Bush Veto Torpedoes Bipartisan Effort to Provide Health Coverage for Uninsured Kids

Bush "Scrooges" Kids

President Bush today for the second time vetoed the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a successful and bipartisan program that has provided health coverage to children from low-wage, working families for 10 years. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA:

“The President’s veto today was a triumph of ideology over bipartisanship, of politics over the public good, and of cynicism over compassion and common sense.

“It appears that a president, who has taken us from a budget surplus to record debt, has suddenly become conscious of his spending spree and told the nation, ‘I’ve gotta save money somewhere—let’s start with the kids.’

“Yet the Bush spending spree goes on. The President proposes to spend more money in two weeks for the Iraq war than the annual spending in the children’s health bill he just vetoed.

“In 2004, the President pledged to lead an aggressive effort to enroll uninsured children in public health coverage. He has turned his back on that pledge, and those members of Congress who voted in lock-step with the President to ‘Scrooge’ America’s children will no doubt be held accountable by their constituents in 2008.”

Source: Families USA