Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey says he’s going to continue to fight for CHIP, a program that provides health insurance for young children and pregnant women from low-income backgrounds.
“We are not going to accept anything less than full funding for the CHIP program,” said Markey on Boston Public Radio today.
Federal subsidy for the Children's Health Insurance Program is predicted to run out at the end of January. The provision that extended funding expired at the end of September amid partisan disagreements about how to pay for the program, which costs the federal government $1.5 billion a year.
Markey says more than 100,000 children in the Bay State benefit from CHIP program, and he said he’ll fight for its existence as a possible government shutdown looms.
“There is going to be a showdown of massive dimensions if [other lawmakers] seek to end or significantly curtail that program,” said Markey.
A resolution could be pushed to mid-January, but some states have already announced to CHIP beneficiaries that they should prepare to lose coverage.
Sen. Ed Markey is a national leader on energy, environment, climate, telecom, and a voice for consumer protection. He tweets from @senmarkey . To hear his interview in its entirety, click on the audio player above.
