House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., aims to give states more flexibility on Children's Health Insurance Program funding, according to The Hill.
Mr. Walden has reportedly proposed doing this by allowing more unused CMS funds to go to states for CHIP through Dec. 31.
"This is a short-term, fill-the-gap for states — a little rescue, lifeline for them right now," Mr. Walden said, according to The Hill.
Mr. Walden's efforts come as Congress did not renew funding for CHIP prior to a Sept. 30 deadline. CHIP covers roughly 9 million low-income children, as well as 370,000 pregnant women, and the funding for a number of states is slated to run out early next year without Congressional action.
As of Monday, Congress had not re-established CHIP funding. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, recently attributed the difficulty in re-establishing the CHIP funding to the fact the government is out of money.
Mr. Walden's proposal could potentially be part of the short-term government spending bill.