VITALE WELCOMES PALLONE EFFORT TO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS IN FIXING NATIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Chairman of the New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement today in support of Congressman Frank Pallone’s announcement that he’s engaging New Jersey stakeholders in discussions on how to fix the nation’s broken health care system:

“I applaud Congressman Pallone for his approach to building a better national health care model – one which meets the needs of all Americans, and ensures access to quality care for everyone, regardless of age, race or income level. In New Jersey, the Congressman will be able to tap into a wealth of knowledge about how to do health care right, because we are on the front lines of ensuring adequate health care for all New Jerseyans.

CONAWAY JOINS PRESIDENT OBAMA AT BILL SIGNING
New Jersey Legislator Advocated for Federal SCHIP Program; New Law Represents an Abrupt Shift from Bush Policies, Provides Coverage For More Than 200,000 NJ Children

Delran, NJ - Seventh district Democratic Assemblyman Herb Conaway was at the White House Wednesday as President Barack Obama signed into law an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that will expand health care coverage to approximately 230,000 New Jersey children.

(Mt. Laurel, NJ) -- John Adler, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in New Jersey's 3rd District released the following statement today regarding President Bush's decision on Friday not to enforce an August 2007 directive to cap State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) eligibility requirements:

VITALE - PRESIDENT’S CONVERSION ON SCHIP GOOD NEWS FOR NJ

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and the chief author of legislation expanding FamilyCare in order to guarantee affordable health care for all New Jersey children, issued the following statement after reading reports that President Bush had decided to back off threatened cuts to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides federal matching dollars to programs like NJ FamilyCare:

“Whether the President decided to make an election year conversion regarding SCHIP, or actually got religion in terms of access to quality health care for the working poor, the news that the Bush Administration is backing off intended cuts to the program are great news for New Jersey.

ROBERTS ON SCHIP VETO OVERRIDE VOTE:
PRESIDENT BUSH HURTS NEW JERSEY AGAIN

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., today issued the following statement in response to the failure of New Jersey's Republican congressional delegation to vote unanimously for an override of President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization bill:

SENATOR VITALE STATEMENT ON FAILURE TO OVERRIDE SCHIP VETO           

WOODBRIDGE – State Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and the author of legislation creating NJ FamilyCare, a health care access program for the uninsured, today blasted the 156 federal lawmakers who voted against an override of President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides matching funds to State programs for uninsured kids:

ADLER: MIDDLE CLASS NEW JERSEY FAMILIES NEED SCHIP TO STAY 

CHERRY HILL – Senator John H. Adler made the following statement today as he once again called upon New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to all vote in favor of overriding the President’s veto of the SCHIP Reauthorization Act:

Saying that actions speak louder than words, Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck today called for the Legislature to reconvene in Trenton to identify State resources, through spending reductions and reprioritization of budget items, to provide interim funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) should President Bush and Congress fail to enact the necessary legislation before federal funding expires.

** PREVIEW**

CHERRY HILL – Senator John Adler will be joined by Governor Jon S. Corzine and Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez tomorrow as they call on all of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to vote to override President Bush’s veto of the SCHIP Reauthorization Act.

KARCHER STATEMENT ON SCHIP HEARING

DUMONT - Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, the Vice Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement regarding today's hearing on Congressional efforts to override President Bush's veto on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a program which provides federal funds to State efforts to offer health care access to the uninsured: