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HR 2, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, passed the House of Representatives today on a vote of 289-139 with six members not voting.
The bill is similar in scope to one passed in the previous Congress but vetoed by President Bush, and Democratic leaders in Congress could not build the numbers to override. That won't be a problem with President-elect Obama, who has indicated that he's looking forward to the bill being one of the first he signs once in office next week.
Minnesota's delegation fell along familiar lines on the bill: Democrats Jim Oberstar, Collin Peterson, Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum, and Tim Walz were joined in voting affirmatively by freshman Republican Erik Paulsen, while Republicans John Kline and Michele Bachmann voted no as they did on the version passed previously. Walz said in a statement following the bill's passage, This bill makes it easier for those 11 million kids to get preventative care and for their parents to reduce health care costs by replacing emergency room care with access to critical preventive health services...I believe that expanding health care coverage for children is a powerful statement about the value that we as a country put on our children's health. Children's healthcare is not just another detail -- it is critical to strengthening the American family, and it deserves our continued attention. With the Senate's help, this bill will land on President Obama's desk in the next few weeks. The bill is scheduled for markup in the Senate Finance Committee next week.
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