It's up to Congress to act responsibly

The president strongly supports SCHIP and his principle is clear: Poor children first. The administration has added more than two million kids to SCHIP since 2001, and the president's 2008 budget, presented to Congress eight months ago, calls to increase SCHIP funding by 20 percent over five years.

Unfortunately, not every state is using SCHIP for its intended purpose, helping children whose families cannot afford private health insurance to get the coverage they need. Instead, a lot of money meant for children is going to adults.

Congress' plan moves the program further from its original intent. It would cover children in some households with incomes of up to $83,000 per year, and also move millions of children who now have private health insurance onto government coverage. Their plan would raise taxes on working people; and it doesn't fully fund all the new spending it proposes.

The president recently said in his weekly radio address that he is committed to working with Congress to renew SCHIP. Now, the President hopes Congress will send him a responsible bill he can sign, so we can keep this important program going. We need to ask our representatives in Washington to put politics aside and demonstrate that they do care for children.

Maureen Lydon

Regional Director

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Chicago