescissions bill would cut more than $7 billion from CHIP funding; funding that is there to deal with contingencies like natural disasters and spikes in registration – and right at the beginning of hurricane season.

“Republicans are willing to undermine a previous bipartisan agreement on CHIP,” U.S. Rep. Castor continued, “all to give Trump some kind of ‘victory’ and to give them a talking point on the campaign trail to obfuscate discussion of their massive debt created by the tax giveaway.”

U.S. Rep. Castor has been a champion of CHIP since day one of her time in Congress.  When Federal funding for CHIP expired on Sept. 30, 2017, due to Republican negligence, U.S. Rep. Castor, as co-chair of the House Children’s Health Care Caucus, fought to extend the initiative after it expired, ultimately leading to the bipartisan reauthorization of CHIP for 10 years.

Children’s health experts have noted the hypocrisy:

“Following the bipartisan agreement earlier this year to extend CHIP funding for 10 years, it was more than a bit surprising [to hear yesterday] that the Trump Administration wants to cut CHIP funds. Of course, there have been news reports for several weeks that the Administration wanted to go back on the deal agreed to under the Bipartisan Budget Act in an effort to cut spending.  But it was news to us to hear that almost half of the proposed $15 billion in rescissions would come from CHIP funds,” wrote Dr. Joan Alker in a column in May.  Dr. Alker is Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families (CCF) and a Research Professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy.

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