Good News
GOOD NEWS....An expansion of the SCHIP program is looking more and more likely:
The Senate defied President Bush on Thursday and passed a bipartisan bill that would provide health insurance for millions of children in low-income families. The vote was 68 to 31. The majority was more than enough to overcome the veto repeatedly threatened by Mr. Bush.Screaming "socialized medicine" over and over just isn't going to do the trick this time. It looks like the Senate has enough votes to stop a filibuster and override a veto, and it's possible that a moderate bill will pick up enough House support to override a veto as well. Alternatively, George Bush might come to his senses and realize that compassionate conservatives aren't supposed to veto legislation that helps poor kids get better healthcare. Maybe Laura will have a word with him.....The House passed a much larger bill on Wednesday, presenting negotiators with a formidable challenge in trying to work out differences between the two measures.
Still, the strong commitment to the issue by Democratic leaders virtually guarantees that they can work out a compromise before Sept. 30, when the program is set to expire. But that compromise is likely to be unacceptable to Mr. Bush.