Bush Would Rather Spend OUR Tax Money Murdering Children in Iraq Than Securing Health Care for Millions of American Children

but at least "our children is learning"

is this Republican piece of *** Bush the lowliest scumbag on the
planet about now or what?

House passes CHIP proposal, Bush says he'll veto

By Matt Canham

The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 09/26/2007 02:11:46 AM MDT

WASHINGTON - A proposal to greatly expand the Children's Health
Insurance Program received House approval Tuesday night, but it didn't
get enough votes to stave off a presidential veto.
The program that provides insurance to children of the working
poor is scheduled to expire on Sunday if Congress and the president
can't reach an agreement.
The House passed a bipartisan compromise on a vote of 265 to 159,
but that falls 26 votes short of the two-thirds needed to override a
promised veto from President Bush.
The most likely course of action appears to be some sort of short-
term extension of the current program and more negotiations.
Utah Republican Reps. Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon voted against
the compromise, while Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, voted for it.
Bishop backs a proposal to extend the current CHIP program through
the end of the Bush administration, saying more time is needed to make
a program "that is financially sound and is targeted to help insure
the kids who really need it."
Matheson hopes that won't be necessary.
"I urge the president not to put partisan politics ahead of the
needs of deserving Utah families," he said.
Utah has more than 27,000 children enrolled in CHIP and about
45,000 who are eligible.
Bush has repeatedly promised to veto the bill. He is backed by
House Republicans who denounce the reauthorization attempt as a step
toward government-run health care, funded by an unnecessary tax
increase.
They are opposed by most Democrats and a core group of
Republicans, which includes Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who was key in
creating CHIP 10 years ago.
Proponents say the bill is a reasonable expansion of a working
program that protects those who make too much to be eligible for
Medicaid but too little to afford private insurance.
Currently CHIP provides insurance to more than 6 million children
nationwide and has a base budget of $25 billion over the next five
years.
The proposal would provide $35 billion in additional funding and
enough open slots to cover 10 million children.
Hatch has said the proposal would not even cover all of the
children who are in families making less than twice the poverty level
- the stated purpose of the program.
Congress would raise the cigarette tax by 61 cents a pack to pay
for the program.
Cannon criticizes the tax increase and CHIP, while at the same
time pushing health reform that includes tax credits and health
savings accounts.
"Forcing Congress to tackle real reform and market solutions will
be a far better gift to posterity than a broken system run from
Washington," he said in a statement.
Hatch declined to comment on the House vote, which took place
Tuesday evening, but he has said he would support a one-month
extension if Congress cannot override a veto.
The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on the bill.

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