Bush's Children's Health Veto Stands

Oct 19, 01:41 PM

Current Headlines: By Peter Urban, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport

Oct. 19--WASHINGTON -- The House failed Thursday to override President Bush's veto of a popular children's health insurance program, falling 13 votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed.

The House voted 273-156 with only two Democrats opposed and 44 Republicans in favor of overriding the presidential veto. The entire Connecticut delegation voted to override.

Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, said he was disappointed that more Republicans didn't join him.

"This was a good, bipartisan bill, worthy of passage. Going forward, our primary goal must be to enact legislation that significantly reduces the number of children without health insurance," he said.

Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5, said he would continue to press for expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

"It makes sense to begin to reform our nation's broken health care system by helping the neediest members of our society -- kids from low-income families," Murphy said. "President Bush was wrong to veto this bill, and I won't let this vote be the final blow in the effort to cover uninsured kids."

Connecticut's HUSKY B program is funded in part by SCHIP, which is up for renewal in Congress.

Democrats proposed expanding federal assistance by $35 billion over the next five years to $60 billion. The increase would be funded through a 61-cent hike in the cigarette tax, to $1 per pack.

Bush vetoed the bill earlier this month, saying it was too expensive. He had proposed closing enrollment to those making more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level or $41,300 for a family of four. The president's plan would reduce enrollment from 7.4 million to 6.7 million by 2012, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

In Connecticut, the program covers children in families making up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $61,950 for a family of four.

House Democrats have criticized GOP opposition as being bad for children, while Republicans counter that they want to make sure the poorest children are covered first rather than expanding eligibility to higher incomes.

"This is not about an issue. It's about a value," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said just before the vote. "For the cost of less than 40 days in Iraq, we can provide SCHIP coverage for 10 million children for one year."

Over the last two weeks, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Americans United for Change, USAction/True Majority, Service Employees International Union and AFSCME have run radio and television ads advocating an override of the SCHIP veto in 21 House Republican districts.

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