Bush Refuses To Renew Health Care Plan for Poor Children

[illinoisprogressive]

President Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.

The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House.



"I support the initial intent of the program," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post after a factory tour and a discussion on health care with small-business owners in Landover. "My concern is that when you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."

The 10-year-old program, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, costs the federal government $5 billion a year and helps provide health coverage to 6.6 million low-income children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance on their own.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/18/AR2007071801434.html?hpid=topnews

[MNDemNY]

1. I'm shocked!!!!!!!!

[Phredicles]

2. * doesn't give a damn about your kids' health;

he cares more about his precious anti-government ideological purity. This isn't news, of course, but I'd sure like to hear it said more often and more loudly.

[helderheid]

3. How Christian of him.

:sarcasm:

[ThomCat]

5. I'm sure his religious right base will be up in arms about this.

:sarcasm:

I'm sure that they'll actually just ignore this and pretend it never happened. :(

[rubberducky]

4. Seems like , on this issue, congress should be able to override a veto.

[nancyr]

8. Private insurance?

The last time I looked, poor people couldn't afford private insurance! Hence the reson for the program. What a guy.

[angstlessk]

19. Not only that, you cannot insure just an underaged kid you have

to pay for a FAMILY PLAN, the most expensive of all plans available!...boosh is a goon!

[blondeatlast]

11. Trying to find the roll call vote; it had bipartisan support.

Anyone know the bill number?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

22. Try this URL and note the surprise votes by some prominent Democrats

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00105

[ProgressiveEconomist]

24. It would be close. The Senate vote was only 59-40. For some Senators from tobacco-

growing states--even a couple of Democrats--apparently a 61-cent per pack cigarette tax increase to fund SCHIP expansion was a deal-breaker.

See the senate roll-call link in post #22.

[blondeatlast]

6. Bastard. No other word for it. Grrr... nt

[The Count]

7. The new Potter book:

[dkofos]

9. He would have signed it if the $5 billion a year went to his buddies

at the insurance companies.

[RestoreGore]

10. There are no words

[demoleft]

26. No words indeed.

The ones I have cannot be pronounced.

[orleans]

12. and these fuckers run on "family values"

hypocrisy hypocrisy, hypocrisy

[blondeatlast]

13. Does anyone know the bill mumber or when it was approved by the Senate?

I'm trying to find a roll call vote--this was pretty popular and an override might be possible.

Thanks.

[lies and propaganda]

14. family values, compassionate conservatives, no child left behind, lying sacks of shit.

[Bitwit1234]

15. But he wants to give HIS supprters and family that have military contracts

more and more and more money. Wonder why..... guess corporations and his family businesses deserve it eh.....

[halobeam]

16. Anyone know if this is the Family health plus and/or Child Health plus A or B programs?

This article doesn't say, and I don't know where to look it up. Any help is appreciated.

From what I understand, these above named programs are the only ones that are for those who don't qualify for Medicaid and unable to afford to buy their own priv. insurance.

[OzarkDem]

17. Its the SCHIP Program

More information here:

http://www.familiesusa.org/

[ellenfl]

18. can't be schip . . . pharma has ads out in favor of it. eom

[ProgressiveEconomist]

25. It's SCHIP. The editorial page of the WSJ has chastised Big Pharma and R Governors

for being "short-sighted" on the revenue increases they'd get from SCHIP and not making a stand against "socialism".

[halobeam]

21. thanks, i'm looking into it.... much appreciated

my kids fall into this category..

[Vinca]

20. According to our daily paper, he's also limiting Vermont's

plan to use Medicaid funds to help finance that state's attempt to expand health care to everyone. Georgie must have lots of stock in the insurance industry.
http://www.reformer.com/region/ci_6409871

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. I Can't Wait For 1/21/09

I used to eschew the guns or butter argument but we could give everybody free Lexus Hybrids and free health care for what we are wasting in Iraq...

What an asshat...