2015: Schweikert Voted Against Extending The Children's Health Insurance Program For 2 Years At A Cost Of $40.1 Billion, As Part Of Permanent "Doc Fix" Legislation. In April 2015, Schweikert voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, "extend[ed] funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for an additional two years, through FY 2017, providing a total of $19.3 billion for the program for FY 2016 and $20.4 billion for the program for FY 201." The House passed the bill by a vote of 392 to 37. The president later signed the bill into law. [House Vote 144, 4/14/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2]
SCHIP Was A Program To Extend Health Insurance To Uninsured Children Not Eligible For Medicaid. According to the National Conference Of State Legislators, "The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)) was created by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, enacted Title XXI of the Social Security Act. It has allocated about $20 billion over 10 years to help states insure low-income children who are ineligible for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. States receive an enhanced federal match (greater than the state's Medicaid match) to provide for this coverage." [National Conference Of State Legislatures, 4/17/15] ]
2013: Approximately 8.1 Million Children Received Insurance Through SCHIP. According to the National Conference Of State Legislators, "In 2013, 8.1 million children were enrolled in CHIP, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services." [National Conference Of State Legislatures, 4/17/15] ]
Provision Was Part Of Larger, Permanent "Doc Fix" Bill That Replaced The Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Formula For Medicare Reimbursements To Doctors With Two Alternate Payment Systems. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The bill replaces the SGR with a new reimbursement system under which physicians could choose to participate under one of two methods: a Merit-Based Incentive Payment system under which doctors could get higher reimbursements based on better overall performance, or a group-oriented Alternative Payment Model system under which doctors would move away from traditional fee-for-service payments.." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15]
Bill Increased Means Testing For High Income Medicare Beneficiaries And Indexed Income Thresholds To Inflation. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Starting in 2018, the bill increases the percentage of premiums that beneficiaries in two upper income brackets must pay --- which bill sponsors estimate will effect roughly 2% of Medicare beneficiaries. Specifically, it increases from 50% to 65% the percentage of premiums that must be paid by individuals with modified adjusted gross income between $133,500 and 160,000 (between $267,000 and $320,000 for a couple), and increases from 65% to 80% the percentage of premiums to be paid for those with modified adjusted gross income above $160,000 ($320,000 for a couple) It also formally adjusts the minimum income threshold at which beneficiaries would begin to pay a percentage (35%) of premiums, increasing it from $80,000 to $85,000. Under the measure, all income-related thresholds for Medicare premiums would be indexed for inflation beginning in 2020." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15]
Bill Increased Deficit by $141 Billion. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Some Republicans, however, oppose the bill because it increases the deficit by $141 billion over ten years, while some Democrats have expressed concern that it extends CHIP for only two years and restricts the use of community health center funds for abortions." [Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/15]
2018: Schweikert Voted Against A February 2018 Two-Year Budget Deal Which, Among Other Things, Increased Spending By $300 Billion, Suspended The Debt Ceiling, Extended CHIP's Authorization For Four More Years And Extended Numerous Tax Breaks. In February 2018, Schweikert voted against a two-year budget deal that re-opened the government after a brief shutdown. According to the New York Times, "With Mr. Trump's signature, the government will reopen before many Americans were aware it had closed, with a deal that includes about $300 billion in additional funds over two years for military and nonmilitary programs, almost $90 billion in disaster relief in response to last year's hurricanes and wildfires, and a higher statutory debt ceiling." In addition, according to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation "would provide funding for federal government operations and services at current levels through March 23, 2018 [...] [and] retroactively extends numerous tax breaks that expired at the end of 2016. It also extends the CHIP program for another four years (through FY 2027) and funds community health centers for another two years." The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the bill. The House agreed to the motion, essentially on passage, by a vote of 240 to 186. The bill was then sent to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 69, 2/9/18; New York Times, 2/8/18; Congressional Quarterly, 2/9/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1892]
2018: Schweikert Voted For An FY 2018 Continuing Resolution Funding The Government Through February 8 And Reauthorized CHIP For Six Years. In January 2018, Schweikert voted for legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide[d] funding for federal government operations and services at current levels through Feb. 8, 2018. The measure would [have] fund[ed] the state Children's Health and Insurance Programs at $21.5 billion annually starting in fiscal 2018 and would gradually increase the funding annually through fiscal 2023." In addition, also according to Congressional Quarterly, "The bill also suspends or delays for one or two years three health-related taxes that were enacted as part of the 2010 health care overhaul to help finance the law --- the medical device tax, the tax on high-value employer-sponsored health insurance plans (the so-called 'Cadillac' tax), and annual fees on health insurance companies." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 266 to 150. The Senate had already agreed to the version of the bill. President Trump later signed it into law. [House Vote 44, 1/22/18; Congressional Quarterly, 1/22/18; Congressional Quarterly, 1/22/18; CBS, 1/23/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 195]
2018: Schweikert Voted For An FY 2018 Continuing Resolution Funding The Government Through February 16 And Reauthorized CHIP For Six Years, But Did Not Offer Any Fixes For DACA Recipients. In January 2018, Schweikert voted for legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide[d] funding for federal government operations and services at current levels through Feb. 16, 2018, at an annualized rate of $1.23 trillion for federal departments and agencies covered by the 12 unfinished fiscal 2018 spending bills, of which an annualized rate of $621.5 billion would be designated for defense and an annualized rate of $511 billion for nondefense discretionary spending. The measure would [have] fund[ed] the state Children's Health and Insurance Programs at $21.5 billion annually starting in fiscal 2018 and would gradually increase the funding annually through fiscal 2023." In addition, also according to Congressional Quarterly, "The bill suspends or delays three health-related taxes that were enacted as part of the 2010 health care overhaul to help finance the law --- the medical device tax, the tax on high-value employer-sponsored health insurance plans (the so-called 'Cadillac' tax), and annual fees on health insurance companies." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 230 to 197. The Senate later blocked the bill, shutting down the government for three days. A revised version of the legislation, funding the government through February 8th was later signed into law. [House Vote 33, 1/18/18; Congressional Quarterly, 1/18/18; Congressional Quarterly, 1/17/18; Congressional Quarterly, 1/22/18; CBS, 1/23/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 195]
2013: Schweikert Voted To Replace Guaranteed State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Payments To States With A Block Grant Set at FY2014 Levels. In March 2013, Schweikert voted to support converting Medicaid to a block grant, as part of the Republican Study Committee's proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2014 to 2023. According to the Republican Study Committee, "The RSC proposes combining Medicaid and CHIP funding into a single, streamlined block grant at FY 2014 levels and giving states maximum flexibility to address the unique health care needs of their vulnerable citizens." The vote was on an amendment to the House budget resolution replacing the entire budget with the RSC's proposed budget; the amendment failed by a vote of 104 to 132 with 171 Democrats voting present. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Repeating a strategy from last year, 171 Democrats voted "present" to push Republicans to vote against the RSC plan to make sure it did not have enough support to replace the Ryan plan." [House Vote 86, 3/21/13; Republican Study Committee, 3/18/13; Congressional Quarterly, 3/25/13; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 35; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 25]
2018: Schweikert Voted For A Recession Spending Package That Cancelled $14.8 Billon In Approved Spending, Including $7 Billion In CHIP Funding And $4.3 Billion In Funding From The Energy Department's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. In June 2018, Schweikert voted for a recession package. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Passage of the bill that would cancel approximately $14.8 billion in previously approved spending, including reductions in budget authority for mandatory programs. It would rescind allocated funding across various departments and programs, including $7 billion from the Children's Health Insurance Program, $4.3 billion from the Energy Department's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, $683 million from Innovative Technology Loan Guarantees, and $800 million in mandatory funding from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. It would not rescind any of the funding provided by the fiscal 2018 omnibus appropriations measure." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 210 to 206. The Senate later rejected the bill. [House Vote 243, 6/7/18; Congressional Quarterly, 6/7/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3]
2017: Schweikert Voted For The FY 2018 Republican Study Committee Budget Resolution Which In Part Called For Reauthorizing CHIP And Combining Its Funding With Medicaid Into A Single Block Grant. In October 2017, Schweikert voted for a budget resolution that would in part, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide for $2.9 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal 2018. It would balance the budget by fiscal 2023 by reducing spending by $10.1 trillion over 10 years. It would cap total discretionary spending at $1.06 trillion for fiscal 2018 and would assume no separate Overseas Contingency Operations funding for fiscal 2018 or subsequent years and would incorporate funding related to war or terror into the base defense account. It would assume repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul and would convert Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program into a single block grant program. It would require that off budget programs, such as Social Security, the U.S. Postal Service, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, be included in the budget." The underlying legislation was an FY 2018 House GOP budget resolution. The House rejected the RSC budget by a vote of 139 to 281. [House Vote 555, 10/5/17; Congressional Quarterly, 10/5/17; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 455; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 71]
2015: Schweikert Voted To Block Grant The Children's Health Insurance Program As Part Of The FY 2016 Republican Study Committee Budget Resolution. In March 2015, Schweikert voted for block granting CHIP. According to the Republican Study Committee, the budget proposes "combining Medicaid and CHIP funding into a single, streamlined block grant at the pre-Obamacare levels." The underlying budget resolution would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide[d] for $2.804 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal 2016, not including off-budget accounts. The substitute would call for reducing spending by $7.1 trillion over 10 years compared to the Congressional Budget Office baseline." The vote was on the substitute amendment to a Budget Resolution. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 132 to 294. [House Vote 138, 3/25/15; Republican Study Committee, FY 2016 Budget; Congressional Quarterly, 3/25/15; Congress.gov, H. Amdt. 83; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 27]