House Fails To Override Child Health Veto

Democrats Unable To Push Through Expansion Of Kids' Health Insurance Program

(CBS/AP)  House Democrats failed Thursday in their bid to override President Bush's veto of a bill to expand a popular children's health insurance program.

CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports 44 Republicans joined Democrats to override the veto, but it wasn't quite enough. The final tally, 273-156, was 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to enact the bill over Mr. Bush's objections. The bill had passed the Senate with a bigger than two-thirds majority.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program now subsidizes health care insurance coverage for about 6 million children at a cost of about $5 billion a year. The vetoed bill would have added 4 million more children, most of them from low-income families, to the program at an added cost of $7 billion annually.

To pay for the increase, the bill would have raised the federal tax on cigarettes from 39 cents to $1.00 a pack.

"This is not about an issue. It's about a value," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said just before the vote. "For the cost of less than 40 days in Iraq, we can provide SCHIP coverage for 10 million children for one year."

Said White House press secretary Dana Perino: "We won this round on SCHIP."

Noting a million-dollar lobbying campaign by several labor unions and advocacy groups that aimed to turn enough Republican votes for a successful override, she said: "It didn't work."

In the White House view, Thursday's vote was the starting bell for negotiations on a new bill. Mr. Bush is directing a team of negotiators to go to Capitol Hill right away, Perino said.

"The president would like to see SCHIP reauthorized and expanded. He has said that his priority is that poor children should be taken care of first," she said. "We would hope that they would like to have discussions with us soon."

CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller notes that Thursday's House vote puts the president's record at 4-0 when it comes to vetoes: four vetoes, none overridden.

Republican opponents said the bill would encourage too many middle-income families to substitute government-subsidized insurance for their private insurance. The bill gives states financial incentives to cover families with incomes up to three times the federal poverty level - $61,950 for a family of four.

"That's not low-income. That's a majority of households in America," said Rep. Wally Herger, R-Calif.

But Democrats said the bill's original focus would remain intact. States would be given bonuses for signing up low-income children already eligible for the program but not enrolled.

"Under current law, these boys and girls are entitled to their benefits," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. "Continuing to not provide them with coverage is a travesty."

The bill specifically states that illegal immigrants would remain ineligible for the children's program, but Republicans seized on a section that would allow families to provide a Social Security number to indicate eligibility. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said it's too easy to get a false number, which would give an opening for thousands of illegal immigrants to enroll.

There's overwhelming public support for expanding SCHIP. A CBS News poll released Wednesday found 81 percent of Americans, including a large majority of Republicans, favor increasing the program's coverage.

[nmsuip]

Why is George Bush so hard-headed?

His skull protects the weakest part of his body.

[ioweign]

When you''''''''re done go back to your padded cell lock the door, think green and turn out the lights. Visiting time is over.

Posted by jowand at 09:07

No S-CHIP...

See what happens when you don''t have health insurance and can''t get medical care - just look at jowand !!

[tcoleman12]

What happened to the comments by Rep. Pete Stark (Dem. Cal.)? He went to the House floor on this debate and said the following:
"Where are you going to get that money? Are you going to tell us lies like you''re telling us today? Is that how you''re going to fund the war? You don''t have money to fund the war or children. But you''re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old, enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president''s amusement," Stark said.
Here is your Democrat Leadership of today!

[bizzzz-2009]

WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS STORY? WAS IT BURIED? AS AMERICANS, WE SHOULD KNOW HOW WRECKLESS OUR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IS.

Pelosi Makes Political Misstep in Reversal on Armenian Genocide

The two meetings House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended before a vote on a resolution labeling the massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a genocide foreshadowed the biggest political misstep of her speakership.

In the hours before a House panel approved the resolution Oct. 10, Pelosi was told in a tense meeting with Turkey''s ambassador that the vote would endanger his country''s alliance with the U.S. She had a warmer session with an Armenian cleric and representatives of Armenian-Americans, who have a large presence in her home state of California. In both, she made clear she intended to bring the resolution to a full House vote.

[lewiston14]

For those of you who are going to hate reality skip reading this. How about having less kids or non at all. Seems the problem is only getting worse by the day. You can%u2019t keep up with it. Another article from today Woman sends 9000 bottles of milk to Africa enough for 6 kids for a year. Aghhhhhhhhh what about the millions of others?

[rowdytexan2]

You see those military contract profiteers need more trips to europe, luxury cars in their 5 car garages, fur coats for the wives, vacation properties, the ability to entertain their friends at fancy restraunts with $100 meals and bottles of wine, Armani suits, $300 sun glasses, tennis courts and indoor swimming pools, ivy league education for THEIR children, and live in body guards and nannies, and gardeners....

It''s ok that children don''t have access to health care, nor 28 percent of the working mothers in Texas, and less in other states...

To the majority of people of people in the US, driving an 8 year old Toyota, having a $29 a month health club, and maybe, just maybe, a trip to Disneyworld once in their children''s lifetime is a real luxury.

Think about it....

[mudrose-2009]

This was not a bad bill. It is about taking care of children.There is no middle class in this country anymore.For a family to afford health insurance it is approximately 600 a month.Count in rent or a mortgage, clothing, food and other essentials for daily living. Outsourcing has brought this country to its knees. Bush and his free trade has brought this country to its knees. We are turning into a third world country.
Posted by irishbitch11

This was about trying to lure middle class families on to universal healthcare. This program was designed to assist poor families not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid and yet not financially comfortable enough to afford their own insurance. It was not meant to give middle class families earning up to $82,000 free ahem taxpayer funded healthcare.
Our economy is humming. We have a global economy and while the dollar may be lower than the Euro, that does not spell trouble for us. It just means more business coming in. Bush has not turned this country into a third world country, but if the Dimnowits get in you can kiss this well-oiled economy goodbye. Higher taxes, inflation, recession. Just what the Dimnowits want to convince the masses that universal healthcare would be in their best interests. With them it''s always an angle and the masses thanks to 40 years of dumbing down the public think that''s just swell.

[lewiston14]

Here is an interesting thought. What if Bush jumped out of Iraq? What makes you think your going to see any of the money? First step is paying down the national debt. Good excuse for years so you see nothing. Then there are all those those pesty earmarks that make them look so good. So far you still see nothing. Let me guess Hillory is going to save you. LOL

[rwassel]

"You are losing, and you will continue to lose, because America is sick and tired of your agenda to destroy American society." Posted by One_American

Awesome - another right wing delusional Whacko. Hey professor, how did the last election treat ya?

[rwassel]

"Go find another job, both parents can work" - jowand

What if both parents ARE working, and they still only bring in 60,000 living in an urban area, Mr. Empathy?

[standlee5]

The bill would divert much needed funds for the poor to the middle class. It''s not elitist to veto this bill. It''s a bad bill and puts the entire program in jeapardy. Then to top it off they think they can fund the entire masssive expansion by a cigarette tax.

[one_american]

Liberals, Democrats, and the elitist liberal media are falling to pieces because they cannot advance their socialist agenda upon the American public.

Even CodePINK and the rest of the anti-military spawn in Berkley were completely outnumbered by American Military Supporters.

The days of the counter-culture are over, liberals.

You are losing, and you will continue to lose, because America is sick and tired of your agenda to destroy American society.

I suggest you get some sleep. It will only be worse for you tomorrow; you''ll need your strength to keep your head above the waves...

[sgtrds]

Bush vetoed this bill because he is scum. He always has been and always will be. All other discussion on this issue is moot. He vetoed it because he is an elitist pig and for no other reason. He does not care.

[moxford0]

Hopefully Bush and his cronies will get sick and die. They are not worth the cost of keeping alive. Oh well, better get them there before they get us here.

[j-whitman]

You can immediately discount any thing negative republicans have to say about this bill as straight up lies,
,, When it passed origanally it was a bill submitted by republicans in a republican controlled Congress & even Bush boasted how great it was as governor....

[mostemcell]

Oh, well, I guess I will have to miss the brilliant analysis and philosophical theories of kansas1946 and dumcommunist, because i have to go to bed because I have a job to go to in the morning. I know you could never make your own way in th world..you can''t even defend yourself on a message board when faced with reasonable questions, how could you ever get and hold a job? No wonder you want welfare, you need it! I''m just glad that I''m well enough off to take care of my family and you...I would never want to be you - unable to support yourself or make your own way in the world. You must lead very sad pathetic lives. Good night.

[mostemcell]

Kansas1946, I missed your explanation of why someone who makes $33k per year and pays for their own kids'' insurance should have to pay for the insurance of someone who: 1) makes $80k per year and 2) spends more on private schools for their grade schoolers than the $33k person makes in a whole year. I missed that in your post. Could you explain it again, please? thanks.

[kansas1946]

I see that the paid Bushites finally woke up and started hitting the site with the private school, 82,000 a year, rich people getting free medical on the backs of poor working Americans, BS. Rush must have started making phone calls. Quick, get on CBS message board and defend our poor little president. Who cares if 82pct of Americans supported this bill, or that the majority of Republicans support it. Don''t let them pick on little George. He is delicate! DITTO.

[standlee5]

How many kids are allowed to be on s-chip. Can a family of 8 kids get all of them insured for free. That doesn''t seem fair to those who don''t have any kids. We should get a rebate or something.

[mostemcell]

ComDumism, you were so interested in my answer, have you no reply? Or is your name the answer: You''re a dumb communist? We (USA) await your answer.