10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

US House passes spending bill, though hopes are low for Senate approval

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution Thursday to fund the federal government for four weeks, though chances of the bill passing the Senate are low.

The House vote was 230-197 with Republican Reps. David McKinley and Evan Jenkins voting in favor, while Rep. Alex Mooney was among the 11 Republicans who voted against the measure.

The continuing resolution includes funding the federal government for 28 days, as well as the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years. CHIP is a program that provides health care insurance for families with incomes that are too high to qualify for Medicaid.

“It is now time for the Senate to take action and ensure the nearly 9 million children who use CHIP can have certainty. If they don’t like the proposal, then make modifications or changes, but inaction isn’t an option. It is time to paint or get off the ladder,” McKinley said in a press release.

More than 21,000 West Virginia children are covered under CHIP.

“I hope Senate Democrats will do the right thing and join us in shoring up this vital healthcare program for our most vulnerable children,” Jenkins said in a statement. “If not, the failure to reauthorize CHIP and the closure of our federal government will rest solely with them.”

Mooney’s office did not release a statement.

Senate Democrats want protections for individuals impacted by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The program protects young immigrants who were raised in the United States but lacked legal status because of matters such as coming to the United States as children. Republicans have argued government funding and immigration should be handled separately.





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