Bush Says He’ll Veto Bipartisan SCHIP Child Health Care Plan

By Anastacia Mott Austin

A popular children’s health care program received broad support from both political parties this week, as the House of Representatives voted 265-159 to approve the expansion of the Schip program. Schip, or the State Children’s Insurance Program, is a program which subsidizes states in providing health insurance for working families who cannot afford it.

The proposal would increase the program from its current enrollment numbers of 6.6 million children to include 4 million more who are uninsured. The cost of the plan is currently at $5 billion per year, and the new proposal adds $7 billion per year over five years, for a total of $35 billion. The cost would be covered by an additional tax of .61 cents per pack on cigarettes.

But the bill hit a snag when President Bush firmly vowed to veto it. Despite its substantial majority, the vote fell short of the needed two-thirds to override a presidential veto.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is also expected to pass easily, and with enough of a majority to upend a veto.

But it needs to be able to withstand a veto in both arenas, and supporters of the bill worry that it will not. In addition, the President’s vow to kill the bill has left even Republicans scratching their heads. "I’m a little baffled as to why the Bush people picked this issue to fight it out on," Representative Ray LaHood (R-Ill) told reporters. "It's very sensitive. It’s about kids. Who’s against kids’ health care?"

The plan is being supported by many organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, American Hospital Association, the Healthcare Leadership Council, and the AARP, among others. In addition, 41 state governors support the program.

Democrats were critical of Bush’s claim that the plan was too expensive, especially in light of defense secretary Robert Gates’ most recent request to Congress for over $190 billion for war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan through 2008, almost a third more money than projected. The cost to support the expansion of the SCHIP bill per year is equivalent to approximately 41 days of war spending.

Political pundits have called this a win-win for the Democrats. If the President does not veto the bill, they win. If he does veto, he faces an uphill battle; nobody wants to be called the President who voted against kids. And when even conservative Republicans like Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) are supporting the bill, it says something. When asked by reporters at The Washington Post whether he would vote to override a Presidential veto on this bill, Orrin replied, "You bet your sweet bippy I will." Added Hatch to the press, "We're talking about kids who basically don't have coverage. I think the president’s had some pretty bad advice on this."