Dune Messiah: Override The Veto on SCHIP

Here are a few reasons to stand up to the bad decisioner...

Newspapers Across the Country Call for Override of President’s Veto of Bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Bill
October 5th, 2007 by Office of the Speaker
“Misleading Spin on Children’s Health”
New York Times - October 5, 2007

“Trying to justify his ideologically driven veto of a bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, President Bush and his staff have fired a barrage of misinformation about this valuable program. Before the House votes on whether to override the veto, all members — especially those from Mr. Bush’s party who say they are concerned about millions of uninsured children — must look behind the rhetoric…Mr. Bush’s primary rationales for his veto tend to disintegrate when examined closely…Like so many other things that Mr. Bush has gotten disastrously wrong, he’d already made up his mind and had no interest in listening to others’ arguments. Now it is up to Congress to show Mr. Bush that such blind partisanship will not be rewarded. For the sake of America’s children, lawmakers must override the veto.”

“In America, it’s a sad day for children’s health care”
San Antonio Express-News - October 5, 2007

“Despite repeated calls from both parties, President Bush on Wednesday chose to use the fourth veto of his presidency to spike a proposed expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. It’s a bad move that leaves millions of kids without insurance and promotes a penny-wise and pound-foolish fiscal approach…This is no left-of-center proposal. Significant numbers of Republicans backed the bill, and a broad range of organizations support it — the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Healthcare Leadership, which represents insurers, hospitals, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies…This veto is bad public policy. The Democrats and Republicans who supported an expansion of the program should keep working on this one.”

“Reverse Bush’s veto on SCHIP”
Denver Post - October 5, 2007

“The U.S. House of Representatives should vote to override President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP, when it takes up the issue Oct. 18. We urge all members of Colorado’s congressional delegation, which has so far divided along party lines on SCHIP, to vote to override this misguided veto. A bill ensuring that poor American children have access to basic health care is not a proper venue for political games.”

“This president’s veto deserves an override”
Seattle Times - October 5, 2007

“The bipartisan spirit that created the children’s health insurance program a decade ago ought to be rekindled to override a presidential veto of an expansion…The States Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is universally supported for providing health coverage for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private health insurance….Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle get this. Why Bush doesn’t is a question raised by prominent Republicans such as Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Charles Grassley of Iowa and Pat Roberts of Kansas…An override vote is set for Oct. 18. Between now and then, Republican holdouts ought to ask themselves if they really want to follow Bush off the cliff on this one.”

“Foes of health-care bill let down the children”
Kansas City Star - October 5, 2007

“U.S. Rep. Sam Graves has turned to red herrings and scare tactics to justify his callousness toward ill children whose families cannot afford to take them to a doctor. The Missouri 6th District Republican went against most public opinion and the majority of Congress when he voted to deny medical coverage to low-income children through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program…Cheers for lawmakers who will vote to override in the face of unreasonable opposition from the president and some in his party.”

“Switching sides: Cannon, Bishop should change votes on CHIP”
Salt Lake Tribune - October 5, 2007

“It’s a rare moment when the individual votes of Utah’s congressional representatives can make a decisive difference for people who are in need. The upcoming vote to override President Bush’s veto of a bipartisan bill to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program is one of those rare opportunities. So far, the majority of our congressional delegation has been on the wrong side, the president’s side, of this issue. But they have a chance to redeem themselves, to stand up and tell The Decider he decided wrong, and they should grab it. Their first responsibility is to Utah’s children, not to a lame-duck president who rarely gets it right.”

“Override veto: Expand kids’ health insurance”
Des Moines Register - October 5, 2007

“Bush simply didn’t want to compromise on this issue. And he doesn’t have to. At this point in his presidency, he has little to lose. His approval ratings are low, and he’s not running for re-election. However, members of Congress will face the voters again. Any members who don’t vote to override the veto should be held accountable by voters in the next election…The vast majority of Americans support providing health care to this country’s children. Congress should reflect that sentiment. Those who fail to represent the interests of the people have no place in Washington - and no business using the taxpayer-funded plans that members of Congress enjoy.”

“A bad veto on children’s insurance”
Minneapolis Star-Tribune - October 5, 2007

“Children’s advocates staged a vigil at the office of Rep. Michele Bachmann Wednesday night, urging her to defy President Bush in the big showdown that developed this week over children’s health insurance. We don’t always applaud political theater, but in this case the advocates are right. The number of uninsured children in the United States is a national disgrace, and the bill that Congress produced last week was a sensible, cost-effective answer. Bachmann and Rep. John Kline, the only no votes in the Minnesota delegation, should switch sides and support a veto override… The larger puzzle in this debate is why every other advanced nation can give its children health insurance while spending far less than Americans do. SCHIP has been a practical, effective step toward solving that puzzle, and it deserves better than a presidential veto.”

“Let’s cover the children”
Boston Globe - October 5, 2007

“No one can accuse Utah Senator Orrin Hatch of being an exponent of big government, but he realizes that the children’s health insurance program he co-sponsored in 1997 needs to be expanded. Because of Republicans like him, the bill that would cover an additional 3.8 million youngsters has enough support in the Senate to override President Bush’s indefensible veto. With a push by the bill’s coalition of backers, it will also get the 15 to 20 votes needed to override the veto in the House…If the House fails to override the veto, Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to send the bill through again. But the first override vote isn’t until Oct. 18, plenty of time for the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, the association of America’s Health Insurance Plans, and all the other groups supporting S-Chip to persuade 15 to 20 representatives to join the 265 who have already voted for the bill. As Hatch said this week, it’s ‘the morally right thing to do.’”

“Abandon Bush on SCHIP veto”
Olympian (Washington State) - October 5, 2007

“Congress should move swiftly to override President Bush’s veto of a bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)…SCHIP has been a success. It provides medical coverage for more than 6.6 million youngsters, helping to reduce by one-third the number of low-income children lacking health coverage…The bill approved in the House and Senate would have covered another 3.8 million children by 2012 by boosting SCHIP funding $35 billion over the next five years…But Bush said “no.” He offered instead to boost funding by $5 billion over five years, an increase that the Congressional Budget Office said is only 36 percent of what’s needed to maintain current program levels. What Republican Congressman in his or her right mind would want to see Bush prevail on this issue?”

“Bush errs with veto”
Bradenton Herald (Fla.) - October 5, 2007

“It’s unfortunate that Bush played politics with children’s health, primarily children from low-income families that can ill-afford coverage…The political fallout of the veto will be heavy.”

“A veto to overturn”
Roanoke Times - October 5, 2007

“President Bush this week wielded his veto power for only the fourth time in his presidency — to deny health care coverage to almost 4 million uninsured children. Now he wants to talk compromise with the bill’s backers. There should be no compromise. The expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program is good legislation that passed both houses of Congress with strong bipartisan support.”

“Torpedoed SCHIP”
Savannah Morning News (Ga.) - October 5, 2007

“Adequate medical insurance for the nation’s children is an investment in a healthy populace that will pay dividends in improved educational outcomes and greater productivity in the long-term. Too bad that President Bush doesn’t understand. His veto Wednesday of a bipartisan bill that would have improved the lives of an estimated 10 million children and their families was a bad decision. Pray that Congress overrides it.”

“President’s rhetoric doesn’t justify veto on bill”
Ashville Citizen-Times (NC) - October 5, 2007

“The reasons President Bush gave for vetoing a bill that would expand a popular health insurance program for low-income children exaggerated the program’s reach and were disingenuous at best, given the administration’s own poor record regarding fiscal responsibility…When considering the facts, as opposed to the president’s misleading rhetoric, it’s hard to justify not backing a bill that helps low-income children grow into healthy adults.”

“Override the veto: SCHIP program isn’t perfect, but it does work”
Patriot News (Penn.) - October 5, 2007

“One thing you can say about SCHIP is that it works. It isn’t perfect, but the good it does far outweighs the negatives. We urge Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to speak with one voice and help override the president’s veto.