Gregoire says she'll sue if White House limits children's health care

[RiverStone]

Source: The Seattle Times

OLYMPIA — Gov. Christine Gregoire said today she's prepared to sue the federal government if the Bush administration doesn't back away from restrictions on children's health care.

More than 8,000 Washington children could be affected by the outcome, the governor said. The state is officially on record as pledging to help cover all children by 2010, and that can't happen without Uncle Sam's financial help and maximum flexibility for the states, she said.

Congress and the White House are negotiating terms for reauthorizing the State Children's Health Program this week. The states and the federal government share the cost of covering many children, but the program expires this week unless Congress and the president agree on new legislation.

Gregoire said she's baffled by the president's refusal to expand the program, and upset at the administration's new restrictions on the states. She said she's asked the state attorney general to prepare a possible lawsuit.



Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003899979_webgregoire24.html

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And we are spending something in the range of $100,000 per minute in Iraq! Lets see.... a reckless and immoral war vs healthcare for kids. When will they EVER learn???

Kudo's to Gov. Gregoire (from my home state) for challenging Shrub's I-am-the-decider bullshit. :applause:

[Fridays Child]

1. Good!

:woohoo:

[Cha]

2. Go GregoIRE!

Now if all the states will join in! Gov Gregoire says she's baffled by this but it seems obvious to me that there's no money for children's health because the bushits want it all for Iraq and soon to be Iran.

[Lasher]

35. And for tax cuts for rich people.

:mad:

[Maggie_May]

3. You have a good point

Why we don't ask Bush and the congress and the senate why we can spend billions in Iraq but not on our own people. Why don't they ask these questions at new conferences. Its great to see someone stand up to bush we need more governors like that.


'

[Faygo Kid]

4. Whatever happened to federalism? States determining their own policies?

Why does the federal government have to step in here and on representative government in the state? This is precisely the kind of issue where the states can determine best how to spend this money (the max asked for over five years is, what, three months in Iraq)?

Next you'll be telling me the Bushites are guilty of hypocrisy.

[DrDan]

5. $100K per minute?? Try $500K per minute . . .

[RiverStone]

21. I stand corrected --- $500K per minute

Thanks DrDan.

Though I wish you were not right...

* * *

$500,000:Amount the war in Iraq costs per minute, according to a new analysis by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard’s Linda Bilmes, put out by the American Friends Service Committee. The study finds that this $720 million a day could buy homes for 6,500 families or health care for 423,529 children.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/22/500000-2

[DrDan]

24. I sure share that thought with you. . . . my granddaughter

will be saddled with this cost throughout most of her life, I am quite confident.

[jaybeat]

6. Go Chris!

She rocks!

[Gloria]

7. Sign of a pulse somewhere in the Democratic party!

[phillysuse]

8. States Rights - an example of framing that

the Democratic Party should use.

This is a state's rights issue.

Where are all those conservatives out there when you need them?

[Lasher]

36. Republicans support States' rights

Until they want to rig an election in Florida or use somebody like Terri Schiavo to stir up their fundie base.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KoKo]

10. Why aren't any of the Womens Groups putting ads out about this? Why do Dems not have

interest groups who can push this in the Media? Bush should be held accountable for this and all the media talks about is Brittany and her kids and the political horse race.

Good for Gregoire for doing this! This should be shouted from the Rooftops...but who will do it? :shrug:

[Tanuki]

11. The Children's Defense Fund has been very active in this battle

http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer

[KoKo]

12. Thanks...i hope we will see ads about this from them...

[Kurovski]

13. K&R. (nt)

[PianoBlack]

14. O_O

I can't believe this! This is going too far. This is absolutely going too far! Children ARE GOING TO DIE if they don't have that health care! And Bush and them care so much about oil..that they will send peoples sons and daughters, fathers and now the children that are too young to serve in the war are going to suffer!

[FREEWILL56]

20. That pretty well sums it up

as his need for greed and power knows no bounds and he would sacrifice all of us to keep it. Note: He is already doing just that if you really look.

[BlooInBloo]

15. That's my Governor!

[SeattleGirl]

16. All right, Christine!!!

Go get 'em!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[bjobotts]

17. Bush priorities are so screwed up. Spend the money killing than healing.

Wants his war money and screw everything else. I've heard of steal the pennies off a dead man's eyes but never steal the health care from a growing child. but to keep his war going Bush would do both.

[seriousstan]

18. Exactly how does a Gov. sue for changes to a federal law? Not even a law, just a veto?

[fortyfeetunder]

19. You go Gov. Gregoire!

And fight the good fight for America's kids!

Kick and a generous recommend!

[deacon]

22. The ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL should. n't

[Thothmes]

23. Gov. Gregoire

I don't suppose that the Governor of the State of Washington would even seriously consider that the State of Washington has any responsibility for the Health Care of its Children

[Rose Siding]

25. Do you oppose nat'l healthcare for all kids or just the ones in my state?

Washington does cover low income kids and has for at least 15 yrs (when my own were covered for a brief rough patch)

[Thothmes]

26. No

I fully support a national health care program for all American children. However, if the the Federal government is unable, unwilling, or incapable of providing that service, I believe that it is the responsibility of citizens of the States to do so. Rather than wasting time and resources on a law suit that will produce nothing, get on with the business at hand.

[lumberjack_jeff]

27. Gregoire has a track record of winning in court.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Settlement_Agreement

[Rose Siding]

28. Yep

And giving up without trying doesn't seem to be Chris' style.

[fedupfisherman]

29. So she is going to spend money on a lawsuit.........

instead of spending that money on the kids who need healthcare??

[uppityperson]

30. No, she is suing to get that money to spend on kids who need healthcare.

perhaps you missed post #21 that corrected the OP: 500,000:Amount the war in Iraq costs per minute, according to a new analysis by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard’s Linda Bilmes, put out by the American Friends Service Committee. The study finds that this $720 million a day could buy homes for 6,500 families or health care for 423,529 children.

[MasonJar]

31. Sue the ba___ard!!!!!!! If the GOPers vote this one down, they are

finished.

[Doctor_J]

32. The states need to assault *

the Congess won't do anything to rein him in. Maybe the governors can sink him.

[toopers]

33. On what grounds?

If there were a lawsuit, she would lose.

[kurtyboy]

34. She's a pretty good lawyer, she probably can figure it out

She was the Attorney General for the State of Washington for eight years, and during her tenure, she was among the leaders of the team of state Attorneys General that took on big tobacco and won. Those anti-smoking ads you see on TV, which are paid for by big tobacco? Brought to you by Chris Gregoire, et al.

As to the other posters who think that Washington State is trying to get some free ride from the Fed---

No, Chris Gregoire does not believe that her state lacks responsibility for it children's health. The state leads the way in government spending on health care for people who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Her very first act as governor, after a bitter recount contest and continuing lawsuits, was to re-institute the Basic Health eligibility for children. Not a federal program, a state program.

We need to codify, once and for all as a nation, that basic health care for all is a resposibility of true civil society. We ought to do so long before we contemplate bringing "Democracy" to far flung regions by force.