As the House of Representatives voted to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster announced his endorsement of the All Healthy Children’s Act.
The bill, introduced by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) in the House and Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) in the Senate, authorizes $50 billion over a five-year period to cover 4.1 of the 9 million uninsured children nationwide and guarantees health coverage to every child in America.
In a letter to Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) President Marian Wright Edelman, Foster wrote: “As Congress [debates] reauthorization of SCHIP in 2007, there is a special opportunity for our nation and leaders in all parties to take the next step to ensure health and mental health coverage for all children in America. I appreciate the Children’s Defense Fund’s advocacy for this important legislation that would aid the children and families of our city.”
Of the 9 million uninsured American children, approximately 781,000 of them live in California with just over 17,000 of them residing in Long Beach, according to the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Foster joins more than 80 California leaders and organizations in endorsing the All Healthy Children’s Act including the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
For more information visit www.childrensdefense.org/healthychild.
