October 16, 2007

For Our Children, For Our Future

Since taking office in January, I have heard from Coloradans about how concerned they are about healthcare. In particular, members from organizations throughout Colorado and across the country have visited my office advocating for the expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The business community and the labor community, two groups usually disagreeing on many issues, are united behind this important reauthorization, which emphasizes the broad support for this critical program.

The latest Washington Post/ABC News Poll shows 72 percent of the American public supporting this bipartisan legislation providing children with health coverage. This includes support from 61 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of Independents, and 81 percent of Democrats. This issue unites and is mobilizing a majority of Americans in a final push to get this bill passed into law.



In 1997, President Clinton created the CHIP to cover children not eligible for Medicaid whose parents couldn’t afford private insurance. Over the past decade, the program succeeded in enrolling these uninsured children, but with sky-rocketing healthcare costs even more children are now eligible. Last year, in Colorado, 47,000 children were enrolled in the CHP+, the state run program funded by the federal government, but an astonishing 57,000 more uninsured children were eligible. The federal government is responsible for providing states the resources and incentives necessary to reach these uninsured children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, these programs.

That is why on September 25, the House passed the CHIP bill by a strong bipartisan majority of 265 to 159, including 45 Republicans voting in favor. This bill will expand the program by $35 billion, preserving coverage for the 6 million children currently covered by CHIP as well as extending health care coverage to 4 million additional low-income children. On September 27, the Senate passed the bill by a veto-proof margin of 67 to 29, with 18 Republicans voting in favor. Despite this overwhelming support from both chambers, the President vetoed the bill on October 3. The House will try to override the President’s veto on Thursday, October 18.



This President exercised his veto right four times while in office. Two were aimed at stem cell research, which holds hope for millions of Americans suffering from chronic illnesses. He vetoed an Iraq War spending bill because it responsibly outlined a plan for redeploying our troops. Now, he wants to prevent low-income children the opportunity to get health care coverage. The President says this $35 billion bill, which is fully paid for, is “too expensive.” Yet, in the same week he is seeking an additional $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, none of which is paid for. It’s a question of priorities. The President ignores the fact that the amount of money it takes to provide health coverage to 10 million children for a whole year is what we spend in in 40 days.

If the effort to override the President’s veto on October 18 fails, the program will be funded at current levels. Those levels are not sufficient to maintain coverage for the current children enrolled in the program, let alone the children who are eligible to be enrolled.

There’s a national campaign to convince Republicans to override the President’s veto, and I hope it succeeds. We must bring our focus back to the healthcare crisis facing our country. I will vote to override the President’s veto because this vote is for our children and for our future.


Ed Perlmutter
(CO-07)
Member of Congress