TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

House Democrats Unable To Override Child Health Veto

ADVERTISEMENT

By JONATHAN WEISMAN and CHRISTOPHER LEE, The Washington Post

Published: October 19, 2007

WASHINGTON - House Democrats fell 13 votes short Wednesday in trying to overturn President Bush's veto of a $35 billion expansion of the government children's health insurance plan, prompting calls for new negotiations to decide the fate of the 10-year-old program.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., promised to present the next version to Bush in two weeks, daring the GOP to oppose her again. Just before the vote she had declared that 'this is a banner issue for the Congress of the United States.'

'The president is isolated in this. Don't join him in his isolation,' she said while supporters of the State Children's Health Insurance Program expansion packed House galleries, bringing in children and parents to apply last-minute pressure on Republicans to change their votes.

Ultimately, the president's demand for a far more limited extension of the existing insurance program held sway with enough Republicans. After the vote, a subdued GOP quickly talked of compromise. 'Americans are tired of the rhetoric,' said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. 'They're tired of the political games, and they want us to find a way to work together.'

To override Bush's veto, the House needed two-thirds of those voting to support the bill. It attracted 273 votes, including 44 Republicans, and was opposed by 156, just two of them Democrats.

The vetoed bill would have expanded the $5 billion-a-year program by an average of $7 billion a year over the next five years, for total funding of $60 billion over the period. That would be enough to boost enrollment to 10 million children, up from 6.6 million, and dramatically reduce the number of uninsured children in the country, currently about 9 million, supporters say.

Although Pelosi is willing to talk to Bush, she stressed that Democrats will accept nothing less than a 10 million child expansion. 'That's not negotiable,' she said.

Democratic leaders suggested they could add language clarifying that the program would not cover families with incomes over 300 percent of the federal poverty level, about $60,000 for a family of four. They also would tighten language to ensure the children of illegal immigrants could not receive benefits.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino was quick to say Bush is not willing to go beyond his initial $5 billion expansion over five years.

'If in the negotiations there is a desire and there is a belief and evidence that we need to have more money put towards that goal of covering those 500,000 children that we know right now who are eligible for SCHIP but who haven't been found to be able to get on the program, he's willing to go to a higher number,' Perino said.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT