SCHIP, Not Just for Children

[Guest human_*]

Just for the Children huh? To the Democrats; You must really think that the American people are REALLY that out of touch with reality?

 

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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/washingt...amp;oref=slogin

 

8 Democrats Pose Hurdle for Children’s Health Bill

 

By ROBERT PEAR

Published: November 15, 2007

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 — Congressional efforts to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program have run into a new roadblock. Eight Democratic senators say they cannot support any compromise that limits their states’ ability to cover parents along with children.

 

Democratic leaders had been considering such a compromise. But in their effort to mollify Republicans, the Democrats have begun to alienate some members of their own party on this and other issues.

 

The eight senators told Democratic leaders this week that they could not support any bill if their states lost money for the coverage of parents.

A compromise bill must “protect state flexibility to cover parents,” the senators said in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and the House majority leader, Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland. “Our states have taken the lead to provide health care to this specific population, and we do not want to inhibit their ability to continue providing this important coverage.”

 

The letter is signed by senators from five states that together cover more than 250,000 parents. The senators are Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin.

 

Republicans said they could not believe that these senators would walk away from a deal if they did not get what they wanted for the coverage of parents.

 

But in their letter, the Democratic senators warned Congressional leaders against “further compromise,” saying it would erode their support for the bill.

 

President Bush and Congressional Republicans say that covering adults, including parents, violates the purpose of the program, which is to cover children.

 

But Senator Bingaman said, “Parent coverage is an important part of keeping families healthy, and I don’t believe we should roll back the gains we’ve made in this area.”

 

Some state officials agree. “When you cover parents, you get more children enrolled,” said Heather Howard, policy counsel to Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey, which has 83,200 parents and 112,200 children in the program.

 

House Democratic leaders have been in intensive negotiations with Republicans since Oct. 18, when the House sustained Mr. Bush’s veto of a bill to expand the child health program. By revising the bill to address Republican concerns, the Democratic leaders hope to pick up enough votes to override another veto.

 

In an interview, Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she was disappointed that Democratic leaders had been “negotiating with 15 or 20 House Republicans, not the 43 members of the black caucus” who have deep concerns about some of the proposed changes.

 

“We have not been involved,” said Ms. Kilpatrick, Democrat of Michigan.

 

One of the Republicans’ chief concerns is that the bill “would provide free taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants,” in the words of Representative Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee. The bill itself says that nothing in the legislation allows federal payment for illegal immigrants, but that is not enough for some Republicans, who want to establish tougher requirements for low-income families to prove they are citizens or legal immigrants.

 

Hispanic Democrats are balking at the proposed “citizenship documentation” requirements. Representatives Joe Baca and Hilda L. Solis, California Democrats who are leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said that such requirements, though aimed at illegal immigrants, would hurt citizens unable to produce birth certificates or other documents.

 

Cecilia Muñoz, a vice president of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic rights group, said: “The whole purpose of this legislation is to cover more children. Under some of the concessions being offered by Democratic leaders, we may end up covering fewer Latino and black kids.”

 

Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Hoyer said they were still firmly committed to covering 10 million children. “That is not subject to negotiation,” Mr. Hoyer said Wednesday.

[Guest Governor Bill Richardson]

I've had about as much as I can stand. ENOUGH!

 

After yesterday's failed vote on the SCHIP children's health care program, I am deeply disappointed in Congress. But given what we've seen over the past year, I'm sad to say, it's hardly surprising anymore.

 

The Republican leadership is playing politics, and no one is standing up and stopping them -- it's as simple as that.

 

Meanwhile, children go without medicine, U.S. soldiers in Iraq get ambushed by insurgents, and the federal government continues to spy on U.S. citizens without authorization and without warrants.

 

As you know, we're taking Bush to court over his SCHIP policies -- but when governors have to sue the federal government to get things done, something is seriously wrong in Washington.

 

I have learned to expect the worst from President Bush. I can no longer tolerate watching members of Congress talk about compassion and then score political points off sick children. No wonder 71% of Americans disapprove of their performance!

 

You'd think Congress would insist on an immediate end to our tragic involvement in Iraq. The American people have made clear that what they want is an immediate withdrawal.

 

But Congress bickers -- and our soldiers die. Enough! Bring them home now.

 

You'd think Congress would long ago have voted to put the Blackwater security guards in Iraq -- who are accused of murdering Iraqi civilians -- under military control. Enough!

 

And now, Congress won't even fund a health care program that serves poor children in all fifty states. If ever there were an issue that should be immune to party politics, this is it.

 

Congress was elected by the people. Its members are accountable to the people -- to all of the people, including the least fortunate among us. And we're going to hold them to it.

 

Stand up for leadership. Stand up for our children. And make sure Congress and President Bush hear our message. There are many, many more of us than there are of them -- and we will prevail.

[Guest human_*]

From a latino to another latino;

 

Your side "The democrats" have made the middle east even more dangerous than it is today "By arguing for nuclear power in the middle east, as well as your sides' support of Venezuela "Just to make

This administration look bad.

 

As for arguing for the CHILDREN? The increase in funds for schip WILL go to the states with the highest concentration of illegal aliens.

 

The real problem here is that the EXISTING programs funds are diverted to other programs.

 

IF the democrats really care for the kids, then do a state wide audit of ALL programs, then compare

What the kids programs are receiving as compared to what they are supposed to be receiving thru the out lines of the legislative bill. <~~~~~~~~ But then again that would open up a huge hornets nest as to how democrats actually manage the funding of these programs.

 

 

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I've had about as much as I can stand. ENOUGH!

 

After yesterday's failed vote on the SCHIP children's health care program, I am deeply disappointed in Congress. But given what we've seen over the past year, I'm sad to say, it's hardly surprising anymore.

 

The Republican leadership is playing politics, and no one is standing up and stopping them -- it's as simple as that.

 

Meanwhile, children go without medicine, U.S. soldiers in Iraq get ambushed by insurgents, and the federal government continues to spy on U.S. citizens without authorization and without warrants.

 

As you know, we're taking Bush to court over his SCHIP policies -- but when governors have to sue the federal government to get things done, something is seriously wrong in Washington.

 

I have learned to expect the worst from President Bush. I can no longer tolerate watching members of Congress talk about compassion and then score political points off sick children. No wonder 71% of Americans disapprove of their performance!

 

You'd think Congress would insist on an immediate end to our tragic involvement in Iraq. The American people have made clear that what they want is an immediate withdrawal.

 

But Congress bickers -- and our soldiers die. Enough! Bring them home now.

 

You'd think Congress would long ago have voted to put the Blackwater security guards in Iraq -- who are accused of murdering Iraqi civilians -- under military control. Enough!

 

And now, Congress won't even fund a health care program that serves poor children in all fifty states. If ever there were an issue that should be immune to party politics, this is it.

 

Congress was elected by the people. Its members are accountable to the people -- to all of the people, including the least fortunate among us. And we're going to hold them to it.

 

Stand up for leadership. Stand up for our children. And make sure Congress and President Bush hear our message. There are many, many more of us than there are of them -- and we will prevail.