'Hairy Legs' Pelosi FAILS AGAIN to Pull Bush's SCHIP Veto Dildo From Her Blasted Ass!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,324970,00.html

House Fails to Override Veto on Children's Health Bill for 2nd Time

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

WASHINGTON - For the second time in three months, the House failed

Wednesday to override President Bush's veto of a bill that would greatly

increase spending on a popular children's health insurance program.

Democratic leaders fell 15 votes shy of obtaining the two-thirds majority

needed for an override. The final vote was 260-152, with 42 Republicans

siding with Democrats.

The result was expected, even as override supporters pointed to the slowing

economy as another reason to spend another $35 billion on the State

Children's Health Insurance Program over the next five years.

"Hardworking American families are struggling and in dire need of

assistance," said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.

But Republicans held strong in their opposition to the spending increase.

They said Congress had already set aside enough funding to ensure that

current SCHIP enrollees could continue their health coverage through March

2009. They criticized Democrats for delaying an override vote to coincide

more closely with next week's State of the Union address from President

Bush.

"I think it's important to highlight that this is simply a political

exercise," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich.

The legislation that Bush vetoed would have increased enrollment in the

children's health program from 6 million to 10 million over the coming five

years. The revenue needed for that enrollment increase would come from a

61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes, as well

as comparable tax increases on other tobacco products.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said President Bush strongly

supports reauthorizing the program, but that long-term extension has to put

poor children first.

"He is pleased the House of Representatives voted today to sustain his veto

of misguided legislation that would have expanded SCHIP to higher income

households while increasing taxes," Perino said.

The president's second veto occurred in December. He said the bill

encouraged too many families to replace private insurance with

government-subsidized health coverage. He vetoed a similar bill in October.

Democratic leaders then fell 13 votes short in their attempt to override

that particular veto, so they actually lost ground Wednesday.

The children's health program serves families that earn too much to qualify

for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance.

Several Democrats cited the economy in arguing for the override, which was a

new tack from previous SCHIP debates.

"The issue comes down to what is happening in America's households today.

Unemployment is up, housing starts are down. The price of gasoline and food

and health care is up, the stock market is down," said House Speaker Nancy

Pelosi, D-Calif.

Pelosi said those indicators required Congress to take a new direction.

But Republicans said expanding SCHIP was not an economic stimulus.

"We don't want to squander money to pay for health insurance for those who

can afford it themselves," said Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga.

Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, said Republicans wanted to save money on SCHIP to

pay for an economic stimulus, but didn't have a similar rule for spending on

Iraq.

"It's amazing how frugal they are when they want to be," Green said.

Both sides said they were willing to sit down after the vote to try to reach

a compromise. Republicans contend the current bill does not go far enough to

prevent adults and illegal immigrants from getting health coverage through

SCHIP.

But Democrats said such claims were greatly exaggerated. The bill maintains

a prohibition on illegal immigrants participating in Medicaid and SCHIP, but

Republicans objected to letting some participants into the program based on

a Social Security number rather than through an original birth certificate

or passport.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the House would continue to

focus on expanding SCHIP during the coming election year.

"This won't be your last opportunity this year to address this issue," Hoyer

told lawmakers during the debate.