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Oct. 3, 2007 -- President Bush vetoed an expansion of government-funded health insurance for children Wednesday, setting up a congressional fight to try to override him.
Bush made good on a weeks-old threat to reject the bill because, he said, it moves the country closer to "federalizing" medicine.
"I don't think that's good for the country," he said in a speech in Lancaster, Pa., Wednesday afternoon.
The bill has broad bipartisan support in Congress. But some Republicans, including the president, objected to it because they say it allows states to extend benefits to some children who could be categorized as middle class. The program, known as the state children's health insurance program, or SCHIP, was originally intended primarily for low-income kids.
"The SCHIP program was supposed to help those poor families, the children of poor families, have the ability to get health insurance for their children," Bush said.
Backers of the bill pointed out Wednesday that about 90% of children who would be added to the SCHIP rolls under the bill are living below 200% of the federal poverty level.
"Today the president of the United States missed an opportunity to say to the children of America that your health and well-being is important to us, so important that we're going to make it a priority," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
A variety of groups released statements criticizing the veto, including AARP and the American Hospital Association.
The bill expands the $25 billion SCHIP budget to $60 billion over the next five years. It funds the increase by raising federal tobacco taxes by 61 cents per pack of cigarettes. The bill is estimated to add 4 million uninsured children to the 6 million who already use SCHIP for coverage.
House Democratic leaders said Wednesday that they would schedule a vote to override the veto on Oct. 18. Republicans objected to that schedule, saying Democrats wanted to use the extra time to run political issue ads against them.
"I regret the fact that we're not able to start tomorrow," said Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the House Republican Whip.
The bill passed the House last week with 265 votes, including 45 Republicans. Democrats have an uphill climb to reach the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto. Republicans leaders have expressed confidence they will hold off the override; Democrats say they have already changed some minds and are within striking distance of winning.
One Democrat who voted against the bill, Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma, said yesterday he had decided to change his vote.
"I still have significant problems with the bill," Boren told WebMD. "I thought about the uninsured kids in my district who needed help."
"I've never reversed course on an issue like this," Boren said.