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Tags: john thune | chip | funding | spending | bill

Sen. Thune: CHIP Funding Will 'Hitch a Ride' on Spending Bill

("CBS This Morning")

By    |   Friday, 08 December 2017 11:52 AM EST

Many Americans are concerned about the possible loss of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which covers the healthcare costs of millions of low-income children nationwide, but Sen. John Thune said the program will "hitch a ride" on the year-end spending bill.

"That's something everybody agrees on, CHIP," the South Dakota Republican told the "CBS This Morning" program. "It first got authorized when I joined Congress. It will hitch a ride on whatever spending bill we will do."

There is a "little bit of window" to approve the funding, said Thune, but he does think the insurance program will be funded next week.

The program is vital for many Americans, and in a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll, 67 percent said obtaining funding for it is potentially important enough to shut down the government over.

CHIP remains popular and enjoys bipartisan support, but Congress missed a Sept. 30 deadline for extending its funding, throwing healthcare coverage for almost 9 million children and 370,000 pregnant women nationwide into jeopardy. 

The program has been credited with reducing the rate of uninsured children to 4.5 percent, a record low.

Thune, a member of the tax reform conference committee, also discussed the legislation, including a poll showing that most Americans see the bill's cuts as benefiting corporations and wealthy people and that businesses won't use the money they gain to reinvest or raise wages.

"All the analysis has shown that reducing the corporate race, the business rate is going to flow back into higher wages," said Thune, who has suggested they use the cuts to raise wages. However, there are companies saying they'll pass on the savings to their shareholders, noted CBS, and Thune said in, a free market economy, businesses can do that.

But if businesses use the money for expansions, it could result in hiring more workers and raising wages, he added.

Meanwhile, families will see differences through their taxes through the bill's call for doubling standard deductions and tax credits, he said.

"An average family of four with a combined annual income of $73,000 a year is going to see a $2,300 difference," said the senator. "Everybody's circumstances are going to be different, but if you're on the lower end, I think you're going to see a dramatically lower rate."

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

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Politics
Many Americans are concerned about the possible loss of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which covers the healthcare costs of millions of low-income children nationwide, but Sen. John Thune said the program will "hitch a ride" on the year-end spending...
john thune, chip, funding, spending, bill
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2017-52-08
Friday, 08 December 2017 11:52 AM
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