This "crap" bill has a veto-proof majority in the Senate (67 voted for it, including 18 Republicans) and had a majority vote in the House (265, including 45 Republiclans - 13 short of veto-proof)
I dont recall any Dems in Congress calling Bush names. They have pointed out how he said in 2001 that the program was a great example of how to give the states flexibility in providing health care to kids in working class families through contracts with private health care providers....and then last week described it as " replacing the doctor-patient relationship with dependency on bureaucrats in Washington, D.C."
(the program in the new bill functions the same way as the old bill, just covers more children...so why is it suddenly replacing doctor-patient relationship with a dependency on DC bureaucrats?)
The Dems also pointed out this the program has dedicated funding, unlike the $600 billion for the invasion and occupation of Iraq that will be passed on to those same kids (and probably their kids).
Bush indicated several days ago that he is willing to spend more than the $5 billion he proposed:
Quote:
President Bush signaled a willingness Saturday to spend more than what he had recommended for a popular children's health program, but provided no specifics on how much higher he would go.
The president on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would increase spending for the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has called for a $5 billion increase. Several Republicans in both chambers have sided with Democratic lawmakers on the issue.
"If putting poor children first takes a little more than the 20% increase I have proposed in my budget for SCHIP, I am willing to work with leaders in Congress to find the additional money," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
Democratic lawmakers say votes to override the president's veto will be held in mid-October. That effort is not expected to succeed
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...ddresses_N.htm
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If the Dems cant get 13 more Republs in the House in the next week or so, some version of this "crap" bill will be negotiated with support from both Bush and the Democrats, most likely in the range of $10-15 billion increase over five years, with a lower tax on cigarettes.
Why does the bill have so much bi-partisan support (leaving aside the bickering about the final numbers which is part of the "give and take" process)......because
most Americans (over 70%), a majority of both houses of Congress, 43 governors (including Schwarzenegger), most medical associations, most child advocacy organizations, etc. believe the manner in which it provides health care to children has been incredibly successful for 10 years, should be expanded (the issue is how much) and is not "crap" .