Rep. Lofgren Votes to Pass Compromise SCHIP Bill

Bill Would Provide Coverage for 10 million Children

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today voted to pass H.R. 3963, a revised version of the Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization bill vetoed by President Bush earlier this month. The bill, which would provide 10 million American children with access to health care, directly addresses many of the objections the administration used as justification for President’s veto. The legislation includes provisions to ensure that: the focus would be first enrolling low-income children in SCHIP; SCHIP would not cover undocumented immigrants; SCHIP coverage of adults would be phased out; and children leaving private insurance for SCHIP would be minimized.

“Once again the House has come together and passed a bipartisan measure to insure America’s children,” noted Rep. Lofgren. “This revised measure directly addresses many of the points raised by both the administration and my Republican colleagues in their opposition to the previous SCHIP bill. The time has come to enact this health care measure for America’s children.”

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is serving her seventh term in Congress representing most of the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. She serves as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. She also Chairs the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congresswoman Lofgren is Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation consisting of 34 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.