My Challenge to the President

I want to make sure you see the latest video from Families USA, one of the most important advocates in the ongoing battle to protect children's health care.

Families USA is part of the broad, bipartisan effort that achieved a solid initial victory last week, when both the House and the Senate approved a bill extending and reforming the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Unfortunately, President Bush vetoed the bill.

Earlier this week, a group of children pulling little red wagons went to the gates of the White House to urge the President to sign the bill, because it's so vital to good health care for the nation's children in the years ahead. I hope very much that President Bush and Congress will hear and heed their plea.

Apparently this President's priorities aren't the same as mainstream America's:

He says the bill costs too much. But for the price of one day in Iraq, we could cover 256,000 children. One week would cover 1.8 million children. And just over one month of the Iraq war would cover the full cost of the bill and insure 10 million children for a whole year.

Because the current SCHIP program falls far short of meeting the need, hundreds of thousands of children have lost their coverage on President Bush's watch. It's incomprehensible that the President would threaten to veto legislation that corrects this serious problem.

There's one thing President Bush and I do have in common, though - American taxpayers cover 72% of our health care premiums, because current law has long-permitted good insurance coverage for federal employees.

So I ask President Bush and the Members in Congress who support his veto:

Would you deny your own family what you'll be denying to millions of other families if this bill is vetoed? If you don't believe the federal government should support children's health care, how can you in good conscience accept it for your own families?

All Members of Congress have the peace of mind that when their children are sick, they can afford to take them to the doctor. Why doesn't every American family deserve that peace of mind?

The President's veto will have terrible consequences - just look at the faces on the Families USA video. It's time everyone understood what those consequences are.

That's why so many of us in Congress - Republicans and Democrats alike - are fighting so hard for this bill, to keep the faith with the millions of children who are counting on us for the healthy start in life that every American deserves.

Comments

[vermontpatriot]

Yo stupid! (That's you Mr. President that I'm addressing). So your solution to providing coverage for children is to use the Emergency Room? Are you really this stupid or is it an act? The cost of one trip to an ER with lab tests is more than a couple of trips to a doctor, a well child check up and immunization shots.

And if you're so worried about the expansion of the health care program encourages socialized medicine what do we call your war in Iraq? Socialized war? Lets see, invest one month of money into the war in Iraq or pay a years' cost to provide coverage for millions of our children.

Sounds like a no brainer to me- unfortunately for us, the "no brainer" is the "decider" in this case.

[Overd0g]

No, I think his idea is that parents are responsible for their kids. Earth shattering I know.

[Overd0g]

Alas, nobody told you that conducting war was one of the powers given the government explicitly in the constitution, unlike providing health care.

[DavidJames]

The constitution covers a lot more than defense.

From the Preamble:

"We the people of the United States,

in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquillity,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty

to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Consititution, for the United States of America."

Seems like domestic tranquillity, general Welfare and the Blessing of Liberty are a pretty strong endorsement of healthcare for children.

[Pdubya]

I can't accept it and I won't. We need to remove "insurance" from the formula and make much needed tort reform so that doctors can perform their hypocratic oath with limited liability and practice their medicine on those less fortunate - as we once did. I can not in good conscience give my dollar (in taxes) to someone that will abuse the system. And that WILL happen.

[Democrab]

You can reason with this president. All you need is a bag of hammers.

Cut off every dime for his stinking rotten war and watch the little weasel come crawling to congress for more money to kill people.

Then you can get something out of him.

His love of oil and bloodshed will far outweigh his desire to see the children of America go without.

[armadillious2002]

Amen! - Oh well, the repubs don't think we really need American children anyway. If they need engineers or nurses or doctors or whatever they can just import them from India or some foreign country. It's a lot cheaper than providing health care to America's own. Let em' wither and die - no problem.

[Jonni Rae]

great post, Armadillious!! I had to laugh when Buchanan was talking about the unfairness of giving help to families making 60,000 per year. He considers that a lot of money, if you have children?? I wonder how much he makes?

[josieb]

Don't you know after all this time that you can't reason with this president?? He's hardly the sharpest knife in the drawer so, stubborness is all he has and he'll use that to the bitter end. He should have been impeached long ago.

[Chinampas]

I think everyone is better off in the long run without the government getting involve in our lives, including health care. Two of the greatest blunders have been Social Security and Welfare. Why continue down this path?

[Pete Ross]

Really? Are you independently wealthy,Chinampas?

[atelram]

I guess you live under a rock.

[Arleang]

In response to Chinampas, you are out of step with the majority of Americans who believe in Social Security, who prefer Medicare for everyone, and do believe that we should collectively assist the truly needy.

The greatest blunder that I have seen is the USA adopting preemptive war as a policy. Assaults on the Constitution under the Bush administration are a close second.

[armadillious2002]

LOL - My mother would beg to differ. When she retired she sure was glad to get her social security. She couldn't have made it without it. She worked all her life and paid in then when she was too old to work - she got it back. She loved social security - blunder? I don't think so.

bush getting a second term - now there was a blunder - probably the biggest one in American history.

[BoulderSue]

Chinampas: You must have perfect health along with everyone in your family and/or the wherewithal to pay for some pretty comprehensive insurance. Without Medicare I would be either in a wheelchair enduring tremendous pain, or so far in debt for my new hips that I would never be able to pay it off. I wonder what you do for a living that makes Medicare and Social Security of so little consequence to you, or did you inherit that luxury?. I and my husband are very middle class: he runs his own business and has started a new on-line business that we hope will take us half-way comfortably into retirement. I started working in my father's business at the age of 14 (baby-sat before that) and spent most of my career (Heaven forfend!) working for government related agencies with people who would have been on the streets or living with their children (would you support any such relatives to keep the government out of their lives?), dying early deaths or suffering miserably, who worked their entire lives at honest jobs. And then there were the abused and neglected kids I worked with early in my career... Really, will you tell us what makes you so able to so easily blow "the government getting involved in our lives"? Do you build the road to your house or the bridge on that road? How about eliminating the FDA, or maybe even the police, fire department or the armed services? They are really pretty deeply involved in our lives when we need them, no? Or do you also keep a cache of weapons or personally employed armed guard plus a private well for water and fires with a generator that you personally maintain to keep everything running? Boy, this Socialism thing (otherwise known as the "social contract") can really get out of hand fast!

[melonman]

The only problem with social security is the Congress robbing it! Otherwise, it's been a boon for America.

Welfare for the poor is a burden that none of us who have more than we need should mind carrying. Those who have more than they need should be obligated to help those who have less than they need.

Corporate welfare is the real scandal: Giving to those who need it least, feeding only greed rather than hungry mouths.

Like so many of us, it seems you don't appreciate and underestimate what government has done for the less fortunate. If you want to find out, leave yourself open completely to the greed of market forces. Believe me, you'll soon become a believer in government regulation.

The powerful in this country have a big advantage over most folks. They are very, very greedy and they don't give a damn about you or yours.

[Carbon Footprint]

The bill only passed because it's an election year and the Right knew they didn't have the override votes. Political expediency: It's not just for supporting the troops anymore.

[gardenbookie]

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Less talk, more action. It's a simple list: Union, Justice, domestic Tranquility, Defense, general Welfare, Liberty. 200 + years later, there are only two from the list that get any attention: Justice and Defense. And they're looking pretty sick, too. Defense takes our tax dollars. And Justice is up for sale.

General Welfare...­.........a thing of the past.

[Jonahson]

Actually Bush is only partly to be blamed for this sad chapter in American history. The bigger part to this sadness are those who voted him in for the second time. The biggest part are those still ignorant to what is going on and did not vote for a change in congress to empower the Democrats with the votes needed to end this horrible war.

[jashmay]

So some Media keep repeating after Bush who once again label this bill "socialized medicine" to manipulate the public opinion. What is so wrong with "socialized medicine"? Let's be honest. If we don't have some socilization of public services, can our Capitalism really survive?

[Bondaroid]

Where there is a will there is a way to defraud the SCHIP program like some do with the Welfare system. Some in my state are making quite a living off the Welfare system, when someone can make $56,000 a year working the system what stops them from doing the same to SCHIP. In some states you qualify for up to 400% above the poverty line, for New York if you earn $42 per hour you would qualify for the SCHIP. In Minnesota if you make $83,000 per year with a family of four you would qualify for Socialized Health care. I need a new BMW so I hope they pass it because health care for the kids is biting into my car fund.

You know what is really funny is that these nice little Socialized health car plans are never Free to anyone, somebody pays and that will be you. Right now everyone is covered medically speaking with Medicaid, Medicare, or just going to the emergency room where they have to take you whether or not you can afford it. Do we really need Socialized health care after all it works so well for Canada that most people in need of life saving care comes to the United States. And if you want an example of how efficient government is at running health care you need not look no further than our very own Veterans Administration health care program. Like that really works.

[malcolm37b]

Where do you get the idea that MOST people in Canada in need of life saving care etc.....I required life saving surgery and was attended to that day. I hear people knocking our system all the time and they don't know what they're talking about. They just repeat lies they have heard to suit their own agenda. I hear there are waitung times for people in the US also if it is elective, assuming your HMO or whatever will approve it in the first place, and, don't forget your co-pay.

[Bondaroid]

Malcom37b,

When I refer to Canada's messed up system I speak from experience with my own family who had to deal with waiting lists for heart surgery. And let's not kid yourself about it. There are too many news stories about the Canadian "so called health care system" to provide enough evidence that it is dysfucntional at best.

[Pete Ross]

The VA health care program worked just fine until the Bushies decided to defund it. Support the troops?

Medicare also works just fine. If the Social Security General Fund had not been raided continually in recent history Social Security would not be in jeopardy. You do realize that neither Medicare nor Social Security is in any way a charity. You paid for them all your working life, and they are both significantly more efficient than any insurance company. Additionally they do not need to make unconscionable profits, as insurance companies do.

[Jonni Rae]

This point is important. We the people pay for Social Security and Medicare; it comes right out of our paychecks. It is not charity!! I worked full time for forty years, never took welfare, food stamps, unemployment compensation. I paid and paid and raised a daughter by myself. I was not eligible for any of the free or subsidized stuff because i was just over the limit salary -wise. As a single parent I had to pay day care fees that took most of my salary. When I turn 65 I will not feel one bit guilty for accepting Medicare, nor should anyone working in America. I can't beleive that now, all these years later we still do not have national healthcare and national daycare for mothers who have to work.

[atelram]

Your information is WRONG. Please go to Facts Checker for correct info. Even the president is lying (suprise, suprise) about the plan.

[melonman]

Bonehead..­. I mean, Bondaroid, you fret about fraud in welfare for the poor, which is a mere pittance compared to the fraud that goes on in corporate welfare. The Iraq war is a prime example. Billions upon billions going to corporations that don't provide what they're paid for. This is the real crime against the people!

Worry less about some poor schmuck getting an extra buck or two and more about the giant ripoffs from Big Business.

[deminmo]

As of today, Minnesota vets coming home are finding a lot of what they were promised is not available. And they are having to get proof of their length of service. Wow....is that honoring men and women for putting their lives on the line?
Not to mention leaving families for a long time.

[hellinabucket]

I will never forget the little kid who died from an infected tooth. And how about all the kids whose parents NOW make too much to qualify for headstart? Headstart should be available to ALL kids regardless of income, it should be part of our public school system. Our priorities are skewed totally out of whack! Let our taxes pay to foster education & health care in America's youth! Let "their" taxes pay for this war that they seem to want so much! Call it socialism if you want-what's wrong with wanting to take care of our kids-how can that be wrong?

[Jonahson]

Yeah, yeah that should be the way man.

[JeremyV]

As James Dobson wrote in today's New York Times:

"After two hours of deliberation, we voted on a resolution that can be summarized as follows: If neither of the two major political parties nominates an individual who pledges himself or herself to the sanctity of human life, we will join others in voting for a minor-party candidate. Those agreeing with the proposition were invited to stand. The result was almost unanimous.­"

So I can only assume that means the Dobsons of the world will be voting against anyone who doesn't support this healthcare bill for millions of America's children..­.

Wait, what?

Oh, I didn't realize they only meant about blastocysts.

I didn't realize Republican talking-heads don't give a shit about kids already alive.

So hard to keep up...

[alijean]

I wonder how much it costs to change Cheney's batteries? How much did we spend when Bush had a tummy ache? How many rich kids now have beautiful smiles at our expense? Further extending the gap between the haves and the have nots.

[drblack]

I don't support ANY bill which taxes smokes or alcohol. i can't believe i actually support something Bush did.
Put a surcharge on luxuries, hedge funds and those who make more than $500,000 a year.
When their are no more American smokers how are all the programs they support going to be funded.

[dirtystrat]

"When their are no more American smokers how are all the programs they support going to be funded."

Good point but I suppose they'll find another tax to hike. By the way, how many of those kids pulling red wagons in front of the white house really understand what the SCHIP program is really all about and how many do you suppose really care. So why use them unless what your really after is a big publicity stunt. So what we really have here is another wedge issue that can be used as a political football to bash Republicians and Bush. I believe the goal here is not about policy but about perception, and how the Democrats can now use this to advance their cause. Don't be fooled into thinking its about the children. It's not.

[Pete Ross]

The Republicans should be bashed for this unless enough of them vote to override the Bush veto.

[janmB]

We pay for "acceptable socialized" ( that hated word) healthcare for our military and lawmakers and including GWB & wife.
But the SAME isn't good for American citizens because that's unacceptab­le-sociali­sm.
We give IRAQIS "acceptable socialized" healthcare FREE --
But there is MORE MONEY for WAR but when it comes to BUDGET CUTTING its for seniors--working people--ve­terans---o­r of course children.

[melonman]

Right on. Tell it like it is.