December 11, 2017 04:01 PM UTC

Colorado Democrats Push Gardner to Act on CHIP Funding

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• by: Colorado Pols

It’s easy for big issues to get lost in the hubbub surrounding the Congressional Republican tax plan and the ongoing investigations into the Trump administration. Today Colorado Democrats called on Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) to take action on one of those issues: Renewing federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

From a press release:

Today, 53 Democratic members of the Colorado General Assembly sent a letter to Senator Cory Gardner urging him and his colleagues to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Republican controlled Congress failed to reauthorize the vital CHIP program before funding expired this past September, putting nearly 9 million children across the country at risk of losing health care.

“75,761 Colorado children and expectant mothers depend on the program for health insurance. It is unacceptable that despite broad bipartisan support for reauthorizing this critical program, it has languished for months in the Senate,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Senator Gardner, you have said that you support reauthorization of the program, and co-sponsored bipartisan legislation with Senator Bennet to reauthorize CHIP,” the letter continued. “That support is hollow if you and your Republican colleagues do nothing to advance the legislation. As an influential member of Senate leadership, our expectation is that you would zealously advocate for Colorado’s priorities to become the US Senate’s priorities.”

Unless the Senate re-authorizes funding for CHIP, Colorado will run out of money for the program at the end of January.