Press Releases
Kirk Votes to Leave Our Children and Seniors Behind
August 2, 2007
Wilmette, IL--Low income children in Illinois and throughout the nation are one step closer
to receiving health care coverage thanks to the Children's Health and Medicare Protection
Act (H.R. 3162 CHAMP Act) which passed by a 225-204 margin in the United States
House of Representatives yesterday. It reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP) to continue providing health coverage for 6 million children and to
begin providing coverage for 5 million more low-income children – 11 million children
in all.
The CHAMP Act also protects Medicare for seniors by eliminating billions of dollars insubsidies to private insurance companies under the Bush Administration’s so-called‘Medicare Advantage’ Program, which has already raised premiums for seniors, and
could result in future, deep cuts to guaranteed benefits.
President Bush has promised to veto the legislation and Representative Mark Kirk haschosen to stand with President Bush over expanding an important program that protectsour children and senior citizens.
“I was disappointed, though not surprised to see that Mark Kirk has once again put politics before policy in voting against these programs,” said Dan Seals. “This legislation
helps millions of kids and seniors and doesn’t increase the deficit. If he is not fighting for
them, who is he fighting for?”
AARP CEO Bill Novelli stated that, "This legislation helps older Americans, helps kids
and helps doctors; it is opposed by the tobacco and insurance companies. Who are the
American people going to side with?”
Representative Mark Kirk has received over $745,000 in campaign contributions during
his career from the pharmaceutical, healthcare and insurance sectors (Center for
Responsive Politics).
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