SCHIP Fails to Get Veto-Proof Majority

It was really disappointing.  Not one NC Republican changed their vote to one that supports children getting health insurance.  Even though the bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support (265-142), that still isn’t enough to override a veto from President Bush.  Even though the bill made serious changes that critics said they wanted, that still wasn’t enough for its ideological opponents.  You can see how your specific Representative voted here.

The SCHIP bill was changed to specifically prevent any state from insuring kids over 300% FPL (NJ was granted a temporary exception for kids already covered.)  It was changed with strict new rules about Social Security number matching to ensure only citizens are covered.  It was changed to quickly phase out coverage for adults (although not pregnant women of course) over one year instead of two.  In short, the major objections of its critics were met.

It seems clear that President Bush and those who stand with him against this bill have little interest in insuring children.  Ideology means more to them than doing something that works for families struggling to make ends meet.  It is beyond me how members of Congress – smug in the certainty of their own generous federal health care plan – can act again and again to deny the same basic coverage to uninsured children in their districts.  I watched their sanctimonious drivel spewing out of the C-SPAN cameras this afternoon as they drearily slunk up, one after another, to the microphone to repeat their tired talking points.  They should be ashamed of how low they have brought themselves and we should be ashamed we could ever elect people who steer by such a broken and twisted moral compass.

Our only consolation is that once again the President will have to show his true colors and veto coverage for 10 million children.  Once again the members who demanded change – and got it – will have to show America that they are not willing to compromise for children’s health.  This can only add to the 80% of Americans who already support this bill.  You have to ask when is it ever enough.