As Congress jousts over the funding of a major insurance gap program for children, millions of them may soon lose insurance coverage. Funds are dwindling for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and nowhere are children in as much jeopardy as in Texas.

CHIP has become an accepted tool for ensuring that children have at least minimal health coverage. But the federal program is the latest sparring ground between the Congressional parties. If funding isn’t approved in the next month or so, existing coverage dollars will be drained. The situation is particularly dire in Texas, where claims against the fund jumped due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Ironically, the same federal government that failed to renew CHIP funding by its Sept. 30 deadline also caused the Texas fund to take an extra hit when Harvey hit. The feds waived co-pays and new enrollment fees for CHIP members to expedite medical care to hurricane victims. Now, says a state official, the fund will run dry more quickly than in other states because of the waivers.