Tell Congress: Stop using children as political pawns. Pass DACA and CHIP

After kicking the can down the road three times since last September, congressional leaders -- led by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan -- have had months to find a long-term solution to fund the federal government. 

They still haven't. 

Throughout this process, they've played partisan games with children's health insurance, and offered no serious solutions for the hundreds of thousands of young DACA recipients waiting for help -- despite consensus across the aisle to protect DREAMers.

This looming shutdown isn't about federal funding, or unsolvable political differences.

It's about ignoring a growing bipartisan consensus. The American people, overwhelmingly, want to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and protect the 800,000 young immigrants who know America as their only home. 

This shutdown fight is about Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, along with the White House, refusing to do the right thing because of politics. It's about them playing to the most conservative members of their caucus instead of truly governing for the majority.

This is unacceptable, and it's proof of what we've known all along: Congressional leadership cannot govern responsibly. It's time we hold them accountable. Call a key senator today: 

https://www.ofa.us/take-action/call-congress/

SAMPLE SCRIPT

Hi, I'm [YOUR NAME] from [YOUR HOMETOWN AND STATE]. 

I'm calling to urge you to work across the aisle to fund CHIP and protect DACA recipients. There are millions of uninsured children who need health care, and hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients who go to our schools, serve in our military, contribute to our communities, and know this country as their home. They deserve permanent protection.

We shouldn't have to decide between taking care of kids and funding the government. Please, stop toying with the idea of a government shutdown and come up with a bipartisan solution to fund both of these programs - millions of lives depend on it.

Arizona citizens - here is your contact information. 

Sen. John McCain

P. 202-224-2235
F. 202-228-2862

Phoenix Office
P. 602-952-2410
F. 855-952-8702

Tucson Office
P. 520-670-6334
F. 855-952-8702

https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

Sen. Jeff Flake

P. 202-224-4521
F: 202-228-0515

Phoenix Office
P: 602-840-1891
F: 602-840-4092

Tucson Office
P: 520-575-8633
F: 520-797-3232

https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

More information:

G.O.P. to Use Children’s Health Insurance as Lure for Averting Shutdown

Children’s health insurance has become a political hostage

#DACA #CHIP

URGENT calls needed: Senate Democrats must defend Dreamers and restore CHIP

protect our children

Democrats could protect more than 800,000 Dreamers from deportation and restore access to health care for 9 million children if they stand their ground during end-of-year budget negotiations. Will you make a call today to make sure they act? Click below for a sample script and the number to call:

In the next few weeks, Congress will decide the fate of millions of children most threatened by Donald Trump. Right now, Democrats have all the leverage they need to force Congress to protect them – but it’s up to us to make sure they act. Congress must approve a budget bill by the end of the year to fund the government and keep it running – and Republican leadership needs the support of Senate Democrats to make that happen. If Senate Democrats form a united front on passing a clean DREAM Act and reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) during the budget negotiations, they could force a vote on a must-pass spending package that would save millions of children’s lives and protect hundreds of thousands of Dreamers from deportation. We must make sure that every Democrat in the Senate holds the line and votes in lockstep to protect the immigrants and children under attack by Donald Trump and his administration. Call today. Call key Senate Democrats: Time to fight. Do everything you can to pass a clean DREAM Act and save CHIP now. Click here to start your call. Trump’s heartless attacks on immigrants and children are already ruining people’s lives. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) gave many people brought to the United States as children by their parents the ability to work and live in the country. Since Donald Trump ended the program, more than 100 Dreamers a day lose their work permits and protection from deportation. Nearly 150,000 could face deportation by March if Congress does not reinstate the program immediately.1 CHIP gives low- and middle-income children access to lifesaving health care. Republicans allowed it to expire in September. Now, more than a dozen states are preparing to shut down their CHIP program completely.2 If Congress does not renew funding for CHIP, more than 9 million children will lose their health care. To keep Dreamers safe and millions of children healthy, we need key Democratic senators to stand strong. Can you help flood their offices with calls demanding that they fight for a clean DREAM Act and federal funding for CHIP? Call key Senate Democrats: Time to fight. Do everything you can to pass a clean DREAM Act and save CHIP now. Click the link below to start your call. https://act.credoaction.com/call/dacachip_calls_dems1/?t=7&akid=26319%2E3130208%2EBR_XVu - Nicole Regalado CREDO Action from Working Assets Click below for a sample script and the number to call: References: Dara Lind, "Thousands of immigrants are losing their DACA protections already," Vox, Nov. 10, 2017. Colby Itkowitz and Sandhya Somashekhar, "States prepare to shut down children’s health programs if Congress doesn’t act," The Washington Post, Nov. 23, 2017.