Thanks to the Senate Budget Committee’s approval of $50 billion over five years for new funding for children’s health, we have taken a step closer to achieving health care for all children. Learn more about what it has taken to get here and how PICO will continue to fight for kids by watching the video below.
[youtube nyRcbGME2Xs Community leaders push for kid’s health coverage]

On Friday March 23, the U.S. Senate approved a budget that includes $50 billion in new funding for reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This funding should provide room for states to offer health coverage to as many as 5 million uninsured children, while protecting the coverage for another 1.5 million who depend on SCHIP.

The floor debate on SCHIP funding, and votes on key amendments demonstrated significant bipartisan support for $50 billion for SCHIP expansion. Twelve Republicans and 46 Democrats supported an amendment by Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) to set aside revenue from an increase in the federal tobacco tax for children’s health.

The fight to cover all children is not over. Congress must still reauthorize the SCHIP program. As part of PICO’s Road Map to Covering All Children by 2012, the PICO network will be organizing to make sure that SCHIP is rewritten to include strong incentives for states to enroll and retain children. PICO will also be fighting for changes in the law that would allow states to provide health coverage to pregnant women and documented immigrant children.

To make sure that states use the new federal dollars, PICO federations are helping to lead state-level campaigns in 10 states to expand coverage for children.

Click here to read more about this historic decision and how PICO will continue to fight for all kids.

On March 7 PICO held a Faith and Families Summit on Children’s Health, in partnership with Georgetown Center for Children and Families and First Focus, to press Congress to include $60 billion in the budget for children’s health coverage. Senators Menendez (D-NJ) (Budget), Landrieu (D-LA), Kerry (D-MA) (Finance) and Lautenberg (D-NJ) (Budget) and Representatives Dent (R-PA), DeGette (D-CO) (Energy & Commerce), McGovern (D-MA) (Budget) and Aderholt (R-AL) participated in a bi-partisan Congressional Conversation on Children’s Health. Four hundred clergy and parents participated in the Congressional event and a Budget Rally in the Cannon Caucus Room that included testimony from parents whose children are uninsured or depend on SCHIP funded programs. Read More>>

Media Coverage
Children called gift of God, as faith leaders urge U.S. Congress to expand youth health care
Religious Groups Push Health Coverage for Children
Religious leaders join in backing health care for uninsured children

Resources
PICO Road Map to Covering All Children
SCHIP 101
State by State Information

Links
Cover All Children
SCHIP Reauthorization Resource Center at Georgetown University
Faith and Families Congressional Visits