New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Blasts Bush’s Promise to Veto Health Insurance for Children

September 20, 2007 -- SANTA FE - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today issued the following statement in response to President Bush's promised veto of the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

“Seven years inside the beltway has given President Bush a severe case of Washington fever. His threat to veto health insurance for lower income children shows he’s increasingly out of touch with what’s important to America’s families. Republican and Democratic Governors from forty-three states sent a letter to President Bush urging him to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program before September 30th and explaining a temporary extension is simply a failure of the federal government to uphold its end of this federal-state partnership.

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While Republicans and Democrats are working together to craft responsible legislation that can be supported by bipartisan majorities in Congress and the state Governors, President Bush is working alone to leave 6.6 million lower income children and 7,600 children in New Mexico scrambling to find health coverage.

In a country where 43 million Americans are without insurance, President Bush’s claim that expanding health insurance to more low-income children would push them out of their private insurance plan proves reality is optional in the Bush Administration. I urge Republican members of Congress to stand with their Governors and principles to protect the health of our children, and not with a president who has lost his way.

President Bush supported the State Children’s Health Insurance Program as a Governor of Texas, promised it on the campaign trail, but says he will veto it now---I urge President Bush to stop playing politics and return to the principle of supporting children’s health care.

The current legislation would continue to cover 6 million children participating in the program and an additional 4 million children without insurance. In New Mexico, SCHIP funding covers children in households with incomes up to 235% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which equates to $39,036 annual income for a family of three.

Source: New Mexico Governor