We are pleased that the Congress passed legislation to extend SCHIP until March 31, 2009 - and did so without raising taxes. This bill ensures that this important program for America's low-income children will remain in place. Ultimately our goal should be to move children who have no health insurance to private coverage -- not to move children who already have private insurance to government coverage. With this bill, we can be assured that children will continue to have coverage, and Democrats won't be able to play election-year politics with children's health. At the same time, we are pleased that Congress found a way to avoid scheduled reductions in Medicare physician payments without making irresponsible cuts to the Medicare Advantage program which provides benefits to over 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries.

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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/12/20071219-11.html