ACTION ALERT– ACTION ALERT – ACTION ALERT – ACTION ALERT
Young Artists Send Good News from the U.S. Capitol:
“Health Care for All Kids is Gaining Momentum!”
Background: On Friday, January 23, participating exhibit artists met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Jay Rockefeller and learned that the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization bill will be voted on the Senate Floor next week — possibly as early as Monday evening. At that same meeting, both Senators publicly affirmed that the inclusion of legal immigrant children is a priority. Separately, in a meeting with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s senior staff, the young delegation learned that the House considers ICHIA (a provision that lifts the five-year bar for legal immigrant children & pregnant women) to be a non-negotiable item.
Stand Up for Legal Immigrant Children’s Healthcare: Starting with the removal of the five- year bar for legal immigrant children & pregnant women, the U.S. Congress and President Barack Obama are close to passing legislation that will reauthorize SCHIP. This stands to be an important victory after two years of stalling on a program that has helped millions on families raise healthy children in the face of a worsening economy.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to contact the following Senators and urge their support. Tell him or her:
“Support an SCHIP bill that ends the bar on legal immigrant children and pregnant women. It is both the right and the smart thing to do – we all benefit when everyone in our community is healthy. Oppose any amendments that would undermine this important provision or enact new barriers to health care for all children.”
Alexander, Lamar (R-TN)
Begich, Mark – (D – AK)
Boxer, Barbara – (D – CA)
Mikulski, Barbara A. – (D – MD)
Cochran, Thad (R-MS)
Klobuchar, Amy – (D – MN)
Landrieu, Mary L. – (D – LA)
McCain, John (R – AZ)
Pryor, Mark L. – (D – AR)
Shaheen, Jeanne – (D – NH)
Tester, Jon – (D – MT)
Udall, Mark – (D – CO)
Udall, Tom – (D – NM)
Warner, Mark R. – (D – VA)
Johnson, Tim – (D – SD)
Roberts, Pat (R-KS)
Several Senators have agreed to support the Senate Finance Committee’s version of a bill with a key provision including coverage for legal immigrant children and pregnant women, a provision that the American public supports. These Senators also agreed to reject amendments that would threaten coverage for immigrants. Please thank them for their support:
Begich, Mark (D-AK)
Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
Carper, Thomas (D-DE)
Kaufman, Edward (D-DE)
Akaka, Daniel (D-HI)
Inouye, Daniel (D-HI)
Durbin, Richard (D-IL)
Kerry, John (D-MA)
Kennedy, Edward (D-MA)
Snowe, Olympia (R-ME)
Collins, Susan (R-ME)
Levin, Carl (D-MI)
Baucus, Max (D-MT)
Tester, Jon (D-MT)
Menendez, Robert (D-NJ)
Lautenberg, Frank (D-NJ)
Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM)
Reid, Harry (D-NV)
Schumer, Charles (D-NY)
Wyden, Ron (D-OR)
Merkley, Jeff (D-OR)
Warner, Mark (D-VA)
Webb, Jim (D-VA)
Murray, Patty (D-WA)
Cantwell, Maria (D-WA)
Feingold, Russell (D-WI)
Kohl, Herb (D-WI)
Rockefeller, John, IV (D-WV)
Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK)
For more information contact Hemi Kim at 202. 339. 9318 / hkim@nakasec.org or G Smith at 206.931.5738 / or go online to www.iwanttobehealthytoo.org.
