SENATE VOTES IN FAVOR OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH PROGRAM!

LANDMARK BILL ELIMINATES 5-YEAR BAR ON IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN'S ACCESS TO SCHIP PROGRAMS - THANKS TO ADVOCATES FOR ALL THEIR WORK!

A MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER (NILC):

Last night the U.S. Senate approved the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) as part of the 2009 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA - H.R.2). The vote was by a comfortable, bipartisan margin of 66 - 32, with nine Republicans joining the Democrats. Senator Kennedy was not able to vote. Please scroll down for the roll call results. CHIPRA goes to House-Senate conferees next week to iron out differences between their respective versions of the bill, and then the final bill will go to the President, who has expressed strong support.

Thank you, thank you all for your work!

Advocates across the country took to their phones and computers to educate Senators about the vital importance to children's health of passing ICHIA. For the first time since 1996, ICHIA provides states with an option to use federal funding to cover lawfully-residing immigrant children and pregnant women during their first five years in the U.S., through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (now called CHIP). The bill also eliminates barriers to health care for immigrant children and pregnant women with sponsors.

There are a few differences between the bill passed last night by the Senate, and the version passed by the House earlier this month, although both versions contain ICHIA. One difference between the bills is a Senate amendment that relates to re-determination of immigration status of ICHIA beneficiaries in states that take up this option. The amendment, sponsored by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and passed by voice vote in the Senate Finance Committee mark-up, requires that during a state's regular eligibility redetermination process, states ensure that noncitizen beneficiaries continue to have an immigration status that making them eligible for the program. This and other differences between the House and Senate versions are expected to be resolved fairly easily and quickly early next week. House leadership may accept the Senate-passed version, and then take that back to the House floor for passage. Once the House and Senate agree, the President is expected to sign the bill into law.

Please thank the Senators who supported ICHIA, and also the Democratic leaders - especially Senators Reid, Durbin, Baucus, and Rockefeller -- who led the majority in passing this landmark legislation. In California, please thank Senators Feinstein and Boxer for their support. Thanks again for helping to improve access to health care for children and pregnant women. We look forward to working with you to ensure that states pick up this option and to continue improving access to care.

For more information, please contact Dinah Wiley at wiley@nilc.org

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Vote on H.R. 2, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA)

United States Senate, January 29, 2009

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---66

Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---32

Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)

Not Voting - 1

Kennedy (D-MA)