MADISON - Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, said that for the first time in her tenure, she's hopeful the federal government will achieve her goal of providing health care for every American.
"Achieving health care for all in this country is the reason I got into politics," Baldwin said Wednesday in a news release. "SCHIP takes an important first step toward that end."
Baldwin was at the White House on Wednesday when President Barack Obama signed into law an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The bill passed the Democratic-controlled House on a vote of 290-135. Forty Republicans joined in approval.
Gov. Jim Doyle says Wisconsin will see an additional $10 million under the expansion. Doyle also was in Washington for the signing of the bill that calls for spending an additional $32.8 billion. Lawmakers generated that revenue by raising the federal tobacco tax by 62 cents per pack of cigarettes.
Doyle says the extra money coming to Wisconsin will be used to help pay for children's' health insurance under the BadgerCare Plus program that is jointly funded with state and federal money.
More than 70,000 children are covered under the Wisconsin program.
"Achieving health care for all in this country is the reason I got into politics," Baldwin said Wednesday in a news release. "SCHIP takes an important first step toward that end."
Baldwin was at the White House on Wednesday when President Barack Obama signed into law an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The bill passed the Democratic-controlled House on a vote of 290-135. Forty Republicans joined in approval.
Gov. Jim Doyle says Wisconsin will see an additional $10 million under the expansion. Doyle also was in Washington for the signing of the bill that calls for spending an additional $32.8 billion. Lawmakers generated that revenue by raising the federal tobacco tax by 62 cents per pack of cigarettes.
Doyle says the extra money coming to Wisconsin will be used to help pay for children's' health insurance under the BadgerCare Plus program that is jointly funded with state and federal money.
More than 70,000 children are covered under the Wisconsin program.