The Latest: House Oks added children's health funds
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on children's health spending legislation (all times local):
11:05 a.m.
The House has approved legislation providing five more years of financing for an expired children's health program. But there's a partisan battle over how to pay for the extension that seems certain to delay the bill in the Senate.
Each party is accusing the other of jeopardizing a program that serves more than 8 million low-income children.
Fresh federal money for the health insurance program stopped on Oct. 1., but states are continuing to use unspent funds.
Even so, states including Arizona, California, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and the District of Columbia are expected to deplete that money by late December or in January.
Democrats oppose GOP plans to pay for the extension in part with cuts to a public health program created under President Barack Obama's health care law.
The House voted 242-174 in favor of the bill.
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10 a.m.
Money to pay for an expired children's health care program for five more years is close to House approval.
The program serves more than 8 million children and is backed by both parties. But Democrats oppose how Republicans want to pay for the extension. The bill seems destined to stall in the Senate until the end of the year.
Federal money for the program expired Oct. 1. States can keep using unspent funds. But a handful including Arizona, California, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and the District of Columbia are expected to run out of money by late December or early January.
Republicans want to pay for it in part by cutting a public health program created under the Obama health care law and raising Medicare premiums on upper-income recipients.
