Skip to main content
Statement

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising.org, on the continued funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

April 15, 2015

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

MomsRising Praises Congress for Continuing Funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
“Kids and their families across America can breath a sigh of relief as Congress renews funding for one of the most wildly successful programs in our country: The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Thanks in large part to the past success of CHIP, nearly 93% of children in the United States have health coverage. This means our children—and our nation’s future parents and workers—can grow up healthy and ready to learn in school. We applaud the smooth passage of this legislation and urge Congress to continue its support of critical children’s health coverage in the years to come.”  
 
# # # 
 
Over the last nine months, the MomsRising healthcare team, along with moms and dads across America, worked hard to ensure that Congressional members were informed about how critical the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is for families in our nation. Using the theme, “Don’t Gamble With Our Kids," MomsRising volunteers and staff utilized a variety of creative tactics to drive home the point that the health coverage of millions of children depended on their Congress’ quick action. The “Don’t Gamble with Our Kids” campaign included: 
  • Over 40,000 signatures on MomsRising’s open letter to Congress in support of CHIP
  • Hand delivering custom poker chips printed with the tagline, “Don’t Gamble with Our Kids.”
  • MomsRising volunteers requesting poker chips to be delivered to their Senator’s Washington DC office by sending a text through MomsRising’s SMS platform.
  • Delivering to each Congressional office a story booklet about how CHIP coverage has positively affected families’ lives: http://moms.ly/CHIPbook
  • Meeting with House and Senate staff in their districts and in DC to share the reasons why renewed funding of CHIP is critical for families 
 

# # # #

MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.