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Thursday, September 20, 2007
CBPP on President's Misleading SCHIP Stance
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, President Bush reiterated his veto threat for any SCHIP expansion today. His objection now is that:
"I want...the Congress to be focused on making sure poor children get the health insurance they were promised. Instead, Congress has made a decision to expand [SCHIP] eligibility up to $80,000."
But Congress has never made that decision. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA):
"[The President's] understanding of our bill is wrong, and I would urge the president to reconsider his veto message based upon the bill we might pass, not something that some staffer has told him wrongly about our bill."
Indeed, the President could achieve his stated goal of making sure poor children get health insurance they've been promised if he would just, you know, sign the SCHIP expansion that passes. Because 85 percent of the new kids who'll be on it already qualify for SCHIP. There just isn't enough money to sign them up now. See the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities SCHIP coverage for more.
Posted by Matt Lewis
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