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Bush Opposes Health Care for Children. Really |
Riddle me this. If 3.3 million poor kids who do not have health insurance because their families cannot afford coverage are made eligible for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), how does that hurt the private insurance industry?
Stumps me. But President Bush apparently would rather protect insurance companies than kids. He seems to think that by granting health care coverage to low-income children, the nation’s highly profitable insurance industry will suffer.
Yesterday, Bush renewed his vow to veto bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes the 10-year-old program, set to expire Sept. 30, on which some 6.6 million low-income children now depend for health care. The bipartisan bill, approved today by the Senate Finance Committee, provides an additional $35 billion over current costs for five years and would extend coverage to 3.3 million of the more than 8 million children in the nation who lack health insurance.
Bush says he will veto the bill because, as he told The Washington Post, expanding coverage to more uninsured children “opens an avenue for people to switch from private insurance” to SCHIP. Hello…uninsured means they do not have insurance.
Earlier this month, Allan. B. Hubbard, assistant to the president for economic policy, told The New York Times that Bush’s objections to insuring more children through SCHIP are “philosophical and ideological.” Bush believes most health coverage should remain in the hands of the private insurance industry and that government should have a limited role in guaranteeing health care.
Veteran and influential Republican Sens. Charles Grassley (Iowa), ranking Republican on the Finance Committee, and Orrin Hatch (Utah) have publicly urged Bush to withdraw his veto threat. But Bush continues to reject their pleas and insist that Congress agrees to his funding level of SCHIP in his budget proposal, which will force kids out of the program.
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) calls reauthorizing SCHIP a ” no brainer” and Bush’s threat to veto the bill “unconscionable.” He says SCHIP
…has become a critical resource that provides much needed coverage to children who would otherwise go uninsured It is our moral and economic obligation in Washington to invest in our children’s health care, as our investment today will pay off tomorrow.
If SCHIP is forced to operate under Bush’s proposed $5 billion increase over five years, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the program would have cut as many as 100,000 children from the rolls because of rising health care costs. Some health experts predict even more children would lose coverage under Bush’s proposal.
In a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, AFL-CIO Legislative Director William Samuel says the Senate bill is
…well-targeted to extend coverage to millions of children. However. we would like to see the funding level increase to the full $50 billion allowed under the [fiscal year] 2008 budget resolution, which would reach even more of the 9 million uninsured children in this country.
When the House begins consideration of the SCHIP reauthorization, it is expected the bill will come close to the $50 billion level in the budget resolution.
We’ll keep you posted.
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SO MUCH FOR COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM. THIS GUY ONLY CARES ABOUT THE RICH.
Of course Bush is going to oppose extended healthcare for low income children! Since his selection in 2000 he has done all that he can to hurt the poor and working class people of this once great nation! Since his selection only the wealthy have benefited from his cronyism, lies and illegal activities!
The man needs to be impeached! The democrats need to lead the charge. While they are at it, support House Resolution 676 and make Medicare For All!
Universal Health Care
A poem by David G. Hurlburt 2007
Health care is our basic human right.
Now is the time to stand up and fight.
Put our money and our vote up on the line.
Get up on our feet and walk a picket line.
Dial a phone or write a letter,
Do it so every one will feel better.
Why should only rich have medical care?
And the poor kids die but Bush doesn’t care?
Get out of your chair and in to the street.
It is time for us all to vote with our feet.
Show and tell politicians, turn up the heat.
If we all fight together we can not be beat.
The Iraqis get universal health care,
The rules of war require that its there.
Prisoners in Git-mo get medical care.
But not all Americans that’s just not fair?
What about the children of hard working poor?
They need medical care and that’s for sure?
The system is broken it profits the greedy.
Let us fix the system to serve the needy.
President Bush and Insurance companies are the real Sicko’s,
Impeachment, and removal is needed don’t you know.
Denial of health care to every one is the highest crime,
Remove them from office it is way past time.
yes indeed it is about time that this “daddy’s puppet” be impeached for all his improprieties, lies and conspiring to put the middle class, working class in the streets!
Hey, why don’t you unions fork over some money for their health care. Better yet, ask those liberal movie stars to give their money.
One fact tells the whole sad story: The US and South Africa are the only two developed countries in the world that do not provide health care for all their citizens. For more information on the sad state of America, read Jeremy Rifkin’s great book “The European Dream - How Europe’s Vision of the Future is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream.” In other words, how the American Dream is quietly dying for most Americans….
Isn’t it funny how Bush used his religion to get the religious people to vote for him. I myself am a Christian. When I read the Bible the stories I read about Jesus he is always helping the poor. Maybe Bush needs to start listing to what the Church and the Bible teaches about helping those that need help
by Winter Wolf
President Bush is willing to spend trillions on war, a war that Americans want ended. He stands before America, threatens to Veto a bill to provide Healthcare, SCHIP, for America’s children, and says that it is too expensive.
Republican Congressional members agree with Bush and talk about 50 to 112 billion dollars as too expensive for children’s health care. These same Congress members have no problem authorizing trillions for the war in Iraq. Our tax dollars pay for the killing of thousands of people on both sides. Our politicians, elected to represent the American people, show us daily where their loyalty lies and it is not to America or the American people.
Historically, why do individuals band together? Always, I feel, it is to provide greater safety, mutual support, sharing of burden’s to heavy for one person, or even one family to handle. If this is why humanity has banded together, first as families, then clans, and finally nations; then what is government but a means to the same ends our ancestors sought from humanities beginning?
To Larry Johnson, well said!
My complements to everyone, in fact, except bbb who needs to do some thinking, reading and perhaps further his education about Monarchies and Dictatorships.
The excuses get lamer and lamer while parents have to wait until their children are sick enough to rush them to the emergency room for care. So insurance companies won’t lose any of their business? Helloooo? Just because his daughters always had the best of medical care doesn’t mean that other children are not worthy of medical care. The new theme for the Bush administration should be “Cold, Cold Heart”.
I was raised at a time when morals and accepting responsibilites were major issues. If you had kids, you took on the responsibilities of supporting their needs. Where did this crazy idea come from, that the tax payers are supposed to care for our children. People afford what is important to them.