skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Second federal judge orders temporary reinstatement of thousands of probationary employees fired by the Trump administration; U.S., Canada political tension could affect Maine summer tourism; Report: Incarceration rates rise in MS, U.S. despite efforts at reform; MI study: HBCU students show better mental health, despite challenges.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration faces legal battles on birthright citizenship; the arrest of a Palestinian activist sparks protests over free speech. Conservationists voice concerns about federal job cuts impacting public lands, and Ohio invests in child wellness initiatives.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Congress Fails To Renew CHIP, Putting VA Children's Care At Risk

play audio
Play

Monday, October 9, 2017   

RICHMOND, Va. -- As Congress debates renewing the Children's Health Insurance Program, almost 9 million kids are at risk of losing their health care.

The program, called CHIP, has traditionally had bipartisan support. But this year, the House and Senate missed an October 1 deadline to reauthorize it, and advocates say efforts have stalled over partisan bickering.

Kim Robinson, a program manager with the Southern Regional Office of the Children's Defense Fund, said if CHIP is not renewed, states could begin running short of funds by the beginning of 2018.

"We're hoping that it's going to be a five-year fix and that states aren't having to spend their time and energy and under-resourced resources to come up with a contingency plan to try to make up the funding should CHIP run out,” Robinson said.

News reports said as of late last week, a bill to re-fund CHIP had passed out of committee in the Senate. But in the House, Republican calls for changes in funding brought negotiations to a standstill. Democrats are refusing to support a GOP plan to take funds from the Affordable Care Act and Medicare to pay for CHIP.

Robinson said officials in many states put their 2018 budget together assuming CHIP would be funded. But she said they're getting nervous over when - or if - the federal money will arrive.

"It does make me have a little bit of anxiety for new applications that came in on October 1 and what happened with those children,” she said. "This is a block-granted program and it's all dependent upon how much money there is."

Robinson said if the CHIP program ends or is interrupted, it would hit low-income families hardest.

"There is always a concern whenever any program comes to sunset,” she said. "With the CHIP program in particular, it covers a larger amount of children, because we're talking about the South, where a lot of poverty exists."

The CHIP program was created in 1997 by two senators, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch and Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy with support from both sides of the aisle.

More information on the CHIP program is available at Medicaid.gov/chip.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to Wisconsin's Judicial Code of Conduct, judges are not required to recuse themselves based on an endorsement or campaign contributions. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Early voting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race starts next week and, although the seat is technically nonpartisan, both candidates have clear …


Environment

play sound

As the warming climate continues to reshape the environment, its impact on people's health is becoming increasingly evident in Florida. Doctors and …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget deficit, and planned cuts in 2026 would include millions in disability assistance. But one advocate says those …


A rally for property tax cuts is set for Monday at the Indiana Statehouse. Organizers have encouraged attendees to wear green to signal their opposition to high property taxes. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana lawmakers introduced a third property tax plan this week, aiming to protect local governments from funding cuts while offering minimal relief …

Social Issues

play sound

Nearly half of Americans age 50 and older are using credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, according to a new AARP survey, and a Minnesota …

Expanded oil and gas subsidies, included in current versions of upcoming federal tax legislation, would support a massive expansion of LNG projects to more than double national export capacity by 2030. (Jeeraphun/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Forty religious leaders from different denominations gathered in Texas this week to call for an end to fossil-fuel subsidies and expansion of related …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that Black students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Blac…

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021