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September 25, 2007
The Coming CHIP Showdown
Tonight the U.S. House passed a $35 billion expansion of the children's health insurance program -- known as CHIP -- which provides coverage to low-income children. The legislation easily passed the House, by a 265-159 margin, with a sizeable number of Republicans supporting it, and it is expected to even more easily pass in the Senate. All good, right?
Well, turns out there's a certain "compassionate conservative" in the White House who thinks otherwise. That's right folks, President George W. Bush has vowed to veto "SCHIP" when it comes to his desk later this year. Denying low-income children health insurance... wow, in the face of such compassion, what can one say?
See, Mr. Bush thinks CHIP is "socialized mediciine", so he favors only a $5 billion increase in the program. He's worried about deficits. Again, we're speechless. This president, who has overseen the most fiscally irresponsible administration in American history suddenly cares about budget deficits? Hey, the CHIP program is a tip compared to what we're spending in Iraq, but we must make economies!
And what do House Republicans think about this? A number of them bucked Bush and voted for CHIP tonight, but what of those GOP members in tough races who the president strong-armed into voting against it? Do they really want to be on the record, possibly multiple times, rejecting a program for kids -- who, after all, don't choose the economic circumstances into which they are born -- which has broad bipartisan and public support?
Then again, Mr. Bush believes he will be an asset to his fellow Republicans on the campaign trail next year, so what do we know?
Facing the prospect of this presidential veto, Democrats received political advice from an unlikely source - Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who supports the CHIP program. He counseled Democrats to bring the bill to a vote over and over again, forcing GOP members to vote on it and President Bush to veto it again and again. Whether it was real advice offered in good conscience, or a bit of gallows humor from a senior elected leader from a party on the trash heap, it's not a bad suggestion.
Posted by houtopia at September 25, 2007 09:45 PM