Washington, D.C. – Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva today joined a majority in the House of Representatives in support of bipartisan legislation to provide health care to 11 million children in modest-income families.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act was approved by a vote of 244-178. The bill is very similar to the legislation that President Bush vetoed twice in the 110th Congress.

This Legislation is likely to be one of the first bills signed into law by President-elect Barack Obama.

“No child should ever go without medical care,” said Grijalva. “The program serves as a crucial health care safety net for low-income uninsured children. This will help improve the health and chance for success for 11 million children, reduce the much more costly use of emergency rooms for primary care, and move us closer to providing every child in our nation with affordable, high-quality health care. Providing Children’s Health Insurance ensures a stronger and healthier community and future for all of us.”

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was created in 1997 to provide health care coverage for children in families that earn too little to afford health insurance for their children themselves but too much to qualify for Medicaid.

This bipartisan bill reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through FY 2013 and preserves the coverage for all 7.1 million children currently covered by SCHIP, including preserving the coverage of 104,209 children in Arizona.

The bill also extends health care coverage to 4.1 million additional low-income children, who are currently uninsured.

The bill is fully paid for by raising the tobacco tax by 61 cents.