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

[RabbiOmar]

Barney Frank is right--Republicans like Bush support life only from conception to birth. The veto is unconscionable. Fine post Senator and fine advocacy through the years.

Several years ago, Senator Spector held a town meeting about President Clinton's health care proposals. My wife told the Senator that I paid $579/month (in 1994) for health insurance for a family of four. Senator Spector expressed amazement that health care costs so much. I told the story that night at my poker game. The husband of Spector's niece piped up--"Spector should have asked me, I pay $592/month­."

[MagisterLudi]

YESSSSSSS!!!!
The last nail in the coffin of Republican political aspirations in 2008.
Hail the Democratic Chief and both Houses of Congress in 2008!

Thank you lame ducks Dick and George.

[tonyrich]

At LEast soe members of Congress listen to the peoples needs. Let take away bushies and Rebug congress healt care away, far is far.

[iggy06]

Oh by the way, if some of you others want to attack me over my post about the "hate speech" thought police that Sen. Kennedy is trying to pass, google Rev. Ted Pike and read what he has to say. He has his own website and explains it in detail.

[JRWhit2]

Rev. Ted Pike? Is that a joke? Seriously.

[hjfraser2002]

Your so funny. Drink Drink the koolaid again.

[sandhi]

Not having insurance myself (for other reasons that not being able to afford it, because I can afford it) I am pretty sensitive to this issue. But I do have a question about this bill. I read that this bill would cover, say, a family of four whose income could be $83,000.

That's a lot of money. I would think that this bill would be to help the poor, not people who are making that amount of money. If you make 83 grand a year, then you can definitely afford to pay for your own health insurance.

If you were to look at a family who made that income and they said they could not afford health insurance, I'll bet you could walk into their house and find the latest computers, an ipod or two, cell phones with text messaging, 2 or 3 cars and a Gameboy, Nintendo and who the hell knows what else?

People can throw money away on the most meaningless of the latest technology,and yet for some reason, everyone gets upset when they have to fork over some of their own money to pay for health care costs.

I recently had a discussion with a 21 yr. old who was complaining that he didn't have enough money to move out of his mom's house. When I suggested ways to cut corners and save money, such as eliminating the text messaging on the cell phone, you would have think I had just asked him to cut his right arm off.
He works, he pays no rent and has no bills...an­d yet for some reason he has no money. It's just typical of the mindset of Americans today.

It's sad, and I just don't get it.

[OneWoman]

It depends on where you live. In NJ, the cost of living is such that a family of four needs to make in excess of $50K in order to not need government assistance.

(I probably could have worded that better; but I'm too tired. You get the point, I'm sure.)

[hjfraser2002]

Once again we look at one aspect or one example and pile everybody into that group.

I am not saying this is perfect, but please such generization helps nobody. For the one that may abuse the system, we must understand that there are the majority that won't.

Of course the thought of abuse can be reasoned out that man is inheriently evil. That thought is based on your religious preference most of the time.

I would rather have my tax dollars help those in need, than withhold them in fear of the abuser.

It's like saying one bad driver means all are bad and drive to be bad.

It just shows how our life experiences shape our opinion of the world around us.

It is up to us to rise above those small pety incidents and strive for the better good.

We are a species derived on community and to deny that is ridiculous.

[bleek]

My challenge to you, Mr. Kennedy:

More work, less rhetoric.

[iggy06]

I always thought very highly of your family Senator, and I still do. But you have really let me down. Your traitorous and sneaky actions of passing a supposed "hate bill" that is nothing more than an ADL sponsored destruction of the 1st Amendment. They use gays and blacks as strawmen scapegoat dupes. And YOU KNOW IT. Quit bowing to your masters and listen to your constituents. Quit hiding what the real meaning of this "hate bill" means. Look at what it's done to the 11 other countries that this draconian, dark ages, law has done to them. Shame on you.

[SilverBurlap]

Well you sound a lot like your constituents don't you. You mention hate bill twice yet you never explain why you think its hateful.

Listen, hates a strong word. We've all that before. If your going to use it, back it up with some explanation. Prove to me and everyone else reading your posts that you actually know what your talking about and delve in. You can't just throw around broad terminology and expect everyone to understand you. Otherwise you'll just wear the word out, like conservatives have already done with freedom, elitist, terror, and liberal.

[Qbear]

GREAT strategy Teddy

guilt the SOB's

[LiberalsAlwaysSuck]

So, the President has Blind Arrogance. How about Teddy. He should be in JAIL for MURDER!! You loony liberals always seem to forget that. Government is the answer to the problem; they ARE the PROBLEM!!!

[cindyw]

This is about children's health insurance, not about Chappaquidick. Step into this century.

[JRWhit2]

Great arguement! If you truly think so, you must be overwhelmed with conservative pride that he has changed his ways and started fighting for the health of YOUR children..­.unlike your current figure-head.

[TerrapinStation]

This comment is so typical of the right these days. They know they are defeated on the merits of the argument, so they attack the person who voices the argument.

To the notion that Government IS the problem, well, yes, when incompetent people are at the helm (such as present day USA), Government is the problem. But that doesn't mean that GOOD government can't successfully address a problem. On the question of health care, I suggest you live in another country for awhile, or at least visit, and you will see that not all governments are as screwed up as ours.

[LiberalsAlwaysSuck]

Finally, my comment was posted. Thank you for responding. Fo so long, I was banned. I'm so glad to join your conversation. Government will ALWAYS remain the problem. Makes no difference which party is in charge. There are no merits to this argument. 25 yr old Americans should not be forced to have Health Insurance or anything else THEY don't want. Talk about attacking the messenger. You Dems are always looking for the moral equivalence to any argument and then dumb the argument down by name-calling. I'm just returning the favor. I've had enough of GWB myself. He's no Conservative. I don't listen to the radio EVER!! I have my own opinions. I don't need those idiots to speak for me. In other countries that have socialized medicine, the care SUCKS!!! I have friends in Canada who constantly complain about it. I'm a Capitalist. Not a Socialist. I live in NJ, there is no such thing as GOOD Government in this state.

[vale409]

NOTE TO SELF:
Find Republican Blog site and not act like LiberalsAlwaysSuck.
Actually scratch that, I don't need to remind myself to not act like an idiot.

[SilverBurlap]

You are right. Our government headed by YOUR guy IS the problem.

For once you, in the right, have gotten it right.

And enough of this name calling stuff. We get it. We are liberal. Am i really making an argument against you by calling you a kooky conservative? Sounds like 5th grade to me. Just because Coulter, O'Reilly, Limbaugh and Hannity throw around this crap doesn't mean you have to as well. After all, your guy is in power. If you really felt OK about the way things were going in this country then you wouldn't need to go attacking the people who disagree with you.

Throughout the history of this country, the party or person in power is questioned, regardless of whether they are conservative or liberal. Its just the way things work. Its a way of holding some form of accountability for their actions. Seems odd to me that conservatives are still on the offensive with dissenters to Bush and his absolute baseless, anti-mainstream policies.

But I fully expect you all the call me un-American because i question the president. And i fully expect you to call me hateful because I am concerned for my country and the reputation its making for itself in the world. And I know you will call me unpatriotic when I say that Bush and neo-conservative policy makers care nothing for the common American.

I guess I must hate freedom.

[donnybrkgr]

Its unconscionable that this country, a so-called "superpower" does not have health insurance available to ALL its children. Shame on you President Bush. It is shameful. It is shameful for any American to go without health insurance. No handouts- just AFFORDABLE for EVERYONE health insurance.
Poor people need their teeth fixed, eyeglasses and doctors.
Dont complain about evil regimes overseas when there are people suffering right here in the USA under our own regime.

[dr7854]

If you click on the link above the one you did to get here, you will be taken to an actual news article about Bush vetoing this bill, and you will see a photo of Bush leaving the Oval office after his veto. In this photo you will plainly see Bush walking away with his head down as if he were ashamed of himself, which he should be. We no better though, as Bush has no shame!

As a smoker with no children, and on a fixed income due to a disability, all I can say is PLEASE TAKE THE EXTRA $.61 TAX PER PACK OF CIGARETTES I SMOKE! IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR THE CHILDREN OF OUR COUNTRY, and maybe as a side effect, a few of us who are smokers will wise up, and quit.

The fact that Bush vetoed this bill only goes to prove his LACK of compassion, and his lack of respect for the will of the people he is suppose to represent! Then again, what else is new!

[cindyw]

Your priorities are in the right place. Bush feels compassion only for the tobacco lobby. I believe that those who voted against this bill will be feeling the heat from their constituents, and it's not over yet. By the way, I sympathize with your habit. As Mark Twain said, "It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times".

[rosebud1964]

First of all if you earn $30-40,000 per year how can you afford $1000 per month family plan for insurance? Thats 25% of your income. And trust me cheaper insurance means just that--higher deductibles and more limits on annual payments, etc. In the end you pay for it. If you think anyone making $40,000 can pay for housing, clothing, food and insurance you must be dreaming!

If the government is so awful at running health care then why are the Medicare and Medicaid programs so successful? And how is the private industry any better at running it? They are only out for profit--and you know at whose expense that comes.

[NoPCZone]

My Challenge to Senator Kennedy
Start taxing alcohol to fund SCHIP, or better yet, a Universal Healthcare plan. Oh, that's right, you drink but don't smoke. That must be why you expect smokers to pay for your program.

[PaHairO]

I don't go around shooting and bombing people ... so why should my taxes go to the Pentagon ?

[groucho]

If you impeached, as you are mandated by the Constitution, you wouldn't have that veto, and you could be taking care of this broken country. Children, New Orleans, health care, they are what we have been screaming about for 2 years. I don't believe any of you anymore.

So when are you going to stop Americans from going to Iraq and being butchered, as well as the Iraqis being bullied by Blackwater thugs?
Not enough votes or not enough will? The Democrats should listen to the 70% against this war and the Bush administration.

[glaze]

CERTAIN members of our electorate apparently still believe that the amount of cash in the public PIGGY (pun intended) bank is infinite, in spite of the fact that many services (such as infrastructure and this insurance coverage)and our own take-home pay have DIMINISHED over the past five years. It's simple.

The monies that would have gone for those worthy items have gone to Bush's war.

Yes, as a vet I believe our armed forces should have the best PERSONAL protection and armament- but this does NOT include the vast amounts spent on pie-in-the-sky weaponry that makes another war criminal richer, or big perks for the upper brass class. Let those guys eat and sleep like any NCO. If they don't like it, tell them their patriotism will be questioned.

(Sorry if this has gone off-topic. I'm angry.)

[iggy06]

way to go Glaze. This government is just worthless. We need to look at the democracy that is burgeoning in the 7 countries in South America. Why is it that Latinos can come out in the millions and we, 280 million strong, can allow get 40,000 at our rallies. We need to take it to the next level and have days were we all do not go to work. That is the next step since they've ignored our peaceful demonstrations for the past 5 years. My god, a guy even lit himself on fire and died in Chicago for the war movement and no one even knows about it! The few that do think he was mentally ill. Yet the guy in the 60's, who lit himself at the Pentagon with his newborn in tow was considered a hero. What does that tell you? We have been brainwashed into thinking we're all mentally ill at the slightest dissent. A Code Pink war vet was arrested for reading the Constitution last week and Bush has the gall to complain about Burma?

[yellowdogdemocratic]

Speaking of big perks for the upper brass class: take a look at the story in the following link:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/02/news/flight_expenses.ap/?postversion=2007100218

Apparently, government employees, mostly Pentagon employees, spent 146 million in tax payer funds on unjustified premium class travel expenses in the past year. The travel expenses don't total 146 million, the UNJUSTIFIED travel expenses total 146 million. For example, one government employee took a $7000 first class flight instead of an $800 first class flight in the past year on tax payer money, I guess for the extra leg room and free drinks. I challenge those who are justifying Bush's veto to try and justify this crap!!! Sorry, but I'm angry too. How can anyone think that Bush & Co. are "Good Christians" in the face of this hypocrisy?

[yellowdogdemocratic]

Correction: I meant $800 coach class flight. Don't type angry!