Bush Threatens Kids' Health Plan Expansion

Promises To Veto Congress' Increase In Health Insurance For Poor Children

(AP)  President Bush again called Democrats "irresponsible" on Saturday for pushing an expansion he opposes to a children's health insurance program.

"Democrats in Congress have decided to pass a bill they know will be vetoed," Bush said of the measure that draws significant bipartisan support, repeating in his weekly radio address an accusation he made earlier in the week. "Members of Congress are risking health coverage for poor children purely to make a political point."

In the Democrat's response, also broadcast Saturday, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell turned the tables on the president, saying that if Bush doesn't sign the bill, 15 states will have no funding left for the program by the end of the month.

At issue is the Children's Health Insurance Program, a state-federal program that subsidizes health coverage for low-income people, mostly children, in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private coverage. It expires Sept. 30.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced a proposal Friday that would add $35 billion over five years to the program, adding 4 million people to the 6.6 million already participating. It would be financed by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack.

The idea is overwhelmingly supported by Congress' majority Democrats, who scheduled it for a vote Tuesday in the House. It has substantial Republican support as well.

But Bush has promised a veto, saying the measure is too costly, unacceptably raises taxes, extends government-covered insurance to children in families who can afford private coverage, and smacks of a move toward completely federalized health care. He has asked Congress to pass a simple extension of the current program while debate continues, saying it's children who will suffer if they do not.

"Our goal should be to move children who have no health insurance to private coverage - not to move children who already have private health insurance to government coverage," Bush said.

The bill's backers have vigorously rejected Bush's claim it would steer public money to families that can readily afford health insurance, saying their goal is to cover more of the millions of uninsured children. The bill would provide financial incentives for states to cover their lowest-income children first, they said.

Many governors want the flexibility to expand eligibility for the program. So the proposal would overturn recent guidelines from the administration making it difficult for states to steer CHIP funds to families with incomes exceeding 250 percent of the official poverty level.

Rendell said thousands of children will lose health care coverage if Bush doesn't sign the bill.

"The administration has tried to turn this into a partisan issue and has threatened to veto. The health of our children is far too important for partisan politics as usual," he said. "If the administration is serious about solving our health care crisis, it should be expanding, not cutting back, this program which has made private health insurance affordable for millions of children."

[drinuk]

If the government of this country would stop taking backhanders from Big Pharma as a way of sneaking their drugs into our healthcare there would be enough cash available for all the children. The Pharmaceuticals are robbing us blind, funding elections and greasing the palms of politicians and the medical profession. It''s time we did what China did recently...Shoot the crooked B A S T A R D S.

[undermyboot]

Think THIS Bush threat is bad?

Latest News: Congresswoman Harman (Chairwoman of House Terrorism subcommittee) revealed today that BUSH THREATENED CONGRESS with a bogus "terrorist threat" in order to scare Congress into voting for more dictatorial powers for Bush (It worked). On Aug. 2, just before Congress agreed to give Bush the power to spy on Americans without FISA warrants, Bush officials told Congress (in secret session) that CONGRESS was a target of an "IMMINENT ATTACK" and that the powers he wanted them to give him were needed to protect Congress from attack. Bush''s monkey in the Senate (Trent Lott) said, "Disaster could be at our doorstep". The intelligence agencies already knew that there was NO THREAT, but the truth only came out AFTER the vote. I guess Bush thought he could get away with this and no one would dare break silence (calling the lie a "state secret"). Too bad for him that at least one patriot told America what its petty dictator tried and lied about this time.

Can you smell a rat? A big, fascist, dictatorial, un-American, "Presidential" rat? This "King" is nothing more than a petty dictator-wannabe. He (and his cabal) should be tried and shot for crimes against our country, laws, and our Constitution. NOW! If Congress and the courts do not soon grow a pair our liberty and way of life are doomed.

REFERENCE: The Chairwoman spoke today at a FISA forum. Reported on MSNBC and http://thinkprogress.org/?p=16390&sortby=toprated

[undermyboot]

Latest News: Congresswoman Harman (Chairwoman of House Terrorism subcommittee) revealed today that BUSH THREATENED CONGRESS with a bogus "terrorist threat" in order to scare Congress into voting for more dictatorial powers for Bush (It worked). On Aug. 2, just before Congress agreed to give Bush the power to spy on Americans without FISA warrants, Bush officials told Congress (in secret session) that CONGRESS was a target of an "IMMINENT ATTACK" and that the powers he wanted them to give him were needed to protect Congress from attack. Bush''s monkey in the Senate (Trent Lott) said, "Disaster could be at our doorstep". The intelligence agencies already knew that there was NO THREAT, but the truth only came out AFTER the vote. I guess Bush thought he could get away with this and no one would dare break silence (calling the lie a "state secret"). Too bad for him that at least one patriot told America what its petty dictator tried and lied about this time.

Can you smell a rat? A big, fascist, dictatorial, un-American, "Presidential" rat? This "King" is nothing more than a petty dictator-wannabe. He (and his cabal) should be tried and shot for crimes against our country, laws, and our Constitution. NOW! If Congress and the courts do not soon grow a pair our liberty and way of life are doomed.

[gunnerv1]

coffee_guy1 Quit suckin'' on the Goverment teat.

[johngress]

President Bush is to this country what Rex Grossman is to the Chicago Bears.

[signof4]

better to let them die.....and decrease the surplus population

[ckcool192001]

I don''t know if any of you have seen the Wendy''s commercial that has been on TV lately, the one where everyone is walking off into a large hole. When I see this commercial I see washington polotics. Bush running into the big hole and everyone following him. The "Wendy''s" guy being democrats that have started saying...hey what are we doing here? We need to run away from this hole.

You know it''s to bad for republicans, Bush is going to drive the republican party so far down, that there will be no chance that a republican will be elected next year.

[coffee_guy1]

You want your people to be independent. You want your people to be responsible. Yet you show by example time and time again in irresponsibility. A dependence!

Who are these ******** doofuses?

[coffee_guy1]

Who started this "conservative party"? This notion that a government is supposed to do everything else but provide for its own people? Who''s dumb idea was this?

[coffee_guy1]

Can you imagine? Growing a heart?

Or how about a liver? Or how about a whole new immune system?

Its scifi to think about such miraculous medical possibilities. We might even be able to eleviate all human suffering! Fer goodness sakes..

[coffee_guy1]

They should explore embryonic stem cell research.

[voteronpaul3]

**** TAKE AMERICA BACK ****
**** STOP THE WAR & Corporate Corruption****

Ron Paul has it all.

He has NEVER voted:
* to raise taxes
* for an unbalanced budget
* to raise congressional pay
* for a federal restriction on gun ownership
* to increase the power of the executive branch

He HAS voted:
* against the Iraq war
* against the inappropriately named USA PATRIOT act
* against regulating the internet
* against the Military Commissions Act

He will eliminate the IRS, Wasteful Government Spending & Stop The Iraq War Immediately!

Most importantly, he voted NO on anything in Congress that is not allowed by the Constitution.

He is the only candidate not a member of the CFR!

Shouldn''t ALL members of Congress uphold the Constitution? Aren''t they SWORN to uphold it? You can bet Paul won''t call the Constitution "just a G**D***ed piece of paper" like George Bush is reported to have.

If you want a candidate you can TRUST due to a proven track record, visit ronpaul2008.com and get busy spreading the word. The Mainstream Media is a lagging indicator!!

Ron Paul Revolution: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ron+paul

Get Active join a meetup.com group today!

Also checkout http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=federal reserve fraud

[mudrose-2009]

This is such a crock. Hey, you should check out New Jersey. Their Governor another Dimnowit is using Schip for families with an average income over $72,000. Then they want a referendum for embroynic stem cell research and will also tack that on to property taxes if they get the people to vote for it. This is abuse the likes of which is continual for the Dimnowits. The state of New Jersey has the hightest real estate taxes in the country. This is why and the bastardo apparently doesn''t give a patooie about it. Now if this is going on in New Jersey, check out what they want to do nationally.

[pwrslm]

Is it considered welfare? Free to all children, government sponsored health care? Whats real here, and whats a load of crape?

If thier parents refuse to provide health care (for those who can afford it), why should the American Taxpayer!!

This is smart. Bush is on track. The issue is the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes in Congress. The bill never should have lead this earmarked legislation.

[antoniof123]

I am going to say this veto it Mr. President keep doing the opposite of what America wants that should really help the GOP more in 2008. Some people are too stupid to breath the air and maybe they shouldn''t it would save on CO2 emissions from them.

[abbe91]

"I know that some of you may not be the ones who posted the stuff about Bush but this needs to be said. Bush DID NOT send us to war CONGRESS did. By the constitution the Bush cannot enact war he can occupy a country BUT ONLY CONGRESS can enact WAR. Get your facts staight and don''''t blame the war on Bush.
Posted by pmitchem1 at 07:46 PM : Sep 23, 2007"

Actually, no war was declared. I''m not the one saying so ... guess who ? Gonzo. Congress authorized the use of force, didn''t ask for it ...

[iceman_1960]

"Why, Kyrgyzstan, of course. I thought everybody knew that."

Just kidding about the last part. How many people have even heard of Kyrgyzstan, much less having committed its Constitution to memory ?

[iceman_1960]

"What other nation allows for impeachment besides the US?"
- Posted by radiob at 03:54 PM : Sep 23, 2007

Why, Kyrgyzstan, of course. I thought everybody knew that.

In addition to Kyrgyzstan, impeachment is in the Constitutions of Iran (??!!), India, Brazil, Russia, the Philippines, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Norway, Romania, Taiwan, Venezuela, Paraguay and Lithuania.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment

[lastdance2]

Sign this Appeal.This site is an Appeal For Redress in support of our mission in Iraq.An Appeal For Redress is an authorized means for active duty military to submit a grievance to Congress. It can be signed by Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard military personnel.It is authorized by DoD Directive 1325.6 and DoD Directive 7050.6.The wording of the Appeal for Redress is:As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home. The War in Iraq is a necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack.If you are active duty, reservist or national guard, please Sign this Appeal.Most service members fully support the war in Iraq and feel calls to retreat by Congress and attacks by our media on our conduct and mission act to motivate our enemy while demoralizing our support at home, directly increasing the threat we face and resulting in greater American casualties. This Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to Congress to fully support us and actively oppose media attacks on our mission and our morale.This Appeal will be delivered to members of Congress.http://www.appealforcourage.org/
Posted by lars008 at 03:28 AM : May 20, 2007

[sgtrds]

What are you talking about?! His eloquent treatise on "Nazi Terror Islam Hajiism" that he cut and pasted from wikipedia made me see the world in a whole new light! Lars008 is my personal hero! LOL! ;-p

Posted by socrates392 at 01:24 AM : Sep 24, 2007

You mean the one he posts because he''s never had an original thought in his life? the one he posts again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again................................................