If you're like me, I'm sure you're sick of all of the negativity we're reading in the press and seeing on the television. While it's true that there is a lot of bad news right now, on Wednesday there was some very good news out of Washington worth noting. On that day, we passed the State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, or the SCHIP expansion for short. Just a few short hours after this bill was passed in the House, President Obama signed it into law once and for all.
As a freshman member of Congress that made the expansion of children's healthcare a cornerstone of my campaign, this is a truly powerful and emotional moment for me. I have debated this issue for years and the bottom-line has remained the same - If we don't take care of our children, then what do we stand for? I believe in an America that makes our children's health and safety a top priority and now it's not just a belief, it's law.
A few in the George W. Bush branch of the Republican Party fought this expansion tooth and nail, but their day has passed. They opposed the idea of a program which gave low income children healthcare and did not raise the federal deficit because it was funded by a small tax on packs of cigarettes. Imagine that for a moment - putting the importance of maintaining Big Tobacco's stranglehold on millions of Americans above the health of our next generation.
The change that we fought for has come and an estimated 4 million children that previously did not have access to healthcare will now have the opportunity to go see a doctor. Right here in my home state of New York, it's projected that this expansion will reduce the number of uninsured children by a whopping 66%.
This is the change that America voted for and today is a day for us to celebrate.
Thank you all for helping make this happen.
I have no issue with SCHIPs expansion, but I think it should be funded by EVERYONE. If you want to raise my tobacco taxes, that's fine if you're going to use the money for programs related to tobacco use. Thus as less people use tobacco, less revenue from those taxes is needed to fund the programs.
The only upside I see to this new legislation is now I shouldn't have to put up with all the sideways looks I get from you non-smokers. I mean hey, I'm funding healthcare for children with my habbit - what are you doing?
You don't like it the cost of your habit? Quit.
I have no self-hatred over my smoing habit. I know the risks/benifits and am prepared to deal with them. I don't hate kids, and I'm no republican. I'm more of a socialist and I believe if there is something that needs to be funded, it should be EVERYONE'S responsibility to fund it, not a select minorty.
So get off your high horse and pony up some of your own money to insure these children you care so much for. I don't see anywhere in my post where I complained about MY PERSONNAL cost in supporting this new program. I could care less since in total it's going to cost me at most $70 / year to continue smoking. And that's the problem with our society. Everything is great as long as someone else is paying for it.