Logjam Over CHIP Funding A Testament To Level Of Partisan Rancor Gripping Congress
The program to provide health care for kids from low- and middle-income families is extremely popular, but it's been stuck in limbo since its funding expired over a month ago. The House is expected to pass a bill Friday, but the Senate Democrats will almost certainly balk at how the lawmakers want to pay for the program.
The New York Times:
House To Vote On Child Health Care, But Funding Will Remain In Limbo
The House on Friday is expected to pass legislation to refinance the Children’s Health Insurance Program and send federal funds to community health centers. But a partisan morass over how to pay for the legislation all but ensures that state governments and millions of children will get little relief from the uncertainty that has faced the programs since funding officially expired a month ago. (Pear, 11/2)
CQ:
House Begins Debate On Children's Health Bill
The House kicked off debate on a bill to renew funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and community health centers on Thursday after the Rules Committee advanced the bill late Wednesday. A vote on passage of the legislation is expected Friday. Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats have not thrown their support behind the bill (HR 3922), due to disagreements over the offsets, which would change Medicare, Medicaid and provisions of the 2010 health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152). Similarly, the Rules Committee vote on Wednesday fell on party lines with all present Democrats voting against proceeding with the bill. (Raman, 11/2)
The Hill:
Senate Dems Warn Against Cutting ObamaCare Fund To Pay For Children's Health Program
Senate Democrats warned Republican leadership Thursday against cutting ObamaCare's public health fund to pay for an extension of the popular Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). A bill the House is expected to pass this week to extend funding for CHIP would pay for it through cuts to ObamaCare's Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). (Hellmann, 11/2)
Meanwhile —
Politico Pro:
Anxiety Grows Over Community Health Centers Funding Standoff
Many community health centers received an unnerving email from the federal government this week: It informed them that they should begin preparing for their federal grant to expire at the end of the year. The notifications received by clinics around the country Wednesday are the most tangible evidence yet of the congressional standoff over funding for community health centers, which have traditionally received bipartisan support. (Demko and Rayasam, 11/2)
