More than two years in the making, the Senate passed a bill Thursday night to fund and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
The House passed a similar version earlier this month. Both bills would expand coverage to include an addition 4 million children and eliminate a five-year waiting period for enrollment. SCHIP currently provides healthcare coverage to more than 11 million of the nation's poorest children.
Lawmakers expect to have a single bill reconciled and passed for President Barack Obama to sign soon. Funding for the SCHIP program is due to expire March 31, if a law to reauthorize it is not passed.
The passage of the Senate bill marks a welcome bipartisan effort in a month of escalating tension between parties as they wrangle over the economic stimulus recovery plan.
"The swift passage of children's health shows that comprehensive, bipartisan health reform is possible, despite the complexity of the problems. But we cannot stop here," said a statement by the Center for American Progress. "We need comprehensive health reform now more than ever given our crumbling economy and a very broken healthcare system."
Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, said, "Strengthening the healthcare safety net is an essential component of comprehensive healthcare reform. Policymakers should build on this momentum and pursue healthcare reform that gives every American access to high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage."
Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said his organization is hopeful the bill will be one of the first laws signed by Obama.
"The bill also represents a confidence-building down payment toward meaningful healthcare reform," he said.