AND THIS IS BILLY.

I WAS OUT LAST WEEK BECAUSE THIS

GUY HAD HEART SURGERY.

BUT LOOK, HE'S FINE, EVERYBODY.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

HE MAY HAVE POOPED, BUT HE'S

FINE.

I WANT TO THANK CHRIS PRATT AND

TRACEE ELLIS ROSS AND NEIL

PATRICK HARRIS AND MELISSA

McCARTHY FOR FILLING IN FOR US

LAST WEEK.

THEY EACH GAVE A FULL DAY OF

THEIR BUSY LIVES TO GIVE ME TIME

OFF AND I'M GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR

DOING THAT.

AND DADDY CRIES ON TV, BUT BILLY

DOESN'T.

IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

[ LAUGHTER ]

[ APPLAUSE ]

AND WE ALSO WANT TO THANK THE

VERY BRIGHT AND TALENTED DOCTORS

AND NURSES AT CHILDREN'S

HOSPITAL FOR -- WHO TREATED

BILLY, AND NOT JUST BILLY, BUT

MANY KIDS WITH SO MUCH CARING

AND COMPASSION.

CHILDREN FROM EVERY INCOME LEVEL

WHOSE HEALTH IS ESPECIALLY

THREATENED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF

SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF,

IT'S CALLED C.H.I.P.

IT'S THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH

INSURANCE PROGRAM.

IT COVERS AROUND 9 MILLION

AMERICAN KIDS WHOSE PARENTS MAKE

TOO MUCH MONEY TO QUALIFY FOR

MEDICAID BUT DON'T HAVE ACCESS

TO COVERAGE, AFFORDABLE COVERAGE

THROUGH THEIR JOBS, WHICH MEANS

IT ALMOST CERTAINLY COVERS

CHILDREN YOU KNOW.

ABOUT ONE IN EIGHT CHILDREN ARE

COVERED ONLY BY C.H.I.P.

IT'S NOT CONTROVERSIAL.

IT'S NOT A PARTISAN THING.

THE LAST TIME FUNDING WAS

AUTHORIZED WAS 2015 AND PASSED

WITH A VOTE OF 392-7 IN THE

HOUSE AND OVERWHELMINGLY

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS

SUPPORTED IT UNTIL NOW.

NOW C.H.I.P. HAS BECOME A

BARGAINING CHIP.

IT'S AN THE BACK BURNER WHILE

THEY WORK OUT THE NEW TAX PLANS.

CHILDREN OF PARENTS WITH CANCER,

DIABETES AND HEART PROBLEMS ARE

ABOUT TO GET LETTERS SAYING

THEIR COVERAGE COULD BE CUT OFF

NEXT MONTH.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, RIGHT?

SO THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE

CONGRESS, ABOUT 72 DAYS AGO,

FAILED TO APPROVE FUNDING FOR

C.H.I.P. SINCE THE FIRST TIME IT

WAS CREATED TWO DECADES AGO.

THIS IS LITERALLY A LIFE AND

DEATH PROGRAM FOR AMERICAN KIDS.

IT'S ALWAYS HAD BIPARTISAN

SUPPORT.

BUT THIS YEAR THEY LET THE MONEY

FOR IT EXPIRE WHILE THEY WORK ON

GETTING TAX CUTS FOR THEIR

BILLIONAIRE AND MILLIONAIRE

DONORS.

IMAGINE GETTING THAT LETTER

LITERALLY NOT KNOWING HOW YOU

WILL AFFORD TO SAVE YOUR CHILD'S

LIFE.

I'VE IN ENOUGH OF THIS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD BE MORE

DISGUSTING THAN PUTTING A TAX

CUT THAT MOSTLY GOES TO RICH

PEOPLE AHEAD OF THE LIVES OF

CHILDREN.

WHY HASN'T C.H.I.P. BEEN FUNDED

ALREADY?

IF THESE WERE POTATO CHIPS THEY

WERE TAKING AWAY FROM US, WE'D

BE MARCHING ON WASHINGTON WITH

SPEARS RIGHT NOW.

MAKE TWO PHONE DACALLS.

JAM THE HOUSE AND SENATE PHONES.

TELL THEM TO TAKE A BREAK FROM

TAX FUNDS AND FULLY FUND

C.H.I.P. IMMEDIATELY.

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AT

THIS NUMBER.

LEAVE MESSAGES FOR BOTH OF THEM.

THEY NEED TO FUND C.H.I.P. NOW.

AND FRIDAY IS THE DAY TO CHOOSE

THE AFFORDABLE CARE PROGRAM.

DESPITE WHAT TRUMP SAYS, PEOPLE

QUALIFY FOR A REDUCED RATE OR

TOTALLY FREE PLANS.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE HEALTH N, GO

TO HEALTHCARE.COM AND GET IT.

YOU HAVE TO DO IT BY DECEMBER

15th.

IF YOU DON'T DO IT, YOU'LL PAY A

PENALTY OF AT LEAST $695 NEXT

YEAR IF YOU DON'T HAVE

INSURANCE.

RIGHT, BILLY, DO IT.

BILLY IS DOING GREAT, BY THE

WAY.

HE HAS ONE MORE SURGERY.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

AND THIS IS AMAZING.

HE HAD AN OPERATION A WEEK AGO.

THEY SAY HE'S PROBABLY ON TRACK

TO WIN AT LEAST A BRONZE MEDAL

IN THE OLYMPICS IN 2036.

BY THE WAY, GUILLERMO, YOU WANT

TO COME TAKE BILLY FROM ME?

>> Guillermo: YES, SIR.

>> Jimmy: OKAY.

IT'S STARTING TO GET A LITTLE --

AND CHANGE HIM, TOO, WHILE

YOU'RE AT IT.

DON'T GET HIM UNDER THE ARMS.

REMEMBER, BACK TO FRONT.

OKAY?

ALL RIGHT.

THERE YOU GO.

LIKE TWO BABIES. 140

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]