The federal Department of Health and Human Services today announced a proposed revision in the regulations governing the State Children's Insurance Health Program (SCHIP) program, which provides medical assistance for a low-income "child" under age 19. The proposed change will allow states to recognize unborn children as among those who are eligible for coverage under the program. The following comment may be attributed to Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC):

"We applaud this Bush Administration proposal to recognize the existence of an unborn child in order to allow the baby, and the mother as well, to receive adequate pre-natal care -- a proposal to which only the most extreme pro-abortion ideologues will object."

The National Right to Life Committee is the nation's largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 chapters nationwide. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect those lives threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia.

VSHL is the Virginia affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.