A mostly Democratic group of senators July 17 introduced a joint resolution (S.J. Res. 44) that would prevent implementation of a Bush administration directive the lawmakers say limits states’ ability to provide health insurance to children.
The resolution authored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Health Subcommittee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) would nullify what has come to be known as the “August 17 directive,” a policy that sets new guidelines for enrollment in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
“This drastic policy jeopardizes coverage for tens of thousands of children in lowincome, working families. This resolution is a way to tell low-income American families that they matter and that Congress is willing to fight for them,” Baucus said in a statement.