SEARCH
Bush Just Can’t Leave Bad Enough Alone |
|
President Bush signed a temporary spending measure today to keep the government running during his ongoing budget showdown with Congress. And he just couldn’t do it without taking another poke at supporters of health coverage for children.
With bipartisan backing, both houses of Congress recently voted to renew the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation would retain health coverage for more than 6 million low-income children and extend coverage to 4 million more of America’s 9 million uninsured children. Bush, outraged at the idea of insuring more children, has vowed to veto the measure. The legislation he signed today temporarily keeps SCHIP operating beyond its Sept. 30 expiration date. Here’s what he had to say:
Congressional leaders have put forward an irresponsible plan that would dramatically expand the program beyond its original intent. And they know I will veto it.
Irresponsible? Getting health insurance to children whose families can’t afford it?
The president’s claim that the SCHIP legislation goes beyond original intent–and other fish stories he’s spun about it–have been disproved by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Annenberg Political Fact Check.
Twelve-year-old Graeme Frost went further today, telling the country that without SCHIP, “I might not be here today.” Delivering the Democratic response to Bush’s weekly radio address, Frost said the program enabled him to get the five and a half months of hospital care and major surgery he needed to survive a devastating car accident.
I don’t know why President Bush wants to stop kids who really need help from getting [S]CHIP….I just hope the president will listen to my story and let other kids be as lucky as me.
7 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
How much more damage can and will this president do? By threatening to veto this legislation, Bush has once again proved he is no friend to the American people. Even were I a Republican leaning voter, there is no way to justify putting another anti-working class president in office.
Unfortunatley we the American people are a passive bunch. Bush stole the 2000 election and we did nothing aside from grumble.
He gave the bosses the right to work us overtime without the benefit of overtime pay and we did nothing. He has vetoed or threatened to vetoe most pieces of legislation that would end the war, continue healthcare benefits for low income kids, and other needed relief and still we do nothing!
Had the same thing occurred in France, Italy or even Mexico there would have hundreds of thousands of angry workers in the streets. Transportation, schools and major businesses would have been shut down as the people voiced their resistance to arbitrary measures of their governments.
Brothers and sisters, Bush gets away with too damned much. He is a bully and he knows we are too damned fearful to fight back. When we can come together and stand up to this dictators, then and only then will we have real justice! Depending on elections is NOT a solution when the electoral system is as corrupt as it is!
Prisoners at Guantanamo get better health care, millions and millions are spent fixing the injured children in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet the dictator won’t approve SCHIP here in the US?
Congress must remember this when he wants billions more for his “war”. Spend the billions bringing the troops home!
Bush: Don’t veto this SCHIP bill. Congress: Override the veto! We will remember Nov. ‘08!
I am beginning to think that Bush is not well in the head. I have known all along that he has no idea what he is doing, but lately he has dropped a few more notches to the “moron” level. Unbelievable that this guy is our president.
At least Nixon and Reagan had some intelligence.
We seem to be prisoners of Iraq/Mexico/Palestine’s President Bush. He certainly is no longer President of the USA. Some people do the same thing, put everyone else ahead of their own families. Have you ever seen this personally? I have. Very bad uncaring people.
I agree with Timufcw’s comment that Bush is not well in the head. His administration has sided with the wealthy and corporate America in every way possible while being downright mean and stupid toward anything that will make life better for mainstream America. After his stupid comments about “everyone in America has health care, they just go to the emergency room.” Duh! He is so out of touch with the real world that now I wonder: when he leaves the White House will it be through the front door or will he be hauled out the back door in a strait jacket?
We have to keep on writing our Representatives in Congress to overide Bush’s veto.
Here’s a CA Senator’ response:
Thank you for contacting me regarding health coverage for children. I appreciate the time you took to write and welcome the opportunity to respond.
I share your concern for the approximately nine million children in the United States who lack health coverage. I have been a strong supporter of Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which is a federal-state partnership designed to provide health insurance coverage to low-income children. Research has shown that 62% of uninsured children are eligible for a publicly-funded health program, but are not enrolled. To improve this situation, I have supported legislation to provide outreach to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children in these health programs.
On August 2, 2007, the Senate passed legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program by a vote of 68 to 31. This legislation invests an additional $35 billion in this successful program, ensuring that all of the 6.6 million children currently enrolled in SCHIP can remain in the program. Additionally, the bill will cover 3.2 million new children who are uninsured today.
I strongly supported this legislation, which included a provision to increase the federal tobacco tax, with all revenue generated by the increase dedicated to the reauthorization and expansion of SCHIP. I appreciate hearing your comments about this important issue and will keep your thoughts in mind when considering the final version of this legislation.
Again, thank you for writing. Should you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.
Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator