In a Thursday letter to Congressional leadership, 99 House Democrats urged members of the Senate and House to reject what they allege to be a highly partisan funding bill for the Children's Health Insurance Program and instead work on a bipartisan solution.
The House passed its funding package for CHIP in early November, which would draw funding for the program away from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The letter's authors argue drawing funding away from other worthy causes undermines CHIP's mission.
"We wrote to urge House and Senate leadership to work together to urgently and responsibly extend funding for [CHIP] without the inclusion of harmful provisions that would reduce coverage … No one should have to lose coverage for others to maintain it," the letter reads.
CHIP funding expired Sept. 30, though Congress approved a short-term funding bill Thursday that program funding until Dec. 31. If federal funding for CHIP is not renewed, many states will be forced to end their programs within the first few months of 2018.