Medicaid Expansion. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) offered this amendment to the budget resolution to eliminate $11.2 billion in tax cuts and use what he termed as "savings" to provide health insurance to the parents of children covered by Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Plan). Children are eligible for CHIP when their families’ earnings are above the cut-off for Medicaid eligibility. Making clear that this expansion of the welfare state is "for the children," Kennedy insisted: "Parents are much more likely to enroll their children in health insurance programs, if the parents themselves can obtain coverage."
The Medicaid and CHIP expansion amendment to Senate Concurrent Resolution 101 was rejected by the Senate on April, 7, 2000 by a vote of 49-49 (Roll Call 78). We have assigned pluses to the nays.
