Snowe and Collins show strong support for children’s health care program

Ten years ago, the well-being of our nation’s children took a major leap forward with the passage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

This legislation, proposed by a Democratic president and enacted by a Republican Congress, helped bridge the alarming gap between the health care every child needs, and the services they were actually receiving. In Maine, SCHIP, which is administered through MaineCare, cut the rate of uninsured children in half, from 14 to 7 percent.

Unfortunately, succeeding years and subsequent Congresses have not been so kind to SCHIP. The program’s funding has sometimes been in jeopardy and states, like Maine, that have made intelligent use of the program are not receiving the federal funds they need to cover all eligible children.

The tide may be turning, however. The new Congress has taken some important votes toward eventual reauthorization of SCHIP later this year, and so far they have been uniformly favorable.

In recent budget action in the Senate, a series of amendments that would have weakened SCHIP and prevented states from covering many children now eligible were defeated, while several favorable amendments were approved with bipartisan support.

Nowhere were there more important support for SCHIP than from Maine’s senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. On several key votes, they were the only Republicans joining majority Democrats to strengthen SCHIP’s funding and coverage. Our senators understand, as do most citizens nationwide, that providing health care for kids is one of the smartest investments we can make.

No one should have to go without appropriate health care, but denying it to children is particularly bad public policy. Conditions that are easily cured in childhood can cause lifelong disabilities if left untreated. Children without access to health care often do not get a good start in school, and face many obstacles to becoming productive citizens when they reach adulthood.

The Senate’s votes on children’s health care are important for other reasons, too. Because they apply “pay as you go rules” for federal programs, they ensure that Congress cannot enact further tax cuts without paying for them. And, recognizing that programs like SCHIP require revenues, the Senate voted by a convincing 58-40 margin to dedicate any increased federal tobacco tax revenue to SCHIP.

A renewed sense of fiscal reality will actually help programs like SCHIP that have broad public support. Rather than moving programs off-budget and enacting tax cuts for the wealthy that increase the deficit, and lead to cuts in programs benefiting children, Congress is leveling with the American people about what it will take to keep our promises to kids. Just as states have used tobacco taxes to discourage teen smoking, the federal government can use this method to provide health care to children from their earliest years.

The work of Maine’s senators will continue to be crucial toward providing a return of balance and fairness to federal budgeting. Sen. Snowe is co-sponsoring, with Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., bipartisan legislation that provides a promising beginning to SCHIP reauthorization.

By their example, and with help from supporters in both houses and both parties, Maine’s senators are playing a leading role in the fight to ensure that none of our kids are denied a good start in life.

They need support from all of us in this mission during the long process that still lies ahead.

Elinor Goldberg is president of the Maine Children’s Alliance, a statewide advocacy organization based in Augusta.