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WASHINGTON, D.C. - During heightened economic insecurity and rising health care costs, U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) voted today for legislation to provide health care to over 10 million children nationwide, including 396,042 children currently enrolled in New York's SCHIP program (CHPlus), and extend coverage to an additional 268,000 eligible New York children who are not enrolled. Arcuri voted to override the President's veto of the revised bipartisan SCHIP bill (H.R. 3963).

"When unemployment increases, so do the number of Americans without health insurance and during these times of economic uncertainty families deserve to know their children won't go without critical care," Arcuri said. "Today, I proudly voted once again to give thousands of local children access to the health care they so desperately need."

Last fall, Arcuri voted repeatedly for bipartisan legislation to strengthen the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and provide health care to eligible children who are not enrolled. President Bush twice vetoed this legislation.

The legislation vetoed by the President would have provided a $35 billion expansion of the SCHIP program and health care coverage to 10 million children.

"Simply put, the President's veto denied health care to children of hard-working families across America just as the country began experiencing an economic downturn, with families increasingly struggling with the costs of heat, food, and gas," Arcuri said. "I will continue to work with colleagues from both parties to strengthen SCHIP and bring sky-rocketing health care costs under control."

The Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act (S. 2499), which passed the House of Representatives in December, extended SCHIP through March 31, 2009 - providing additional funding for states to ensure that no children currently enrolled will be dropped from their coverage. However, without H.R.3963, 3.8 million additional low-income children who are eligible but not enrolled will not be covered under the program.

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