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Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2008

Floor Speech

Date: March 23, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care


CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (Senate - March 23, 2007)

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Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To provide a deficit-neutral reserve fund for the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that eliminates enhanced Federal matching payments for coverage of nonpregnant adults and permits States to offer supplemental dental and mental health benefits for children enrolled in SCHIP)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND FOR REAUTHORIZATION OF THE STATE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (SCHIP).

If the Committee on Finance reports a bill or joint resolution, if an amendment is offered thereto, or if a conference report is submitted thereon, that provides for reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), eliminates enhanced Federal matching payments for health benefits coverage under SCHIP of nonpregnant adults, and permits States to offer supplemental dental and mental health benefits for children enrolled in SCHIP, then, provided that the Committee is within its allocation as provided under section 302(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget may revise allocations of new budget authority and outlays, the revenue aggregates, and other appropriate measures to reflect such legislation, provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit for fiscal year 2008 and the period of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, this is an amendment that relates to the SCHIP program we enacted 10 years ago that is designed to cover uninsured children.

Today there are 12 States that cover nonpregnant adults with SCHIP funding. CBO has estimated that eliminating the differential match on nonpregnant adults saves $400 million over 5 years, and $900 million over 10 years. This is a program for children, not adults.

I yield the rest of my time to the Senator from Georgia.


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