Bush Vetoes Child Health Insurance Plan
WASHINGTON – President Bush Wednesday vetoed a healthcare bill that would have expanded coverage for children as part of the “CHIP” program.
There was no rose garden ceremony, no special veto pen, just an envelope from the White House.”Mr. Speaker, I’m to deliver from the President of the United States, a message,” President Bush followed through on his threat, and vetoed a plan to expand children’s health insurance.
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program or “S-CHIP” covers more than 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but can’t afford private insurance. Congress passed a bill to more than double S-CHIP’s funding to $60 billion dollars over the next 5 years. The president says that expansion goes too far.
“This program expands coverage – federal coverage – up to families earning $83,000 dollars a year. That doesn’t sound poor to me,” the President said.Senator Ted Kennedy (D.-Ma) said, “This is probably the most inexplicable veto in the history of the country. It’s incomprehensible, it’s intolerable, it’s unacceptable. It’s not just Democrats. Even Republicans say they can’t believe the president vetoed the bill.”
“I really have a difficult time having seen this veto.I don’t think the president is somebody who doesn’t want these kids to be covered. I think he has been given some very bad advice by some people who are sincerely wrong,” said Utah Senator Orrin Hatch (R.) The president’s veto also goes against his Republican base – 61% of Republicans say they support increasing S-CHIP’s funding. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring the bill back for another vote in two weeks. That may give lawmakers enough time to gather the Republican votes needed to make the bill veto-proof.
