Catholic Charities USA: Despite Presidential Veto Threat, Catholic Charities USA Calls on Congress to Strengthen Health Care Program for Low-Income Children
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 31, 2007
11:03 AM
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CONTACT: Catholic Charities USA
Phone: 703.549.1390
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Despite Presidential Veto Threat, Catholic Charities USA Calls on Congress to Strengthen Health Care Program for Low-Income Children
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WASHINGTON - JULY 31 - As both the House and
Senate get set to vote this week on the reauthorization the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Catholic Charities USA is
calling Congress to strengthen and improve the highly successful program by
committing more resources to cover all eligible children.
"It is a tragedy that 9 million children are living without health
insurance in this country when we know that SCHIP works and is making a
real difference in the lives of children from low-income families," said
Candy Hill, senior vice president for social policy for Catholic Charities
USA. "We can -- and must -- do better. SCHIP should be reauthorized and
strengthened so even more low-income children have the health care coverage
they need to grow up healthy and strong."
Catholic Charities USA urges Congress not to give into presidential
veto threats. "The White House's threat to veto this much-needed expansion
of SCHIP would deny America's children essential health care and is the
wrong approach to resolve ideological differences over health care reform,"
continued Hill. "Congress and the Administration must find the political
will to improve the program in order to cover ALL eligible children.
Adequate health care is a basic human right. When our nation denies that
right, we neglect the common good and weaken our society."
Specifically Catholic Charities USA is calling on Congress to continue
coverage for those children already enrolled in SCHIP, provide sufficient
resources to enroll the millions more uninsured children who are eligible
for SCHIP or Medicaid; ensure coverage for legal immigrant children and
pregnant women by removing the current five-year restriction; and remove
other barriers that keep many eligible families from enrolling in the
program.
"As an important component of our Campaign to Reduce Poverty in
America, Catholic Charities USA strongly supports improvements to our
nation's health care safety net," said Hill. "SCHIP not only ensures access
to affordable health care for our nation's most vulnerable children, it
also helps families escape poverty."
Catholic Charities USA's members-more than 1,500 local agencies and
institutions nationwide-provide help and create hope for more than 7.4
million people of all faiths and social and economic backgrounds. For more
than 275 years, local Catholic Charities agencies have been providing a
myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from day care and
counseling to food and housing. For more information, visit
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.
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