CPC URGENT STATEWIDE HEALTH JUSTICE ACTION ALERT
Tell Senators Allard & Salazar: Fund Kids' Health Care
Call for investments that reflect America 's priorities
The Vote is Tonight, So Call Toll-Free Today!  (posted 7/31/07)

Dear CPC Members and Friends,

For the past decade, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has provided high quality, comprehensive, affordable health coverage to more than 4 million children who would otherwise be uninsured. These children get access to vital health care services they would not otherwise be able to afford, but millions more, including nearly 200,000 kids here in Colorado, still don’t have access to care.

That could begin to change tonight, when the Senate is expected to vote on a bill to reauthorize and expand SCHIP to give more kids access to the health care they need.  Colorado's U.S. Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar - particularly Allard, who has not indiciated support for SCHIP reauthorization yet - need to hear from you!

Even in these heated political times, shouldn't be reasonable to expect universal agreement that children's health care is a priority worth protecting?  Sadly, that's not the case.  President Bush has threatened to veto the long-overdue SCHIP expansion on the principle that quality health care is a luxury only for kids whose parents can pay for it.  Fortunately, Congress can overrule him with enough support and that's where your call, today, can make an impact.

Call your Senators now, toll-free at1-800-828-0498 and tell them:

• I’m calling on behalf of millions of America 's children who don't have lobbyists and simply need access to health care.  I strongly urge you to vote to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and oppose attempts to weaken the legislation by reducing the number of eligible children.
• SCHIP reauthorization can answer the prayers of millions of parents and improve the potential of millions of children, but it goes beyond that. We all benefit from a generation of healthy kids.
• For less than what we spend in three months in Iraq we could continue to cover and even expand coverage to more children for the next five years!  It’s an investment we can all agree is worth making.
• National origin should not dictate who gets well or who stays sick.  The current five year ban on access for legally recognized immigrant children must end while reauthorizing SCHIP.

Call your Senators today to protect children's health care and defend America ’s priorities:
1-800-828-0498 

Francoise Mbabazi
CPC Health Justice Program Director