What a Difference An Election Makes -- SCHIP Health Care for 11 Million Kids
A little over a year ago, President George W. Bush insisted we could not afford to insure 10 million kids through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). Despite broad bi-partisan, non-profit support from the AARP to the YMCA, Bush vetoed the S-CHIP bill. His veto was sustained by just a slim margin in the House (273-156) in what a Free Republic blogger called "standing tall for conservative values."
Well.
What a difference an election makes! Democrats vowed to increase our Congressional majorities and elect a President to deliver health care to America's kids. Today, a strengthened Democratic Congress passed H.R. 2, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill, by a strong bipartisan vote (289 to 139).
Many of the children helped today are from families of hardworking Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Americans lost 2.6 million jobs last year - over 500,000 in the month of December alone. For every 1 percent increase in the unemployment rate, it is estimated that as many as 1.5 million Americans will lose their health care coverage. A record 47 million Americans, including 9 million children, are without health insurance now. Under H.R, 2, an estimated 11 million American children can receive health care coverage via SCHIP.
Next week, the Senate will pass this essential legislation and send it quickly to President Obama's desk.
With a stroke of his pen, Barack Obama will soon change America's priorities - spending the equivalent of 40 days in Iraq to provide health care for over 10 million children a year through a bill that is timely, targeted, and paid for.
Putting healthy kids first. Paying for prevention and care without heaping mountains of debt on future generations. Now that is standing tall for American values. That is the difference an election makes. That is a promise delivered. That is change we can believe in.
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LETS SEE THE REPUBS WANT TO GIVE HAIBERTON BILLIONS TO WASTE but they do some good
but the dont want to give kids schips because it has some waste . i guess that makes sence ( sarcasm)
the military waste money all the time but thats ok with republicans!!!!!!
You...are...a...twit...
I have one problem with the SCHIP bill. Once again we are paying for our social programs by taxing smokers. Approximately 30% of adults living below the poverty line are smokers. So essentially we are taxing poor adults to pay for health care for poor children. It's also a completely unreliable source of funding. Every time the government raises the excise tax on cigarettes more people quit smoking. Therefore, the funding will decrease. This is a good program, but congress should have found a more reliable way to fund the program.
Great post, Christine! Marked as favorite.
Next time say more, though!
Only in America is providing health care to children (any children) controversial. I'm glad we've getting a government that cares about children as much as they care about Halliburton.
You make an excellent (but sad) point.
When this administration was sending, to the tune, of $10 billion/MONTH to Iraq, where was the outrage? Where was the cry for scrutiny?
I guess giving Halliburton and other no bid contractors billions is OK, but to give monies to help out the folks that really need it is an issue.
People, it is not necessarily that taxes are too high, but HOW YOUR TAXES ARE BEING SPENT (read: the Iraq War, $750 billion Prescription Drug plan that mostly benefits the pharmaceutical companies and $350 billion in bailout money that benefitted the financial institution that took the money but were given little to no oversight and/or scrutiny in return.....)
You are the daughter od someone famous. You l a c k credit.
Its hard for me to take seriously what the daughter of someone "famous" says. If you were serious about yourself, you should take on your husband's name and not stay under the "Pelosi" name. otherwise, you are lacking credit.
I should give up 40 years of being myself to take on a man's name? What century are you living in?
I suggest if we want to make a gov health insurance system for the unemployed then we pass that money to the VA hospitals and allow them to seek treatment there... Just as soon as their parent (s) pass a drug screening theyre children will be treated.
No , The Schipp Program put forth by the worst ever congress is horrible legislation ... Hopefully it will be modified as Pres Bush had asked to help the kids
The only problem with this plan, just like welfare, is that there is no oversight. People sign up for the freebie and the check shows up. Nobody checks to see what their problem is or how they are going to change things around. I know people out there that abuse the system, probably around 50%. The money they save on healthcare will go for a dime bag or some booze, possibly a big screen tv. I think we should help the ones who need it but with strict oversight. Don't give them a fish, teach them to fish.
Socialism doesn't work , it just stagnates a society into a nanny state.
50%? Where in the world do you get that information? Is there a single study that says so?
The number is an educated guess based on the fact that I know 12 people that are getting government help- all 12 are abusing the system. They are terrible parents and the practice is passed on to their children. I took the liberty to cut my own experiences with this problem in half. The real question is why don't we have these numbers? The answer is if the public knew the fraud that was going on with their hard earned tax dollars, they would be out-raged and the liberal movement would have big problems.
Akin to handing over $350 billion dollars in a bailout and, doggonit, here they are again several weeks later with their hands out again.
Rub bish. You obviously know very little about the economic and social realities of the majority of American families. Stereotypes such as the 'welfare queen' and those like them are nothing more than a bunch of manufactured artifice that serves the neo con agenda.
Your blame the victim mentality is in itself a disgusting display of self-righteous indignation. Forget about the big screen TV!! Clearly you have little to no idea about how a busive the system you refer to and protect has long made women and kids the main repository of its vio lence.
I'm glad that the attitude you represent is fading out. Maybe social Darwinism is real after all.
Just the opposite midnight- I come from humble beginnings and have seen alot. I have relatives that are in health care for the under-privledged and we have many discussions about this problem. So to state that I know very little about this is 100% false. I'm not blaming the victim, I'm pointing out reality, your foolish statements tell me that you don't live there.
For the first time in 8 years, I am proud of my Congress.
And how many children di ed while bushco were "standing tall for conservative values." ?
No telling, but we must ALSO count those children who still live but with substandard health!!
Christine:
Very well said. We may not "always" get what we want but as you so well point out, we certainly can get what we all agree upon very quickly.
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