The public overwhelming thinks the program is a good program and it has proven itself over the last 10 years to the point that even Bush wants to add $5 billion.
The only difference is that Bush wants to cap the program eligibility at twice the poverty level and Congress wants to build on the success and expand it to cover 3+ million more children of working class families without insurance and with incomes under $54k.
I will concede that Bush did not lie, but simply misrepresented the bill (because it sounds better than explaining the details), when he stated:
"Congress's plan would also transform a program for poor children into one that covers children in some households with incomes up to $83,000"
(the $83,000 applies in only two states, NY and NJ, at the request of thse states, on a case by case basis for a very very small number of catastrophic cases of uninsured families, estimated at less than 10/year).
Yes, I think its a very good bill
