Posted on 09/27/2007 7:45:03 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Congress approved legislation Thursday that would potentially add 4 million children to a popular health care program, setting up a veto fight that President Bush probably will win but handing Democrats a campaign issue for next year's elections.
Eighteen Republicans in the Senate lined up with Democrats in voting 67-29 to increase spending on the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, from about $5 billion to $12 billion annually for the next five years.
The vote was enough to override a promised Bush veto. But supporters in the House, which passed the bill Tuesday, are about two dozen votes shy of an override. Both chambers would have to muster two-thirds majorities to win a veto showdown.
Overall, spending for SCHIP would increase to $60 billion over five years in the unlikely prospect the bill becomes law — double what President Bush recommended.
Analysts projected the legislation would allow about 4 million of the estimated 9 million uninsured children in the United States to gain coverage.
Bush and most GOP lawmakers say the spending increase is too large and would expand the program beyond its original intent. That intent was to help families with incomes too large to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.
In a statement after the Senate vote, the White House said Bush "will veto this bill because it directs scarce funding to higher incomes at the expense of poor families."
Opponents of the measure said they support SCHIP, which was enacted a decade ago, and want to renew it before it is set to expire on Saturday. However, they said they could not go along with such a large spending increase.
Republicans braced for criticism that they were being insensitive to low-income children who are uninsured through no fault of their own. They said the legislation was an effort to score political points and another step toward universal health care paid for by the government.
"Democrats are counting down the hours so they can tee up the election ads saying Republicans don't like kids," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "Meanwhile, they're using SCHIP as a Trojan horse to sneak government-run health care into the states."
Democrats said there was strong public support for expanding the children's health care program. They portrayed the president as isolated in his view that the legislation would be a mistake.
"With each passing day, he reveals ever more clearly that the values of his administration are out of touch with those of average Americans," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.
Some Republicans joined in that criticism.
"I just don't understand his decision, and I think it would be a terrible mistake," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said complaints about the bill bordered on hysteria, particularly complaints that the bill would expand government-subsidized coverage to families of four with incomes of up to $83,000.
"This is not a government takeover of health care. This is not socialized or nationalized medicine or anything like that," Grassley said. "This is not bringing the Canadian health care system to America."
The additional spending would be paid for through a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes.
Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., said the tax could end up lowering future health care costs if it reduces smoking rates.
"Discourage smoking and you connect the habit with all the public health care costs that it imposes," he said.
But Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., said the tax increase could lead to a drop in revenue to states that also rely on tobacco taxes. Those states would be compelled to increase tobacco taxes also to avert revenue shortfalls. The resulting price increase would force some smokers to the black market, he said.
After the vote, supporters of the bill said they believed it would be in the president's best interest politically to sign the bill.
"The polls on this are overwhelming," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Opponents argued during the debate that expanding the program too much would lead to many families dropping private coverage. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that about 2 million children who otherwise would have private insurance would join SCHIP.
Anticipating a veto, Congress will continue funding SCHIP at its current level until mid-November as part of another bill keeping federal agencies in operating funds beyond Sept. 30.
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The bill is HR 976.
so entrenched are the tenacles of eurosocialism across this land and its House and Senate.. a few more votes in the House and..
bada boom bada bing
—
a couple months ago..
Senate OKs wider kids’ health program ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1875618/posts
Posted by NormsRevenge
On News/Activism ^ 08/02/2007 9:57:41 PM PDT · 23 replies · 486+ views
AP on Yahoo ^ | 8/2/07 | Julie Hirschfeld Davis - ap
WASHINGTON - The Senate passed legislation Thursday to add 3 million lower-income children to a popular health insurance program in bipartisan defiance of President Bush’s threatened veto. The 68-31 vote, one day after the House passed a more ambitious and expensive version over bitter Republican opposition, handed Democrats a solid achievement to trumpet as they leave Washington for a summer break. It also gave Democrats, who secured a veto-proof margin, a chance to draw a stark distinction between their priorities and Bush’s on an issue that resonates with voters. “For the life of me, I can’t understand why the president...
Yeah, right.....sheesh.
America is not a two party state.
Instead, we only have one party and it is a Socialist Party.
Tom Coburn’s speech on the floor today was terrific.
No surprise there.
What is surprising is the number of scumbag Republicans who are popping their cowardly heads up to support this Euro-socialist “camel’s nose”. I hope Bush makes a big showing of his veto ceremony and offers up a good smackdown.
I don’t hear people flooding the phone lines over this.
i don’t understand why taxpayers,
many of whom do not have health insurance,
should pay for someone’s children.
and, many of these illegals.
The additional spending would be paid for through a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes.
But Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., said the tax increase could lead to a drop in revenue to states that also rely on tobacco taxes. Those states would be compelled to increase tobacco taxes also to avert revenue shortfalls. The resulting price increase would force some smokers to the black market, he said.
Bush will not Veto.
Does anyone know if they ended up including illegals in this?
illegals are not included but all children born in America will be covered.
he will veto, the White House said he would.
Well,they will need one;)
Seems that moveon.org,code pink,a.n.s.w.e.r.,hate our troops campaign issue isn't working out so well;)
Children and health care? A political double-whammy certain to bludgeon most Republican lawmakers into cowering acquiescence.
Don't you remember No Child Left Behind?
How about, The Senior Prescription Drug Program?
He signed both of those money pits with a big smile on his face.
Of course, it was not his money he was spending.
Bangs head on desk...
EIGHTEEN Republicans?!? Good grief! Man first the House, now the Senate...
I was watching this on C-SPAN earlier, Thune was slamming the SCHIP plan but Domenienci (sp?) was all for it. Then Collins came up so I turned it off.
Supposedly this covers “children” up to age 25. I’m 18 and I don’t want a bunch of incompetent government bureaucrats controlling my health care! I cannot wait for Bush to veto this.
Bush does not have the political capital to veto this bill.
The Republicans and President Bush have a good case to make on this if only they would make it and be effective at it. Pour money into ads stating the facts. The “it’s for the children” mantra is really getting old and worn out.
VERY RARELY does the tax paying public “flood the phones”....they’re too busy WORKING.
Damn. I guess we’re screwed then.
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