Press Releases

May 18, 2008

FACT CHECK: Boehner’s False Children’s Health Insurance Statements

Sunday morning, on This Week with George.Stephanopoulos Minority Leader John Boehner said that the Republicans will show the American people that they are agents of change – apparently, by not changing anything.

Boehner, using the same failed argument House Republicans made leading up to the 2006 elections, repeated the mantra that President Bush isn’t on the ballot in November as if it would strip the seven years Republicans rubber stamped Bush’s failed policies from voters’ minds.  Then, trying to justify his and President Bush’s leadership of Republicans opposition to the overwhelmingly popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization, Boehner again falsely claimed that the children’s health insurance program would give health care to illegal immigrants and adults.  The State Children’s Health Insurance Program reauthorization passed the House of Representatives twice with broad bipartisan support and is supported of 43 Governors.

BOEHNER’S FALSE CLAIM: “Listen, what the Democrats wanted to do was to cover adults, wanted to cover illegal immigrants and wanted to raise taxes to pay for all this.” [ABC’s This Week with George.Stephanopoulos, 05/18/08]

FACT – Illegal Immigrants are NOT Covered by SCHIP

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program passed by Congress does NOT extend coverage to illegal immigrants.  Section 605 of the bill explicitly blocks the use of federal funding for illegal immigrants. 

SECTION 605.  NO FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS.

Nothing in this Act allows Federal payment for individuals who are not legal residents.  [HR 976, Vote # 906, 9/25/2007]

FACT – Democrats did NOT Expand SCHIP to Adults

States have always had the right to decide whether they want to extend SCHIP to adults who are disabled, pregnant, or parents of eligible children.  States must seek a waiver from the Bush Administration through the Secretary of Health and Human Services if they want to cover adults.  Democrats’ SCHIP bill limits the number of waivers that are allowable under the program and phases out the coverage of adults.

“But it's clear that adults will be phased out of SCHIP. Congress' new legislation calls for the change, and though the Bush administration encouraged states to enroll adults in the past, the president and his conservative allies now want the program to be for kids only.”  [Chicago Tribune, October 2, 2007]