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Bush Vetoes Kids Health Insurance Bill
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
WASHINGTON -- President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have
expanded government-provided health insurance for children, his second
slap-down of a bipartisan effort in Congress to dramatically increase
funding for the popular program.
It was Bush's seventh veto in seven years - all but one coming since
Democrats took control of Congress in January. Wednesday was the deadline
for Bush to act or let the bill become law. The president also vetoed an
earlier, similar bill expanding the health insurance program.
Bush vetoed the bill in private.
In a statement notifying Congress of his decision, Bush said the bill was
unacceptable because - like the first one - it allows adults into the
program, would cover people in families with incomes above the U.S. median
and raises taxes.
"This bill does not put poor children first, and it moves our country's
health care system in the wrong direction," Bush's statement said.
"Ultimately, our nation's goal should be to move children who have no health
insurance to private coverage, not to move children who already have private
health insurance to government coverage."
Bush urged Congress to extend the program at its current funding level
before lawmakers leave Washington for their holiday break.
In fact, congressional leaders had already said earlier Wednesday that they
now will try only to extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program,
or SCHIP, well into 2008 in basically its current form. Their comments
signaled that they have given up efforts to substantially expand the
program.
The bill passed the Democratic-controlled Senate by a veto-proof margin, but
the same was not true in the House. Even after the bill was approved,
negotiations continued to find a compromise version that would attract
enough Republican lawmakers to override Bush's expected veto. A two-thirds
vote in both chambers is required to override a presidential veto.
But that effort was unsuccessful.
The bill Bush vetoed would have increased federal funding for SCHIP by $35
billion over five years, to add an estimated 4 million people to the program
that provides insurance coverage for children from families who earn too
much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. The joint
federal-state program currently provides benefits to roughly 6 million
people, mostly children.
A major point of contention with the White House was Bush's demand that
nearly all poor children eligible for the program be found and enrolled
before any in slightly higher-income families could be covered. He
originally proposed adding $5 billion to the program over five years but
later said he was willing to go higher as long as his conditions were met.
The president also has opposed using an increased tobacco tax to fund the
program expansion. The bill includes a 61-cent rise on a package of
cigarettes.
Bush's veto in early October of a similar bill was narrowly upheld by the
House.
But such votes are uncomfortable for GOP lawmakers. It is a popular program
with the public, making some Republicans wary of sticking with Bush on such
an issue with the 2008 elections looming. Of the 43 million people
nationwide who lack health insurance, more than 6 million are under 18 years
old. That's more than 9 percent of all children.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the House will take up the
extension question Thursday in a bill that also will make adjustments to
Medicare.
"We'll obviously need to put additional money" into the children's health
insurance program, Hoyer said, because several states say they will have to
remove recipients from their rolls if the current funding level continues
into next year.
Hoyer declined to say how much new money would go into the program or how
long it might be extended. In the past, top Democrats have suggested they
might extend the program until September or October, allowing them to
reconsider it shortly before the 2008 elections.
Leading up to Bush's quiet late-afternoon action, the White House and
Democratic leaders sought the upper hand with the public - with each blaming
the other for causing the stalemate and being unwilling to give ground.
In his veto statement, Bush said: "The leadership in the Congress has
refused to meet with my administration's representatives." White House press
secretary Dana Perino said that "even on a staff level, we weren't invited
to negotiate."
"They've instead been intransigent and sent us two bills that they knew he
wouldn't sign," she scoffed.
Not so, said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
D-Nev.
For instance, Reid approached Bush to ask for negotiations during a ceremony
for the Dalai Lama in the Capitol Rotunda in mid-October, a couple of weeks
after Bush's first SCHIP veto, he said. The president told Reid, "No, I'm
not moving, meet with my staff," Reid said at the time.
"The fact is that Senator Reid and Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi asked to meet with
the president to discuss giving children the health care they need, and he
blew them off by telling them to talk to his staff," Manley said before the
veto. "Now he's going to veto it for a second time without negotiating
once."
Bush Vetoes Kids Health Insurance Bill
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
WASHINGTON -- President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have
expanded government-provided health insurance for children, his second
slap-down of a bipartisan effort in Congress to dramatically increase
funding for the popular program.
It was Bush's seventh veto in seven years - all but one coming since
Democrats took control of Congress in January. Wednesday was the deadline
for Bush to act or let the bill become law. The president also vetoed an
earlier, similar bill expanding the health insurance program.
Bush vetoed the bill in private.
In a statement notifying Congress of his decision, Bush said the bill was
unacceptable because - like the first one - it allows adults into the
program, would cover people in families with incomes above the U.S. median
and raises taxes.
"This bill does not put poor children first, and it moves our country's
health care system in the wrong direction," Bush's statement said.
"Ultimately, our nation's goal should be to move children who have no health
insurance to private coverage, not to move children who already have private
health insurance to government coverage."
Bush urged Congress to extend the program at its current funding level
before lawmakers leave Washington for their holiday break.
In fact, congressional leaders had already said earlier Wednesday that they
now will try only to extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program,
or SCHIP, well into 2008 in basically its current form. Their comments
signaled that they have given up efforts to substantially expand the
program.
The bill passed the Democratic-controlled Senate by a veto-proof margin, but
the same was not true in the House. Even after the bill was approved,
negotiations continued to find a compromise version that would attract
enough Republican lawmakers to override Bush's expected veto. A two-thirds
vote in both chambers is required to override a presidential veto.
But that effort was unsuccessful.
The bill Bush vetoed would have increased federal funding for SCHIP by $35
billion over five years, to add an estimated 4 million people to the program
that provides insurance coverage for children from families who earn too
much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. The joint
federal-state program currently provides benefits to roughly 6 million
people, mostly children.
A major point of contention with the White House was Bush's demand that
nearly all poor children eligible for the program be found and enrolled
before any in slightly higher-income families could be covered. He
originally proposed adding $5 billion to the program over five years but
later said he was willing to go higher as long as his conditions were met.
The president also has opposed using an increased tobacco tax to fund the
program expansion. The bill includes a 61-cent rise on a package of
cigarettes.
Bush's veto in early October of a similar bill was narrowly upheld by the
House.
But such votes are uncomfortable for GOP lawmakers. It is a popular program
with the public, making some Republicans wary of sticking with Bush on such
an issue with the 2008 elections looming. Of the 43 million people
nationwide who lack health insurance, more than 6 million are under 18 years
old. That's more than 9 percent of all children.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the House will take up the
extension question Thursday in a bill that also will make adjustments to
Medicare.
"We'll obviously need to put additional money" into the children's health
insurance program, Hoyer said, because several states say they will have to
remove recipients from their rolls if the current funding level continues
into next year.
Hoyer declined to say how much new money would go into the program or how
long it might be extended. In the past, top Democrats have suggested they
might extend the program until September or October, allowing them to
reconsider it shortly before the 2008 elections.
Leading up to Bush's quiet late-afternoon action, the White House and
Democratic leaders sought the upper hand with the public - with each blaming
the other for causing the stalemate and being unwilling to give ground.
In his veto statement, Bush said: "The leadership in the Congress has
refused to meet with my administration's representatives." White House press
secretary Dana Perino said that "even on a staff level, we weren't invited
to negotiate."
"They've instead been intransigent and sent us two bills that they knew he
wouldn't sign," she scoffed.
Not so, said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
D-Nev.
For instance, Reid approached Bush to ask for negotiations during a ceremony
for the Dalai Lama in the Capitol Rotunda in mid-October, a couple of weeks
after Bush's first SCHIP veto, he said. The president told Reid, "No, I'm
not moving, meet with my staff," Reid said at the time.
"The fact is that Senator Reid and Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi asked to meet with
the president to discuss giving children the health care they need, and he
blew them off by telling them to talk to his staff," Manley said before the
veto. "Now he's going to veto it for a second time without negotiating
once."
