By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer
14 minutes ago



Congress approved legislation Thursday that would potentially add 4 million children to a popular health care program, setting up a veto fight that President Bush probably will win but handing Democrats a campaign issue for next year's elections.

Eighteen Republicans in the Senate lined up with Democrats in voting 67-29 to increase spending on the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, from about $5 billion to $12 billion annually for the next five years.

The vote was enough to override a promised Bush veto. But supporters in the House, which passed the bill Tuesday, are about two dozen votes shy of an override. Both chambers would have to muster two-thirds majorities to win a veto showdown.

Overall, spending for SCHIP would increase to $60 billion over five years in the unlikely prospect the bill becomes law — double what President Bush recommended.

Analysts projected the legislation would allow about 4 million of the estimated 9 million uninsured children in the United States to gain coverage.

Bush and most GOP lawmakers say the spending increase is too large and would expand the program beyond its original intent. That intent was to help families with incomes too large to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.

In a statement after the Senate vote, the White House said Bush "will veto this bill because it directs scarce funding to higher incomes at the expense of poor families."

Opponents of the measure said they support SCHIP, which was enacted a decade ago, and want to renew it before it is set to expire on Saturday. However, they said they could not go along with such a large spending increase.

Republicans braced for criticism that they were being insensitive to low-income children who are uninsured through no fault of their own. They said the legislation was an effort to score political points and another step toward universal health care paid for by the government.

"Democrats are counting down the hours so they can tee up the election ads saying Republicans don't like kids," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "Meanwhile, they're using SCHIP as a Trojan horse to sneak government-run health care into the states."

Democrats said there was strong public support for expanding the children's health care program. They portrayed the president as isolated in his view that the legislation would be a mistake.

"With each passing day, he reveals ever more clearly that the values of his administration are out of touch with those of average Americans," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

Some Republicans joined in that criticism.

"I just don't understand his decision, and I think it would be a terrible mistake," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said complaints about the bill bordered on hysteria, particularly complaints that the bill would expand government-subsidized coverage to families of four with incomes of up to $83,000.

"This is not a government takeover of health care. This is not socialized or nationalized medicine or anything like that," Grassley said. "This is not bringing the Canadian health care system to America."

The additional spending would be paid for through a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes.

Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., said the tax could end up lowering future health care costs if it reduces smoking rates.

"Discourage smoking and you connect the habit with all the public health care costs that it imposes," he said.

But Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., said the tax increase could lead to a drop in revenue to states that also rely on tobacco taxes. Those states would be compelled to increase tobacco taxes also to avert revenue shortfalls. The resulting price increase would force some smokers to the black market, he said.

After the vote, supporters of the bill said they believed it would be in the president's best interest politically to sign the bill.

"The polls on this are overwhelming," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

Opponents argued during the debate that expanding the program too much would lead to many families dropping private coverage. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that about 2 million children who otherwise would have private insurance would join SCHIP.

Anticipating a veto, Congress will continue funding SCHIP at its current level until mid-November as part of another bill keeping federal agencies in operating funds beyond Sept. 30.

Great....another step toward socialism.

I'm not one to be in favor of anything that raises taxes.

Unlimited funds for a war based on lies and then completely mismanaged. But no doctors for sick and injured kids. What's wrong with this picture?

I think that it is interesting that, previously, Bush has said many times that he wants to increase medical coverage for poor children.

He is plain and simple a disgrace to our country. Jan. '09 can't come soon enough.

What bothers me about this program is the way in which they propose to pay for it. Not that they propose the extra expense, but that only a small segment of the whole will be taxed to pay!

If it is a good program and benefits us as a whole then all should pay equally. Why should one small percent of the population be required to pay for others?

I mean why tax smokers, which I am not? Why not tax birth control pills or condomes???

Good point.

Or better yet lift some of the deductions on income tax for people with children????

Mac60, the typical leftocrat. Don't let the facts stand in the way of your BDS

congress did NOT pass the original TEN MILLION children they claimed president bush would VETO. That WAS broadcast on EVERY NATIONAL NEWS NETWORK ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. Now they passed a health care bill for FOUR MILLION children? Yeah...i bet! and i am betting they are all illegals too!!!! AMERICAN youngins will of course COME LAST.

or fanta...why dont they start taxing the ALCOHOL??? Things that make ya go hmmmmmmmm?????

Bush used to say that he was for the medical coverage. Now he is being criticized for his overspending. Interesting that he is now against it.

Very simple. The higher the cost of smokes, the more people who quit or don't start. The lower the number of smokers, the lower the amount of health problems. Less health problems, less medical care needed. Less medical care needed, lower total medical costs. Lower medical costs, lower premiums for privately insured and lower costs for govt. programs. It all follows quite logically.

I don't smoke, but I drink and I really couldn't argue with a booze tax. No one has to drink or smoke, so it's a voluntary tax. No one has to pay it.

Maybe they should pass a bill to teach all of us who are CITIZENS to speak spanish. They could pay for it with a poll tax. Anyone who wants to vote would have to pay a tax.

i agree with what Barbies said....enough said!

saying that those 4 millions kids must be illegals is so bias.
just because u r against immigration does not mean that all the chaos in this country is because of them
open ur mind and stop being so so ... (i don't know what to say here)

HERE'S A BIT MORE - Remember that Bush has promised to veto this bill. I FOR ONE HOPE HE DOES.

grrrr - forgot to add the info. here it is.

Gregg, Sununu vote on opposite sides on SCHIP bill
September 27, 2007
WASHINGTON --New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg said Thursday that he couldn't support legislation to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program that would allow families with an annual income as high as $80,000 to receive taxpayer-funded coverage, and keep adults in the program.
Congress voted 67-29 to increase spending on the popular health care program for lower-income families, known as SCHIP, from about $5 billion to $12 billion annually for the next five years. It would potentially add 4 million children to the program, but set up a veto fight that President Bush will win, but handing Democrats a campaign issue for next year's elections.
Eighteen Republicans in the Senate, including New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu, lined up with Democrats in approving the measure. Sununu said he would not change his vote if Bush vetoes the bill.
"SCHIP is a very important program to New Hampshire, providing health care coverage to thousands of lower-income children that would otherwise go uninsured," Sununu said. He added, "Congress needs to continue work to make health insurance more accessible, especially for those families at lower-income level who are not eligible for Medicaid, but do not have insurance from their employer."
Bush and most GOP lawmakers say the spending increase is too large and would expand the program beyond its original intent, to help families with incomes too large to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.
In a statement after the Senate vote, the White House said Bush "will veto this bill because it directs scarce funding to higher incomes at the expense of poor families."
Gregg said to make matters worse, "this dramatic expansion of the federal SCHIP program, which will supposedly cost taxpayers $71 billion over 10 years, contains a budget gimmick that hides $40 billion in costs that are not paid for and will be added to the nation's credit card -- the deficit.
"Equally troubling is that this bill is another step in the majority's march toward the nationalization of U.S. health care," Gregg said. "I have long opposed health care being in the hands of the federal government, as we have seen this system in other countries lead to rationing of health care services, a significant reduction in investment in medical and pharmaceutical research and development, and a hike in taxes to pay for it."
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