Boston Globe Examines Role Of Democratic Presidential Candidate Clinton In Effort To Establish SCHIP

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 17 Mar 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The Boston Globe on Friday examined the role Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) played as first lady in the passage of legislation to establish SCHIP. The Globe reports that Clinton, "who has frequently described herself on the campaign trail as playing a pivotal role in forging a children's health insurance plan, had little to do with crafting the landmark legislation or ushering it through Congress, according to several lawmakers, staffers and health care advocates involved in the issue."

The Globe reports that "privately" some on Capitol Hill "are fuming over what they see as Clinton's exaggeration of her role in developing SCHIP," which includes campaign ads "claiming she 'helped create' the program." According to the Globe, the Clinton White House was "supportive of the idea of expanding children's health" but "fought the first SCHIP effort" pushed by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). Hatch has endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president and Kennedy has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "The White House wasn't for it," Hatch said, adding, "She may have done some advocacy [privately] over at the White House, but I'm not aware of it."

Neera Tanden, policy director for the Clinton campaign, said that Clinton had "always been pushing for SCHIP" and that the White House opposed the original SCHIP proposal in 1997 because of an agreement with Republican leaders not to support any amendments to the budget legislation. Chris Jennings, a health care adviser in the White House when Clinton served as first lady, said, "She was very proactive. At every step of the way, she was always pushing" for an expansion of health insurance to more children. Jennings added that SCHIP was ultimately adopted in a second effort later that year (Milligan, Boston Globe, 3/14).

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