Gingrey the Doctor won't vote for something unless the conditions are PERFECT

[Donnachaidh]

There are times when I want to slap my representatives. Here is his long-overdue email response about the schip vote:


Thank you for contacting me to express your support for H.R. 2, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 - or as the program is called in Georgia, PeachCare. As your Congressman, I appreciate hearing your thoughts and welcome every opportunity to be of service.



As a physician for nearly 30 years, I personally understand the essential role SCHIP plays in maintaining children's health. SCHIP was established in 1997 by a Republican-controlled Congress as a block grant program states could use to provide care for children who were not eligible for Medicaid but whose families still could not afford health insurance. In Georgia, PeachCare provides medical insurance for 270,000 children whose families' income is less than 235 percent of the federal poverty level.



I strongly support reauthorizing SCHIP to preserve the original intent of the program - providing health insurance to low-income children. Unfortunately, H.R. 2 - as enacted - does not go far enough to ensure that the neediest children have the highest priority of receiving care.



This legislation does not end a practice of states using loopholes to allow people to disregard significant portions of their income to make them eligible for SCHIP and Medicaid. I offered an amendment to H.R. 2 that would have ended the manipulation of this loophole, but it was never given an opportunity to be debated by the Democratic Majority.



Additionally, under this bill, the ability of illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer benefits is even greater than current law. H.R. 2 eases the citizenship verification of immigrants by allowing a simple verbal presentation of one's social security number. I do not consider it an undue burden to provide a birth certificate or passport to be enrolled into this or any other taxpayer-funded program.



Furthermore, the necessary funding to pay for H.R. 2 comes from a $0.62 increase in the cigarette tax. This represents an inherently regressive form of taxation to pay for this bill. As a result of H.R. 2, an additional 22.4 million smokers would have to be recruited to fully pay for it.



For these reasons, I voted against H.R. 2 when it was considered by the full House on February 4, 2009. H.R. 2 ultimately passed by a vote of 290-135 and was signed into law by President Obama on the same day.



While we may disagree on this particular issue, I do hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me. If you feel that I may be of additional assistance on this, or any other matter of importance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.



A *doctor* who opposes healthcare for kids. But he can carry water for Rush with no problems. :grr:

[DrDan]

1. c'mon - he just likes things well thought-out

like the Iraq strategery

[gratuitous]

2. "I do not consider it an undue burden . . ."

Aw, isn't that nice? Before he'll ask you to turn your head and cough, Dr. Gingrey just wants to take a look at your birth certificate or passport. Just so he's not touching some diseased alien or whatever.

And we all know how much trust the Republicans repose in copies of birth certificates, so you'd probably better get your original birth certificate from wherever it is.

"Papers, please."