They Voted for You: Children's Health Insurance

All three of West Virginia's U.S. House members helped pass legislation Wednesday "to extend and improve the Children's Health Insurance Program."

Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st; Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd; and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for the "Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009" in a 289-139 roll call.

The Associated Press reports that the bill would "expand government-sponsored insurance to 4 million more children in working families with income too high to qualify for Medicaid."

But "between 300,000 and 600,000 of the new enrollees could be non-citizen children of legal immigrants who have been in the country less than five years," AP observes, calling that a "sticking point for some Senate Republicans who also will consider a similar bill."

"Congress passed similar legislation in 2007 but it was vetoed both times by departing President George W. Bush," the article said, while Barack Obama said "he hoped the Senate acts with the 'same sense of urgency so that it can be one of the first measures I sign into law when I am president.'"