Contact: Fritz Chaleff

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Bilbray Statement on State Children’s Health Insurance Program

(Washington D.C.)- Congressman Brian Bilbray (CA-50) released the following statement today regarding the House of Representatives passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP):

"While I strongly supported the original version of SCHIP, and even helped negotiate the original legislation that brought it about, this latest version gave me serious heartburn. In order to pay for it, this new bill requires a massive increase in tobacco tax revenues. In fact, that increase amounts to the need for more than 22 million new smokers so this version of SCHIP can be funded. And, who will be these new smokers? Children, the exact same people SCHIP is supposed to help. In addition to that, this bill gives health care benefits to 12-20 million illegal immigrants, complements of the American taxpayer. It is my sense that people shouldn't play politics with children's health care and that's unfortunately exactly what this bill did."

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