Children's health insurance bill advances

WASHINGTON - A key Senate committee voted yesterday to expand a children's health insurance program to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children. The vote came one day after the House overwhelmingly supported a similar measure.

The measure to increase spending on the State Children's Health Insurance Program passed easily, 12-7, despite losing support from some Republicans who had worked closely with Democrats on the issue in 2007.

Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa said he objected to giving states the option of covering children of legal immigrants through Medicaid and SCHIP. He also said the legislation failed to include provisions from two years ago designed to cut out higher-income families.

All the Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee voted for the bill, which was sponsored by the committee's Democratic chairman, Max Baucus. They were joined by Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine.

Similar legislation passed the House Wednesday by an overwhelming margin, 289-139.

"Immigrants coming to this country and their sponsors have been required to sign a contract that they will not seek public assistance for the first five years they are in this country," Grassley said. "Today, the majority is determined to weaken that policy." Baucus's bill increases spending on SCHIP by $31.5 billion. The bill did not include a provision to cover legal immigrants, but such an amendment offered by Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia was approved.

ASSOCIATED PRESS