New York Times

By: David Leonhardt

At the White House yesterday, Republicans celebrated their passage of a big tax cut. Somehow, though, they still haven’t found the time or the money to protect health insurance for millions of low-income children. In September, Congress allowed funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (known as CHIP) to expire. By the end of next month, 25 states are likely to run out of their remaining CHIP money, according to a new report by Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families. That could put health coverage for 1.9 million children at risk. Eventually, if CHIP isn’t extended, almost nine million children — or about one out of every eight children in America — could lose coverage.

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Congress’s decision to put tax cuts ahead of health care, writes The Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell, “has left millions of children, including some in the middle of lifesaving care such as cancer treatment, in limbo.” She adds: “When so many dire priorities abound, it’s hard to fathom how tax cuts got to the front of the queue.”

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