Dems Will Attempt Veto Override On SCHIP

Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana asked his colleagues on Saturday to override President Bush's veto of legislation that would expand a popular children's health insurance program. House Democrats have scheduled for this week a vote to override the president's veto of legislation that would increase spending for the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has called for a $5 billion increase.

President Bush employed a rare use of his veto pen to reject a bill that would have greatly expanded health-insurance coverage for poor U.S. children, on October 3rd. Bush exercised the veto at 10 a.m. ET before leaving the White House for a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to discuss the federal budget and taxes. Bush vetoed the $35-billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), claiming the bill represented a step toward government-run health care. The bill has enough support in the U.S. Senate to support an override of the veto, but not in the House, where Minority Whip Roy Blunt said he was "absolutely confident" that he has the votes to defeat an override attempt.

Bush has vetoed just four pieces of legislation during his presidency. "The president is willing to look at (compromise) ideas with the focus on the original intent that the neediest children are taken care of first," said White House spokesperson Dana Perino. Bush has supported a $5-billion expansion of SCHIP. However, this amount would seriously underfund the SCHIP program, thus it amounts to a cut in the program. This at the same time Bush has asked for $200 billion more for his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Priorities a "little" skewed perhaps!
The measure also included an addiction and mental-health parity provision that would have required SCHIP programs to cover these conditions on par with other ailments.

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah was among 18 Republicans who split from the president when the bill came up in the Senate.
"It's very difficult for me to be against a man I care so much for," he told his colleagues on the Senate floor before the vote. "It's unfortunate that the president has chosen to be on what, to me, is clearly the wrong side of this issue."

Our own Senator Charles Grassley, no liberal, big spender has supported the SCHIP bill and cannot understand what is wrong with Bush on this issue. During a speech on the floor of the Senate, Grassley reminded his Republican colleagues that the president promised the American people comprehensive healthcare coverage for children during a speech he gave after being nominated for re-election in 2004. "During the Republican National Convention in New York City, President Bush was very firm on this point. Here is what he said, and I quote: `America's children must also have a healthy start in life. In a new term, we will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the government's health insurance programs. We will not allow a lack of attention or information to stand between these children and the health care they need,' " Grassley said. "The President was pretty clear in his convictions then." Grassley said. "Let me repeat his words because I think they are important. He said he would 'lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children . . . [in] the government's health insurance programs.'"
SCHIP was first proposed by a Republican-led Congress in 1997 and was designed to provide affordable health coverage for low-income children of working families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but can't afford private insurance.


Please contact your Senators, or Representative, and tell them that children's health insurance is important enough to go against their President this one time. Then if they choose they can go lockstep over the cliff with him on the other important matters in this nation!!

Here is their contact information
Honorable Charles Grassley
United States Senator
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510......................... 202/224-3744
(Fax) 202/224-6020
Des Moines Office: 515/284-4890
http://grassley.senate.gov
Appointments..............................................................Leah Shimp
Leah_shimp@grassley.senate.gov
Chief of Staff ........................................................... David Young
Finance Committee Staff Director .............................Kolan Davis
Finance Committee Deputy Staff Director..................Mark Prater
Health Policy Director ...............................................Mark Hayes
Health Policy Advisor (hospital issues/Med Part A).......................Mike Park
(202/224-4515) michael_park@finance-rep.senate.gove
Health Policy Advisor (Part B) .................................... Susan Walden
Health Policy Advisor (Part C & D) ..........................Colette Desmarais
Health Policy Advisor (Welfare and SCHIP) ......................... Becky Shipp
Health Policy Advisor (Medicaid Issues) ......................Rodney Whitlock
Health Research Assistant.......................................Sean McGuire
The Honorable Tom Harkin
United States Senator
731 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 ......................... 202/224-3254
(Fax) 202/224-9369
Des Moines Office: 515/284-4574
www.harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Appointments............................................................ Amy Murray
amy_murray@harkin.senate.gov
Chief of Staff ...........................................................Brian Ahlberg
Deputy.................................................................. Michael Kuhner
Health Legislative Asst ....................(202/224-5224) Mike Woody
Legislative Director ......................................................Pam Smith
REPRESENTATIVES
1ST DISTRICT
The Honorable Bruce Braley
1408 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515......................... 202/225-2911
(Fax) 202/225-9129
www.brucebraley.com
Appointments.................................................... Angela Ruslander
angela.ruslander@mail.house.gov
Chief of Staff ..........................................................Sarah Benzing
Legislative Director ..............................................Mike Goodman
Waterloo Office (P.O. Box 390, Waterloo, IA 50704) .......319/233-0861
Fax: 319/226-5380
2ND DISTRICT
The Honorable Dave Loebsack
1513 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 .........................202/225-6576
(Fax) 202/226-1278
www.loebsack.house.gov
Appointments....................................................... Jessica Woolley
jessica.woolley@mail.house.gov
Chief of Staff ................................................................ Eric Witte
Iowa City Office (Plaza Center One, 125 South Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240)
................................................................................. 319/351-0789
3RD DISTRICT
The Honorable Leonard Boswell
1427 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515......................... 202/225-3806
(Fax) 202/225-5608
http://www.house.gov/boswell
Appointments............................................................Sandy Carter
Sandy.carter@mail.house.gov
Administrative Assistant ......................................... Ned Michalek
Legislative Director .............................................. Susan McAvoy
Legislative Assistant ................................................Alexis Taylor
4TH DISTRICT
The Honorable Tom Latham
2447 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 ......................... 202/225-5476
(Fax) 202/225-3301
tom.latham@mail.house.gov
Appointments.................................................Amanda McDonnell
Amanda.mcdonnell@mail.house.gov
Chief of Staff ........................................................Michael Gruber
Health Legislative Assistant....................................... Jacob Parker
5TH DISTRICT
The Honorable Steve King
1432 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515......................... 202/225-4426
(Fax) 202/225-3193
steve.king@mail.house.gov
Appointments/Chief of Staff ..................................Brenna Findley
Health Asst/Legislative Director...............................Paula Steiner
Healthcare Staffer ................................................. Bentley Graves
White House:
202/456-1414
Capitol Information:
202/225-3121


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