Republicans Whine about the SCHIP Vote

It's always heartwarming to hear politicians whine about the other guys acting unfairly. It reminds me that there is some ultimate justice, karma, or whatever you want to call it in the world.

Today's whine happens to be around the fact that the House Democrats have scheduled a vote on the SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) for later today. The Democrats initially passed the legislation but didn't have enough votes to override a presidential veto, so they made some changes that they hope will win over a few of their Republican brethren (and the President). Or is their tactic to put forward another bill the President will veto and then use it against the Republicans as an election issue?

I admit to not knowing much about the legislation. On the one hand it helps kids and on the other it seems to cost a lot ($35 Billion over five years, but given the price of the war maybe that's not so much). One of the things I hate about the discourse in our society is that I am never confident about my knowledge because I am usually forced to rely on alternatively biased perspectives on any given issue. If someone has a few million dollars burning a hole in their pocket, shoot me an email and we'll start a site that gives society some unbiased information they can trust.

Anyway, the Republicans are complaining that the Democrats are holding the vote on a day when they know a handful of Republicans are going to California to tour the wildfires. They feel that the move by the Democrats is, in the words of one Republican, "clearly designed to minimize the Republican opposition to this bill."

First off, I have to say to all politicians the same thing I tell my seven-year-old son, STOP WHINING! I find it insulting that the Republicans whine about a tactic that I have absolutely no doubt they would use if the tables were turned. Gee, do you guys and gals in Congress ever stop to wonder why your collective job approval rating is currently 22% (LA Times/Bloomberg for Oct 19-22).

If four out of five people thought I sucked at my job, I probably wouldn't have it.

Castigations aside, today's Republican whine made me think about what the ground rules should be regarding playing politics (I say, should, because we all know what the ground rules are). Should the Democrats wait a few days until their colleagues get back? Are there even any ground rules or standards of decency when it comes to getting your way in politics? And what if the Democrats are actually playing politics with the SCHIP and secretly hope the Republicans and/or President will vote it down?

Malcolm Friedberg is the author of Why We'll Win (www.whywellwin.com), a book that explains the law behind hot-button social issues to laypeople.

Comments

[LeftRight]

Or maybe, since the work of congress doesn't stop, even in a national emergency, much less a regional tragedy, they're just doing their jobs!

Granted, what's happening in California is horrible, and I'm glad that many politicians are touring the area, hopefully they'll be able to do some good, but congress still needs to be at their job!

[DrColes]

All they had to do was re-authorize the existing law. Instead they are practicing politics at the expense of the poor. The government caused the problem with health care in America by over socializing medicine to the extent it is not completive, and we want to exacerbate the problem? http://www.InteliOrg.com/

[Lon]

This has been a republican talking point, but it is not a particularly coherent argument. "All that had do" suggests some purpose that is not actually laid out in the argument. If the idea is that "All that had to do to maintain the same level of coverage for the program" then they would have had to increase the funding for the program beyond Bish's stated limits to account for increased in illegibility.

If the goal is to cover everyone that they believe should be covered then, of course, they need to increase the funding even further as they did.

If the goal is to not embarass the Republicans while leaving many working poor children without health care then it is true all they had to do was to re-authorize the existing law. But why should anyone take that to be the goal?

[Lon]

The Republucan charge is particularly puzzling in this case when the votes that will count are all down the line. Republicans would seem to benefit from not casting an unpopular vote and getting to point to the wildfires as the reason.

[hopeless277]

Dear Congress,

Please postpone the 2008 election until I return from viewing the destruction in Iraq. It should only take about 18 months.

Signed
The Troops

[thinkbig]

I seem to recall a lot of democratic -whining- about republicans ramming through bills without a chance for debate or study. I also recall a vow to govern responsibly if they got the majority. The fact is that like the seven year old, both parties are made up of children.

[Goddatunda]

I pay about $630 a month to cover my wife and 2 boys (company pays my insurance). My income is a little over $50,000 a year.

With the price of gas, and the subsequent rising prices of about every other commodity, I
am just a little over making ends meet.

I'm one of the lucky ones. I can't imagine how I'd make it if my company didn't pay my insurance. We're probably eligable for SCHIP, but since I can afford not to, I probably wouldn't take advantage of it. There are a lot of families out there that could use the help.

[Boyaca]

200,000,000,000, billions that is, for an illegal war. 35,000,000,000 for child health care. Suppose you err on the side of including a few families just marginally able to afford inadequate health insurance, so what? You are overpaying big time to defence contractors and the republicans don't get their shorts in a knot over that. 35,000,000,000 overpayment to Halliburton and subs would probably only be the tip of the iceberg for these crooks. If they had to pay it back it would probably come out of pocket change.

[Malarcus]

"And what if the Democrats are actually playing politics with the SCHIP and secretly hope the Republicans and/or President will vote it down?"

If?

[americanwhocares]

Repug's are just a bunch of lying cry babies who only care about the ultra rich. They did and would do the same thing in a New York minute. It will take several generations to fix the country if it can be fixed at all (doubtful)after repug rule under the utterly worthless Bush Regime.

[theyak]

With the revisions added, at least according to what I have read, addressing the non-cost complaints given by the GOP, I wonder what their excuse for upholding Bush's veto will be this time. I was "down-sized" from a job with benefits. My cost for coverage through COBRA for myself and my wife was $706 per month. Medical, no dental, no vision. When that ran out after 18 months, I was forced through pre-existing conditions into the Texas State Risk pool. This amounts to $1934 per month. And I am one of the lucky ones, the contract position I was able to find allows me to afford this, if I budget well. Don't tell me that middle-income (another lie) families can afford private insurance.