Bush Vetoes Child Health Bill A Second Time

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Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 13 Dec 2007 - 3:00 PST

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US President George W Bush has vetoed the redrafted expansion of the state children's health insurance program, saying that the country should be trying to move more children into private health cover rather than move children who already have private health cover to the government scheme. Approving such a bill would move America's health system in the wrong direction, he said.

After Bush vetoed it the first time, the Democrats redrafted the 35 billion dollar State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill, which was to be funded by increased taxes on tobacco, to make it more acceptable to a bipartisan vote; for instance they introduced eligibility limits and excluded children of illegal immigrants. The bill would have expanded government cover to 10 million children.

But the redraft was not enough to sway Republican representatives who voted in sufficient numbers against it in a House vote in October to allow a presidential veto to stand.

According to CBS News, the Democrats disagreed with the President's view that the new SCHIP would encourage families with private health insurance to come under the government scheme.

The President said the new draft was almost the same as the last one he vetoed.

In a statement from the White House, Bush said:

"Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation, too."

In a press briefing, Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary for the President, said early yesterday, Wednesday, that Bush would be vetoing the bill again because:

"Congress failed to send the President legislation that puts children first, and instead they sent for a second time one that would allow adults onto the program, expand to higher incomes, and raise taxes."

The President's position is to increase the budget for the government scheme by no more than 5 billion, to continue coverage for the 6 million children that are already covered by it. He is against extending coverage because he would prefer to increase subsidies to families so they can afford private insurance rather than bring more families into government insurance.

The Democrats, and some Republicans, support the bill because there are families who cannot afford private insurance but who earn too much to be entitled to claim under the government health program for the poor, Medicaid.

According to CNN Politics, House Speaker and California Democrat, Nancy Pelosi commented about Bush's veto:

"This is indeed a sad action for him to take, because so many children in our country need access to quality health care," said Pelosi.

The Democrats are planning a temporary bill to make sure there are enough funds for those families whose children are covered until the end of the fiscal year on 30th September, but in the meantime, said Pelosi, they would press on with a larger bill to cover at least 10 million children.

Bush said he is not against reauthorizing SCHIP, and is ready to work with Congress leaders, on a bipartisan basis.

It would seem however that the differences in ideology are making it very difficult for the two sides to agree on the basic principles of SCHIP and how it should be paid for.

CBS News said that with only a week left in the congressional session, it is unlikely that Congress will try to marshall a veto overrided vote, because it would be bound to fail.

Click here for more information about the current SCHIP.

Written by: Catharine Paddock
Copyright: Medical News Today
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