John Sweeney President, AFL-CIO: Shattered Dreams

[Omaha Steve]

Millions of children lost a chance to have health care coverage when the U.S. House voted 273–156 yesterday and failed to overturn Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) renewal. It would have taken a two-thirds majority to override Bush’s veto.

It is truly devastating for America’s working families that a faction in Congress put party politics above their obligation to America’s children and shattered a dream for millions of working families.

Until yesterday, millions of low-income families saw hope on the horizon in the form of health insurance that would allow them to take their children to the doctor when they are sick and to get preventive care so they can grow up healthy.

There is simply no justifiable reason for voting against health care for children. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program has been a great success. Studies show children enrolled in the program are healthier, which means they require fewer expensive medical services. Studies even show kids with coverage through this program do better in school.

Those are just a few of the reasons why a strong, bipartisan majority in Congress voted to expand health insurance for children. The most important reason is that taking care of our kids is a moral obligation and supporting SCHIP is simply the right thing to do.

Make no mistake: Those who stood with the president and against our children and grandchildren took an extreme position far outside the mainstream values of both their colleagues in Congress and the American people.

Thank you to everyone who called or sent e-mail messages and faxes to Congress. In total, you contacted your lawmakers more than 100,000 times. The message was loud and clear: Working men and women will hold opponents of children’s health care accountable at the voting booth.

In solidarity,

John Sweeney
President, AFL-CIO

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