Bill Nelson just voted to both end CHIP and shut down the government, denying funding to vital government services, including critical national defense programs.
Nelson’s decision to shut down the government for purely political reasons is completely reckless. This shutdown is the result of Nelson and his Democrat colleagues’ loyalty to liberal Democratic Party leadership, and comes at the expense of troops, taxpayers and hardworking Americans.
Just last month Nelson said “400,000 kids in Florida rely on CHIP to receive the healthcare they need. We must reauthorize this program before the funds run out in Florida.” But when he had the chance, Nelson voted against a six-year extension to the program, jeopardizing health insurance for 374,884 Florida children.
“Bill Nelson had to choose between doing what’s best for Florida and playing partisan games, and he chose the latter,” said NRSC Communications Director Katie Martin. “By voting against extending CHIP, critical funding for our troops and programs families rely on, Nelson is once again proving that his loyalty lies with his liberal colleagues in Washington, not with Florida.”