More Children to Get Health Coverage? Republicans Say "No Way!"

If I told you that more kids can get healthcare coverage by raising taxes on cigarettes, you'd say, "Of course we have to do it. That's a no-brainer."

Leave it to the Republicans to have no brains.

With more than six million kids already covered, and four million children eligible to get health care coverage under the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), on Thursday, the House is prepared to vote to override the President's veto of the SCHIP expansion.

The expansion of the program would amount to $35 billion over five years. For some Republicans, that's too much money to provide health care to kids.

They believe that $5 billion per year can be put to better use.

But for the last few years, when they were in charge, the Republicans have been spending money as if Isiah Thomas was their Majority Leader.

For instance, with the Republicans in charge, we are now stuck spending about $5 billion on the war in Iraq -- every two weeks, even though our plans are not working, have never worked, and will not work in the future.

Because of the Republican love of the other white meat, pork, we spend $2.4 billion a year on the V-22 Osprey, which Time put on its cover just a few weeks ago as an example of wasteful spending because, guess what, the V-22 does not work, has never worked, and will not work in the future.

The brilliant Republicans authorized $176 million a year on abstinence only sex-ed programs that are ignored by the kids they are meant to educate. The program has been proven to not work, it will never work, and -- notice a theme here?

And yet, the Republicans consider it wasteful to expand a proven program by $5 billion so that more kids can get health care.

Can we just agree to change the Republican emblem from an elephant to Scrooge?

Who hates their kids this much? Who would be this irresponsible? And don't respond "Britney Spears," thanks.

You know what? Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Perhaps it's not kids that the Republicans hate -- perhaps it's responsibility.

Perhaps what really offends this president and the Republicans in the House is that the Democrats have a plan to pay for their proposal.

As opposed to the Republicans, who looked at all of their big-spending plans over the past few years, and then decided that instead of finding a way to pay for blowing up the budget, they'd instead slash taxes for the richest Americans, which has put us deep in debt. To China.

Or perhaps the Republicans are really just upset because they view health care as being the province of the rich.

Yes, maybe the Republicans are just upset because they view America as "Lord of the Flies." Survival of the fittest. If your kid can't get health insurance, then we don't need him on our island. Just as Piggy wasn't needed because of his asthma.

Which is it, Republicans? Do you abhor responsibility? Detest kids? Oppose equality?

Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough, on Thursday, with your votes.

Comments

[WOLFWARRIOR]

Matt Littman:
More Children to Get Health Coverage? Republicans Say "No Way!"

Question ???

Why is this s-chip - subsidizing big-biz insurance company's ???

A Kid's in a accident - get's free health-care under this s-chip - but insurance company's are not held liable ...

Giving big-biz washington­-insider's another tax-payer subsidizing bill ...

TAX THE POOR - FOR SUBSIDIZING THE RICH-GREEDY INSURANCE COMPANY'S ...

BIG-AG
BIG-INSURANCE
BIG-BUILDING
BIG-HOUSEING
BIG-SERVICE

MARK-OF-THE-BEAST - TAX THE POOR FOR BIG-RICH-GREEDY-BIZ ....

.

[olda]

Republicans want 1 thing-as much of tax payers money as they can get-see drowned gov. in a bath tub- aka privatize they will make sure that government does not work. if the cost is higher than the government version just lie -medicare advantage 15% higher cost than gov. run Medicare.D­o republicans want to drown the troops in a bath tub they are part of the government too ,are they incompetent? Schip does have some problems so work to fix those instead of just shooting down a needed service for the citizens of this country for nothing other than political gain or as I should say privatize for corporate profit gain.

[moderationsmuse]

Why are people championing this plan? Some of it was supposed to be paid for by a tax on cigarettes. Is it just me? Why would we want cigarette use tied to children's health care?? How cynical is that?
If children's health is important, then why not deal with it directly. Politicians of both parties are just yanking the public around.
Everybody wants "health care." Nobody wants to pay for it.
Look at the comments here and you'll see what the bill's purpose was -- it wasn't to provide health care for kids.

RickO's comment is exemplarly: "I guess the Republicans are more than happy to sacrifice the health of millions of kids rather than side with the Democrats on anything.
Is that the thing they call "values voting"? No wait, that's when you vote to make abortion illegal but then let the kids die AFTER they're born (very-late-term abortion) and if they do make it to adulthood, send them out to be cannon fodder just to make sure they don't put any unnecessary strain on Social Security."
Duh. I suppose Republicans don't have children. Oh, I forgot. THEY are all rich!
Yeah, right. Well, not this one, RickO.

[mikegoodyearaz85338]

We liberals need to help. Can anyone give me a list of the top charitable organizations that provide aide to kids for healthcare? I would to donate the extra take home pay I have because of the low tax rates. Why wait for the politicians to raise the taxes, lets pay it now!

[Desiderata]

Should all these children receive healthcare through a hugh increase in cigarette taxes, smokers will no longer be held in contempt by most Americans. Smokers will be heros for smoking, "for the kids."

[CriminallySane]

While claiming that others "hate America", Republicans are proving yet again that they hate Americans - at least Americans not worth multiple millions. They regard us at best as nuisances, and would apparently be happier if we - and our inconvenient, working-class children - were all dead and gone.

The only real difference is that they're being a lot more blatant about it lately.

[TuffPosh]

If they want SCHIP to be approved, perhaps someone at HuffPost could address real concerns about the program, such as the possibility of widespread abuse by foreign citizens who are here illegally:

http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007135.html

Note that such abuse would not be detectable under the current bill. Why don't the Dems make it easier to detect such fraud and try again? Unless, of course, they support such fraud.

[SeriousBlack]

You had me until your last sentence. Now wouldn't it have been so easy for you to leave that one out? Unless, of course, you really support such ridiculous assertions rather than merely wanting to make your opposition angry and not pay any attention to you. If you have real concerns then that is what the blogosphere is all about--put them out there and see if they stand up to scrutiny. So simple. Well, maybe not as simple as just throwing insults, I suppose...

[RickO]

I guess the Republicans are more than happy to sacrifice the health of millions of kids rather than side with the Democrats on anything.

Is that the thing they call "values voting"? No wait, that's when you vote to make abortion illegal but then let the kids die AFTER they're born (very-late-term abortion) and if they do make it to adulthood, send them out to be cannon fodder just to make sure they don't put any unnecessary strain on Social Security.

[lisakaz]

Thanks for breaking this down into easy terms. I can't understand how any GOPer can talk about too much money given the white elephants supported by Bu$hco, and then of course there is Iraq, the granddaddy of all stupid wastes of money and human life. Maybe if these kids took a pledge to join the military when they grew up the GOP would feel investing in kids serves a "national interest" whereas producing productive working adults is supposed to do that (if less obviously so to these dee-dee-dees).

I can't take 'em seriously given their own insurance plans. If they're so sure state insurance is wrong for these kids, let's see 'em surrender that care for their own kids. How many you think are willing to do that?