U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today welcomed nine year-old Danielle (Dani) Highley of Deer Lodge to Washington, D.C. as his guest for tomorrow’s State of the Union Address. Dani is one of the 24,000 Montana children who will benefit from the six-year reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Daines recently fought to pass through Congress.
“It is great to be here with Dani for her first trip to Washington, D.C.,” said Daines. “Dani and the 24,000 Montana kids who depend on CHIP can now rest assured they’ll continue to have access to critical health care. These kids are worth fighting for.”
Background:
In an interview over the weekend on Montana Right Now, Dani spoke of her excitement about attending the State of the Union.
On January 26, Daines recognized Dani and fellow CHIP recipient, Jaxon Agee, as his Montanans of the week.
On January 24, Daines announced Dani would be his guest at this year’s State of the Union Address.
On January 24, Dani and her mother posted a video with their reaction to receiving an invitation to the State of the Union Address.
On January 22, Daines and 81 Senators voted to reopen the government and reauthorize the children’s health insurance program for six years.
On January 19, Daines called on his colleagues to protect Montana children.
On January 18, Daines told Dani’s story on the floor of the U.S. Senate and urged his colleagues to support long-term CHIP reauthorization.
On April 14, 2015, Daines supported the reauthorization of CHIP.
CHIP provides vital health services for over eight million children and 370,000 pregnant women across the United States each year.
Since CHIP’s creation, the number of uninsured children has fallen by one-third. Today, the number of uninsured children is the lowest on record.
Montana counties with the highest number of children enrolled in CHIP:
Yellowstone – 3,288 children
Flathead – 2,950 children
Gallatin – 2,765 children
Missoula – 2,284 children
Cascade – 1,325 children
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