Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval calls on Congress to OK CHIP, DACA

Gov. Brian Sandoval on Friday called on the U.S. Senate to reauthorize the Child Health Insurance Program and reaffirmed his support for the DACA program to protect child immigrants.

“There are more than 40,000 low income families desperately waiting for CHIP reauthorization to ensure access to healthcare,” he said.

Sandoval said that includes children receiving life-saving cancer treatments and other critical services.

“These families cannot wait and I urge the Senate to pass the measure in front of them today to provide certainty for our children’s healthcare.”

He also emphasized he still supports the protections in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. That program is designed to protect children of illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States when just small children. That program, like CHIP, is in danger of losing federal funding in the near future.