“Live” host Jimmy Kimmel returned to the stage on Monday after a weeklong hiatus and he took a tiny surprise along with him: his 7-month-old son, Billy. 
 
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 The comedian — who was off last week after Billy’s latest heart surgery — did his opening monologue with his infant son cradled in his arms. 
 
 “I was out last week -– because this guy had heart surgery. But look, he’s fine everybody. He may have pooped, but he’s fine,” Kimmel said tearfully. “Daddy cries on TV, but Billy doesn’t. It’s unbelievable. 
 
 “Billy is doing great, by the way. He has one more surgery. This is amazing — he had an operation a week ago. They say he’ll probably be on track to win at least a bronze medal at the Olympics in 2036,” he added. 
 
 The conversation quickly moved toward health care as Kimmel thanked the doctors at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles for treating his son as well as “children from every income level whose health is especially threatened right now.” 
 
 ABC 
 
 Kimmel attacked Congress over not funding the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Its fate was left twisting in the wind earlier this year when Congress failed to approve funding for the program, which covers about 9 million children, according to Medicaid records. 
 
 “Now CHIP, [it] has become a bargaining chip. It's on the back burner while they work out the new tax plans,” Kimmel said. “Parents of children with cancer, diabetes and heart problems are about to get letters saying their coverage could be cut off next month. Merry Christmas, right? 
 
 ABC 
 
 “I don’t know what could be more disgusting than putting a tax cut that mostly goes to the rich ahead of the lives of children,” he added. “This is literally a life and death program for American kids.” 
 
 Kimmel urged viewers to demand Congress fund CHIP for 2018 and directed them to call the House and Senate phone lines at 202-225-3121.
– Jimmy Kimmel held his baby son as he returned to his late-night show after a week off for the boy's heart surgery. Kimmel was crying from the first moment of his monologue Monday night as he pleaded with Congress to restore and improve children's health coverage, a cause he has championed since his son Billy was born with a heart defect in April, the AP reports. "I was out last week—because this guy had heart surgery. But look he's fine everybody, he may have pooped but he's fine," Kimmel said, per ABC. "Daddy cries on TV but Billy doesn't. It’s unbelievable." Billy needed one surgery just after his birth and had a follow-up operation last week. Kimmel kept up his ardent advocacy Monday night, urging Congress to restore the Children's Health Insurance Program, which has been left unfunded and stuck in a political stalemate since September. He slammed lawmakers for using the program, which covers around 9 million children, some of them with life-threatening conditions, as a "bargaining chip." "I don't know what could be more disgusting than putting a tax cut that mostly goes to the rich ahead of the lives of children," he said. "This is literally a life and death program for American kids."