Bush announces he will veto healthcare for low income children
Incredible.
The State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was enacted with broad bipartisan support in 1997. It's due to expire in a few days, and Congress has moved to expand the plan to cover 3 to 4 million more low income, uninsured children, but Bush not only doesn't want it expanded, he wants the program to be cut. He's announced he will veto the legislation, and in 9 days, the federal funding will be eliminated for the program.
SCHIP provides federal funds that allow states to expand their Medicaid medical program to cover a total of 30 million low income children. SCHIP alone covers over 9 million children, and 90% of these children live at 200% or less of the federal poverty level. Since several states have moved to designate a fetus as an unborn child, SCHIP also covers prenatal care for low income, pregnant women in 11 states. Federal funding will be eliminated if Bush vetos the legislation and the veto stands. In a complete break with reality, Bush claims the parents of these children can afford to buy health insurance, and SCHIP is an unacceptable move toward government run healthcare.
Once again, Bush runs the gamut from heartless and cruel, to economically irresponsible. It SAVES money to provide basic healthcare for children. It's been proven over and over again. Why don't some understand that it's a good thing to reduce infant mortality. It's a good thing to reduce the number of women who die due to complications from childbirth. It's a good thing for all children to have basic medical care.
While the administration paints the extension of this meaningful and important bipartisan policy as political maneuvering by the Democrats, there will be real world consequences to our children. The Bush administration is playing games with the lives of children, and that is reprehensible.
The State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was enacted with broad bipartisan support in 1997. It's due to expire in a few days, and Congress has moved to expand the plan to cover 3 to 4 million more low income, uninsured children, but Bush not only doesn't want it expanded, he wants the program to be cut. He's announced he will veto the legislation, and in 9 days, the federal funding will be eliminated for the program.
SCHIP provides federal funds that allow states to expand their Medicaid medical program to cover a total of 30 million low income children. SCHIP alone covers over 9 million children, and 90% of these children live at 200% or less of the federal poverty level. Since several states have moved to designate a fetus as an unborn child, SCHIP also covers prenatal care for low income, pregnant women in 11 states. Federal funding will be eliminated if Bush vetos the legislation and the veto stands. In a complete break with reality, Bush claims the parents of these children can afford to buy health insurance, and SCHIP is an unacceptable move toward government run healthcare.
Once again, Bush runs the gamut from heartless and cruel, to economically irresponsible. It SAVES money to provide basic healthcare for children. It's been proven over and over again. Why don't some understand that it's a good thing to reduce infant mortality. It's a good thing to reduce the number of women who die due to complications from childbirth. It's a good thing for all children to have basic medical care.
While the administration paints the extension of this meaningful and important bipartisan policy as political maneuvering by the Democrats, there will be real world consequences to our children. The Bush administration is playing games with the lives of children, and that is reprehensible.
Labels: healthcare
posted by Terry at 9:08 AM
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