Press Releases

Washington, D.C. — As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to vote on an override of President Bush’s veto of legislation to preserve health care coverage for millions of children currently insured by the Children’s Health Insurance Program and extend coverage to millions more who are currently uninsured, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement:

"Today, I urge my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to make the right choice for kids and overturn President Bush’s veto of bipartisan legislation that would provide health care to thousands of children in Northwest Washington who need it. The President’s decision to deny health care coverage to our children was the wrong choice for our country and the wrong choice for Northwest Washington."

NORTHWEST NUMBERS BY COUNTY:

According to estimates from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, the President’s veto of The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 976) could mean that thousands of children in Island, San Juan, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties won’t get the health care coverage they need:

Island County: approximately 338 children may not receive the health care coverage they need.

San Juan County: approximately 62 children may not receive the health care coverage they need.

Snohomish County: approximately 963 children may not receive the health care coverage they need.

Skagit County: approximately 835 children may not receive the health care coverage they need.

Whatcom County: approximately 1,257 children may not receive the health care coverage they need.

(Numbers estimated based on maximum enrollment numbers; a smaller number of children are likely to actually be enrolled in the program.)

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