Bush Veto of SCHIP Hurts Republicans, Helps Democrats
Sometimes it seems like George Bush wants Democrats to win the White House in 2008. And some days, it's clear that he's erecting obstacles to keep a Republican from succeeding him as president.
Today, in what a New York Times columnist dubbed "a big gift under the Democrats’ Christmas tree," President Bush vetoed the strongly bipartisan SCHIP legislation to expand health care services to cover more uninsured children from lower income families.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill would have provided $35 billion more over 5 years to the program, which is the amount the U.S. spends on the Iraq War in three months in 2007. The federal government has spent $25 billion on SCHIP over five years, from 2002 to 2006.
For a quick-reading summary of the SCHIP legislation and George Bush's many clever moves to kill it, read Timeline of Bush Push to Cripple SCHIP.
Widely Popular Bill, Very Unpopular Veto
Said Brad Woodhouse, president of Americans United for Change, a coalition of progressive groups and labor unions:
"[Bush’s] opposition to children’s health care will go down as potentially less popular than his war in Iraq or his proposal to privatize Social Security."
Washington Post columnist David Broder wrote this week about the SCHIP bill:
"If ever there was a crowd-pleaser of a bill, this is it. Literally hundreds of organizations — grassroots groups ranging from AARP to United Way of America and the national YMCA — have called on Bush to sign the bill. America’s Health Insurance Plans, the largest insurance lobbying group, endorsed the bill."
And the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported:
"Thomas Mann, a political analyst at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said Bush's veto is enormously unpopular with almost every group in the country, including Hispanics. " 'The veto, especially if sustained in the House by Republicans, is bound to further weaken Republican support among Latinos,' he said."
House May Find 15 More Votes to Overcome Veto
Before sending the bill to the White House, the Senate approved it by a veto-proof majority of 67-29. The House also overwhelmingly approved the bill by a vote of 265-159, which is 15 votes short to override the president's veto.
Politico.com reports that 4 of the 8 Democrats who stood against the bill will change their votes when the legislation returns to the floor for an overeride vote., per House Majority Whip James Clyburn. No date has yet been scheduled for the House veto override vote.
Meanwhile, top Democratic contenders in the 2008 presidential race made clear their stances on extending health care to more uninsured children. And Republican presidential candidates are eerily silent on the matter...
Commented Sen. Hillary Clinton about Bush's starkly coldhearted veto:"With the stroke of a pen, President Bush has robbed nearly four million uninsured children of the chance for a healthy start in life and the health coverage they need but can't afford."These children are invisible to this president, but they aren't invisible to the American people or to the overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress -- and they aren't invisible to me."
And Sen. Barack Obama lamented:
"It is outrageous that the President has decided to use his fourth veto to deny health care to four million American children."At a time when we’re spending billions of dollars on a war that should never have been authorized and giving billions in tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, today’s veto of this bipartisan plan shows a callousness of priorities that is offensive to the ideals we hold as Americans.
"But George Bush doesn’t have the last word, and I will keep fighting for the Republican votes needed to override his veto...
"If there’s one thing all of us should be able to agree on, no matter what our political views, it’s that our children should get the treatment they need when they need it. And when I’m president, they will."
The only clear outcome of George Bush's veto of the bipartisan SCHIP legislation is that Republicans running for office in 2008 will be hurt by his cruel disregard for children.
(Photo of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, leading a rally in support of SCHIP legislation: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Recommended Reading
Bush Crushes Health Care for Uninsured Children - Timeline of Bush Push to Cripple SCHIP
Health Insurance for Uninsured Children - About the SCHIP program (U.S. Gov Info)
Comments
a song for all the young and uninsured…
enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwee0RETvoQ
Read all about the Democrat’s poster child for the “poor”–
Typical Dems want the working class and working poor to pay for upper class lefties who make “poor” choices. Give the poor a break and let them earn a living over creating more government entitlements to rob us of hard earned money.
http://www.floppingaces.net/2007/10/07/the-poor-schip-kid/index.html
This is a propaganda piece. The Dem’s turned health care for children into politics when all they had to do was re-authorize the law. Kids have health care. The needy already have health care. The U.S. is not a socialist state. The government caused the problem with health care in America by over socializing medicine to the extent it is not completive, and we want to exacerbate the problem? U.S. Capitalism refers to an economic system in which the means of production are all owned and operated for profit, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a market economy. It is the right of individuals and groups of individuals acting as “legal persons” or corporations to trade capital goods, labor, land and money (see finance and credit). See http://www.InteliOrg.com/
For the first time in the history of America. The life expectancy of today’s children is less than that of their parents. This is catastrophic. And our infant mortality is equal to that of a third world country. Current U.S. adult life expectancy is down from #1 to #42. And dropping fast. These facts are what is known as EXTINCTION! indicators. These are the early signs of the final phase of the EXTINCTION of the American people.
You have to take the profit motive out of health care delivery. The profit motive does not work with health care. Or any other essential public service like police, and fire. The sooner everyone faces this truth. The sooner you will be able to adopt a real solution to the problem. The days of paying for health care out of pocket are at an end. Just like the mob days of paying for protection out of pocket came to an end.
HR 676 is the way to go. Single payer Universal National Health Care For All. Medicare for all. Accept no substitutes. The sooner you face this. The sooner you begin to heal the Cancer of private for profit medicine that is destroying this entire society. Other developed countries realized this years ago. It’s a no-brainer now. See sickocure.org
Money, greed, and the profit motive has just decimated health care in America. And killed, and injured millions needlessly. Just for profit. But that is what large amounts of money, greed, and a lust for power always does. No one is immune from this corrupting power. The smart ones know this. And avoid letting them-self be put in compromising positions. But that is easier said. Than done. And very few succeed.
Most in the US go into medicine primarily to become wealthy. That is who the medical schools mostly choose. Most of the medical schools faculty are in bed with the drug companies, and others. And like the story of Dr. Faustus. They end up selling their soles. One compromise at a time. Until Lucifer owns them.
In medicine. Compromised care means. Injury, disability, and death. It’s sad really. But HR 676 can fix this disgrace. Like it has in other developed countries. The only question is. How many more millions will be hurt, injured, and killed. And how many more of your children will die before their time. Before we fix this disgrace of private for profit health care in America.
I realize there will be a few people that have what they believe is good health care coverage. Who will want to opt out of a single payer system like HR 676. But let me remind you we rank # 37 in quality of health care for all. Down from #1. Never the less. A few opting out is not a problem. As long as all other Americans are automatically covered at birth through life. Unless they choose to opt out of HR 676. The government takes out 1.4% from your paycheck now for Medicare. All they have to do is substitute for HR 676 what they now take out of your paychecks for private health insurance. Remember, we already spend more on health care than any other country in the world. Right Now. We are being ripped off. And raped.
The SCHIP program is a desperately needed program for Americas children. But with the impending EXTINCTION of Americas children. And their current catastrophic health care condition. SCHIP needs to be extended to cover all of Americas children, immediately. Parents should have no hesitations, or financial worries about seeking medical care for their children. Whenever they have any concerns about their children’s health. Especially in the richest country in the world. I would submit that any President, or politician that fails to do this for the children. Betrays their most solemn oath to protect the American people. Especially when you consider that all other developed countries have done this. And that we are the richest country in the world.
So get on it America. Get it done. You have been doing great over the past several months. Keep it up. And step it up. You have to force it, and take it. It’s the right fight, and the right thing to do. Now is the time… Take no prisoners.
This hurts the poor families that the program is suppose to help. Tax Tax Tax. The bill requires more smokers to pay the necessary revenue. Smokers are declining every year. Who is going to pay the short fall? Aren’t more smokers a bad thing? Doesn’t that cause a drag on the health care system? Where in the Constitution does it say we are entitled to these kinds of things? And the comment about the cost of the Iraq war, pure ignorance. Like all federal programs that turn into a grotesque pig – nothing like it was intended. America is bankrupt. Financially, responsibly and morally. The future looks very grim. God help us.