[Anyone] bushco hates kids too

[totem at laplaza.org]

Washington - President Bush has escalated his battle with Congress over children's health 
insurance, by vetoing a bipartisan bill that would have dramatically expanded the program.  

    It is only the fourth veto of Bush's presidency, and one that some Republicans fear could carry 
steep risks for their party in next year's elections.  

    The White House sought as little attention as possible for the veto on Wednesday, saying the 
president planned to execute it behind closed doors without any fanfare or press coverage.  

    Socialized medicine?  

    The State Children's Health Insurance Program is a joint state-federal effort that subsidizes 
health coverage for 6.6 million people, mostly children, from families that earn too much to 
qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford their own private coverage.  

    The Democrats who control Congress, with significant support from Republicans, passed the 
legislation to add $35 billion over five years to allow an additional 4 million children into the 
program. It would be funded by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack.  

    The president had promised to veto it, saying the Democratic bill was too costly, took the 
program too far from its original intent of helping the poor, and would entice people now 
covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage. He wants only a $5 billion 
increase in funding.  

    Bush argued that the congressional plan would be a move toward socialized medicine by 
expanding the program to higher-income families.  

    Democrats deny that, saying their goal is to cover more of the millions of uninsured children 
and noting that the bill provides financial incentives for states to cover their lowest-income 
children first. Of the over 43 million people nationwide who lack health insurance, 9 percent, or 
over 6 million, are under 18 years old.  

    Veto override considerations  

    Eighteen Republicans joined Democrats in the Senate, enough to override Bush's veto. But 
this was not the case in the House, where despite sizable Republican support, supporters of the 
bill are about two dozen votes short of a successful override.  

    House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Democrats were imploring 15 House 
Republicans to switch positions but had received no agreements so far.  

    House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said he was "absolutely confident" that the House 
would be able to sustain Bush's expected veto.  

    Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Congress should be able to reach a 
compromise with Bush once he vetoes the bill. "We should not allow it to be expanded to higher 
and higher income levels, and to adults. This is about poor children," he said. "But we can work 
it out."  

    It took Bush six years to veto his first bill, when he blocked expanded federal research using 
embryonic stem cells last summer. In May, he vetoed a spending bill that would have required 
troop withdrawals from Iraq. In June, he vetoed another bill to ease restraints on federally 
funded stem cell research.  

    In the case of the health insurance program, the veto is a bit of a high-stakes gambit for 
Bush, pitting him against both the Democrats who have controlled both houses of Congress 
since January, but also many members of his own party and the public.  

    The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched radio ads Monday attacking 
eight GOP House members who voted against the bill and face potentially tough re-election 
campaigns next year.  

    And Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal 
Employees union, said a coalition of liberal groups planned more than 200 events throughout 
the nation to highlight the issue.