Statement from Department of Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez on today’s Congressional SCHIP vote

“Today, the health care coverage for 124,000 of New Jersey’s children is at risk because Congress fell 13 votes short of overriding the SCHIP bill veto. It’s a sad day indeed when the federal government fails to prioritize children and leaves their health care in jeopardy.

“Many of our advocates, supportive Congressional representatives and state legislators have worked tirelessly on this issue. I know they, along with Gov. Corzine and this Department, will continue to push for bipartisan support to protect and sustain the SCHIP program. These efforts include aggressively pursuing the litigation filed earlier this month against the federal government.

“Ensuring access to health care coverage is fundamentally the right thing to do, and we will be diligent in making sure a responsible and adequate bill is passed and signed.”

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