WASHINGTON (10/3/07) — Sharon E. Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and other religious leaders joined Republican and Democrat members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Tuesday on the steps of the Capitol Building to make a statement on a behalf of children.

The press conference, organized by Sojourners/Call to Renewal, was called to urge Congress to override President George W. Bush’s expected veto of H.R. 976, a reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). 

A member of the board of directors of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, Watkins read a statement in which she shared memories of raising her own children:  “Your heart breaks when your child is sick … I shudder to think of the consequences, if my children had not had the health care and preventative care they needed.”

Watkins announced that at their biannual national General Assembly in Texas this summer, Disciples passed a resolution calling on church members to be “advocates for children” and “to work at a grassroots level to ensure the expansion and proper funding of healthcare for children.” 

“Simple human decency says no child should be left behind…and denying health care coverage to children is leaving them behind,” she said.

The bill extending SCHIP has bi-partisan support in the U.S. House and Senate.  Supporters claim that is has been a highly successful and pragmatic program.  It has helped “states reach children who are not poor enough for Medicaid but whose parents cannot obtain coverage for their children at work,” according to a letter sponsored by the Pacific Institute for Community Organizations (PICO) National Network and signed by religious leaders around the country.  Expansion of SCHIP could mean covering an additional 4 million children who are currently uninsured and protecting coverage for the 6.6 million children who already depend on SCHIP.  

Others religious leaders joining Waktins included Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners/Call to Renwal; Simone Campbell of Network, a national Catholic social justice lobby; Glenn Palmberg of the Evangelical Covenant Church; and Heyward Wiggins of PICO. 

Also present at the press conference were House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO).  According to press release, the Congress members “warned that a veto override would be historic but the morally right thing to do for the poor children needing health insurance.” 

Editor's note: Watkins' speech is now posted on the YouTube website.