Area congressman attends bill signing ceremony for Childrens Health Care Bill

Woodland Daily Democrat

President Barack Obama signed legislation into law Wednesday that will provide health care to 11 million children from working families, including some 700,000 kids in California.

Congressman Mike Thompson, 1st District, was invited and attended the ceremony at the White House.

"Today change came to America as our country took the first major step towards reducing the number of children who don't have health insurance," said Thompson. "The State Children's Health Insurance Program has been an extraordinary success - over 1.5 million children in California get their health care through this program. However, over a million and a quarter kids are still uninsured in our state alone- which is just plain wrong."

"This is a wonderful day for Yolo County children," said Yolo County Supervisor Helen Thomson. "Since the President has signed this bill, we will be able to continue to provide health insurance to our children and to bring in many more children who currently have no health care."

"By signing this bipartisan bill into law, almost 700,000 uninsured children in California and 4 million uninsured children across the country will now have access to health care. Our children deserve a healthy start and this legislation gives kids that chance."

The State Children's Health Insurance Program was created in 1997 to provide health care coverage for children in families that earn too little to afford health insurance for their children but too much to qualify for Medicaid.