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.
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The biggest lie concerning this SCHIP debate is that thousands of kids, who's families make (up to) thrice the poverty level, will jump onto this bandwagon. Poppycock!
If they are eligible under their parent's current insurance they would not (repeat: would not) be put under SCHIP because their parents are already insuring them.
SCHIP is designed for families that DO NOT HAVE coverage presently, because they cant afford the premiums/copays of private insurance or their Employers do not offer them an affordable group plan.
WHY does Bush have to resort to LIES?
Why does Bush hate America? Especially the children, which doesnt make a bit of sense because they are the ones who will have to fight all the wars that Bush starts!
"American taxpayers cover 72% of our health care premiums, because current law has long-permitted good insurance coverage for federal employees.".....Now how about extending the law so the rest of us can get in on the gravy train!
A man making 400 grand a year,living in public housing,receiving free medical care should be the last guy on the planet deciding what's fair or not as regards healthcare in this country.
Amen to that!
mean...good one!...(and don't forget what he makes in "blind" trusts"...those mystery earnings make his presidential salary look like peanuts!)
I would lovelovelove if Ted Kennedy or some other Congress Person (repub or demo)..would say..
Um..Mr. President..would you dismantle the program for the elderly since that too, is, according to your interpretation of "socialized medicine" is in, effect, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE?
Throw that his face...please!..watch him stammer and hedge..don't let him circumvent his ideology!
then watch all those old republicans (safe in their medicare)...drop him like a bad habit...
give up on health care. if we cannot make big money off the sick what good is life.
this is unchecked capitalism at its best. big profits from the sick.
americans dont care about others. this is a me society.
that stuff about love your neighbor is bull give me profits anytime.
greed is good ask wall street. $$$$$$$$
now please end the war and quit playing politics with it. my stocks are in insurance companies not military supplies.
sighed
proud american christian evangel on medicare.
I do not want socialized medicine in this country and wait in long lines.
Something is wrong with long lines? Stop going to the grocery store!
You guys act like long lines is something badddddd. It would mean that medical attention is being brought to those in need!
If you are on Medicare you already are on socialized medicine.
Universal healthcare with SINGLE payer, the way civilized nations take care of their own. Why we don't is catastrophic myopia/abberation.
I would suggest that all the wealthy members of the congress and senate work for $1 dollar per year.(oh yes,and give up all the perks that we the taxpayers,foot the bill for)that would free the money to pay for the the health care of poor children.but,i'm afraid that this group of jumped up bandy legged little toadies,who care so much for "the children",shutter at the thought,puddle off thinking how to make life more miserable for us the taxpayers.
I believe that Senator Kennedy does in fact decline his salary.
I believe you are incorrect.
How audacious that legislators smile with teeth cared for, their hair-dos, designer glasses and healthy bodies to the American public (who fund and pay for these), while claiming they can't and won't fund basic medical care for under-insured and uninsured children!
While claiming to be fiscally responsible in vetoing the bill, Bush has more than doubled the national debt to $9-trillion (up from the $4 trillion, when he took office). His federal deficit spending is at least $500-billion annually, not counting the "off-budget" and discretionary spending. All of this is being taken from the Social Security and Medicare trust funds into which ordinary citizens pay with their paychecks. Of course, legislators and the president have their own retirement system (tax-payer funded) and will not have to worry about a bankrupt Social Security or Medicare system when they retire. Neither will they ever have to decide whether to buy food or pay for medical care in their old age. They'll have both medical care and a cushy retirement paid for by us.
They should all hang their heads in shame!
Just so you know, Senator Kennedy, you're fighting a good fight for children's health and one that deserves your continued attention. It also deserves a defeat for the preznutz.
Speaking of continued attention, sir, how about if you heap some shame on the shoulders of your fellow dems that think defunding the occupation might make the 'issue' go away before the '08 election. That's just impossible, and to disagree with the war in principle yet to vote for funding it EVER should be mutually exclusive, and definitly APPEARS hypocritical to most. ONLY having 'sold their vote' OR having decided to prevaricate their response to ensure Iraq remains 'the' issue a year from now, could logically explain someone against the war that still votes for it continue.
Knowing the deaths and suffering of OUR soldiers and Iraqi that we'll be directly responsible for over just this coming year, and that FAR more tangible action COULD have been taken to prevent some of these deaths (but instead that many 'dems' voted occupation should continue),
...is NO LESS dispicable than the gepolitical resource monsters that initiated this shame to OUR country.
OUR country, Senator, greatly desires that the Senate Dems 'call' the republicant threat of fillabuster, make them go through with it and try to sustain argument to US, the citizens, why we should continue to shame OUR country in the eyes of the world to apparently help increase energy company profits. With 70% of OUR country against this occupation and seeing through republiCON spin, it will NOT go over well.
Not to mention it would be a night and day difference for the Senate Democrats,...and anti-war independents everwhere would most certainly notice.
It's a shame Ted didn't go get any healthcare for poor Mary Jo Kopechne instead of leaving her to drown while he went to talk to his lawyer. Democrat ethics in action. This guy is beneath contempt.
If something is simply the right thing to do, must we like everything about the person who delivers the message? Look, you may think an injustice was done many years ago,you may generally not approve of this particular messenger, but is that any reason to reject the message that American children deserve health care?
F150
Another hit and run tactic. Don't listen to the message. We must attack the messenger. I suggest if you have a comment you address the issue and stop trying to derail a good conversation. we are willing to debat a topic.
So we should deny millions of children healthcare because of what Ted Kennedy did 3 decades ago?
I'd love to see you explain that to the kids' parents...
F150,
How a conservative mind works is truly mystifying to me. I think you should go sit in the corner and play with your GI Joe collection if you don't have anything of value to add to the conversation.
Dredging up, probably not the best choice of words, history does little good at this point but it must make you feel better, so good for you.
President Bush took us to war on false pretenses, he showed up in New Orleans after dead bodies were floating in the flood from Katrina and now he vetoes a bill which provides health coverage for children. He's not only incompetent - he's totally uncaring.
not incompetent... his position is very consistent: Government of, by, and for the CORPORATION. He cares... about corporations. Isn't it nice that corporations now have more rights than individuals?
This is not 'uncaring'. This behavior is evil. Hundreds of children cannot develop properly without professional medical attention.
Yeah thanks to Kathleen Blanco holding back the Red Cross because she didn't want the people feeling like they could stay in New Orleans after the flood. Lets not make them to comfortable, or Ray Nagin not following his own evacuation plan to evacuate the elderly and infirmed especially when all the school buses were left to the flood. And lets not forget the corrupt state of Louisiana deferring flood relief funds to other pet projects like dredging the channels to the Mississippi causing the wetlands to shrink even further so the water had no where to go. And New Orleans itself, after pumping the aquifers the city sank twelve feet below sea level, not to mention further it was built on a swamp. And no one could afford $34 a month for flood insurance from the Federal Flood insurance program, I guess they couldn't give up cable or their beer money we got to have priorities. But as Robert Kennedy said Bush was to blame because he did a rain dance and caused the hurricane.
I am not your biggest fan teddy but I agree with you 1000% on this.
You're not a mathematician, are you?
Nice words. But does anyone think, after all their scumbag actions so far, that this administration will be at all moved by rhetoric? Not a chance!
The only way to make hay with this pathetic dereliction of duty is to keep throwing it in the GOPs faces. Keep passing bills authorizing expansion of SCHIP. Keep letting Shrub veto them. Keep pointing out that his claim the bills cost too much doesn't square with the sums being spent in Iraq.
Much as I love a good grandstanding speech, and find myself standing up and shouting "Amen sister!", it is time to forget the talking and start the doing. THIS WILL NOT BE EASY. We will have to work hard. Our congresspeople will have to work hard, doing tedious, repetitive things. Instead of giving poetic press conferences.
Senator Kennedy should give up his health insurance coverage until there is sufficient coverage for all children eligible under SCHIP. He should exhort his fellow Democrats to do the same. Make a sacrifice for a greater good.
The wheels have been put into place and no matter how hard you or I try they will not be stopped. This is just one plate full of crap they are putting out. There could be one way out and that is to throw all of the so called politicians out on their ears---refuse to pay the taxes and see how long it takes them to change their tunes. Just remember they don't have enough room to put all of us in the whooscow. Get on the phone, send letters and emails---deluge the phone bank in DC---let them know you mean business and maybe just maybe they will change---but I would not hold my breath on it.
Yea right, as my texas rep e-mailed me he didn't care what i thought he has always backed the prez.
He fixed their little red wagons.
Maybe if Daddy loved Boy George a little more, he would care about the children.
You could get a lot further Senator Kennedy if you HONEST about the bill instead of using Children as a political weapon to promote a big government agenda.
Like constant global militarism and defense contractor welfare, you mean ?
Yea, Like the Republican don't pull the same shit.
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Posted October 3, 2007 | 11:02 AM (EST)