Rep. Schwartz backs
S-CHIP program

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-13th dist.) last week joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others at a U.S. Capitol news conference to call for an expansion of the State-Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP).
On Sept. 7, a day after the news conference, Schwartz spoke on the House floor to call on President George W. Bush to support an S-CHIP expansion.
When she was a member of the Pennsylvania Senate, Schwartz helped pass a CHIP plan for the state. Today, CHIP covers 165,000 Pennsylvania children.
"It is unacceptable that forty-seven million Americans, including almost nine million children, do not have access to affordable health coverage," Schwartz said. "We call on the president to stop working against us as we move to ensure healthcare for American children."
At the Capitol event, Pelosi and Schwartz were joined by Democratic House leaders, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney and advocates for children and families.
"Pennsylvania has made great strides to enroll children in health insurance, but we are not at the finish line yet," said Alisa Simon, health policy director of Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth. "In order for us to maintain our success, we must ensure that the S-CHIP program is re-authorized and receives the funds necessary to cover children in our state and throughout the nation." ••