WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 18, 2018) – Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement after the House passed a clean 6-year reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as part of a bill to fund the government.

“CHIP is something both parties agree must get done to provide certainty to more than 60,000 children in Washington state, and their families, who rely on this critical program. Both parties also agree we need a DACA deal, but not having one yet is absolutely no reason to hold children’s health care hostage and shutdown the government. Every Democrat who voted against this bill not only voted for a government shutdown, they voted to deny nearly 9 million children nationwide access to the critical health care they need and rely on.

“Will Senators Murray and Cantwell vote for the Schumer Shutdown or to fund children’s health insurance, support our military, and keep the government open? I hope for the sake of our children and the safety of our nation it’s the latter.”

NOTE: This legislation provides government funding through February 16, 2018, to keep the government open and operating. The clean CHIP extension would be the longest extension of the program since its establishment in 1997.

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