President Bush vetoed the State Children’s Health
Insurance Program bill that would have provided $35
billion to expand uninsured children’s medical coverage
over the next five years.
The bill was designed to expand on the medical coverage
of children from low-income households earning
less than $80,000 a year. More than 6 million supported
the program which was enacted in 1997. The
funding would have further provided finance to lowincome
families unable to afford health insurance.
Opponents of the bill, including the president,
defended their position by saying the bill would
socialize federal medical insurance. Bush is most
concerned of having so many individuals under the
wing of the government instead of a private plan.
According to Bush, additional funding of $5 billion
would still be a 20 percent increase, a program Bush
would support without raising taxes.
“I believe in private medicine, not the federal government
running the health care system,” Bush said.
“I do want Republicans and Democrats to come
together to support a bill that focuses on the poorer
children.”
This bill’s current debate, which may affect several
students at Bucks, may be valid. Some students
come from harder backgrounds than others. In some
cases, families with more children than others cannot
afford proper health insurance, or any at all.
“When you know that safety net is there, it’s a big
weight off your chest,” said student Ray Lorieno.
“It’s really scary, even as a young adult to know that
children can get sick and for some, there’s just nothing
there to help.”
This bill only adds fuel to the heated debate over the
nation’s health care plans. Many working adults simply
cannot afford health care for themselves, let alone
their children.
“I just can’t afford it,” said John Cass. “I haven’t
had health insurance for years and I just do my best
not to get sick. I work all the time and go to school and
the money just isn’t there.”
“Medical insurance is one of the biggest issues of
the 2008 campaign and something that needs to be
addressed now,” said business studies Professor
Thomas Grier. “The bill had support from both sides
but it would seem that there just isn’t enough to go all
the way.”
As the 2008 presidential election nears, health care
in America will continue to be debated.
The bill, which passed the House with a vote of 265-
159 and the Senate with a vote of 67-29, is currently
the target of discussion in both places on ways to
override the president’s veto.
To do so, however, both the House and Senate
would need a two-thirds majority, something the Senate
has, but the House does not.
“I remember learning how truly hard getting that
majority is in this country,” junior Patty Miller
recalled. “It’s already hard enough to get different
bills passed with such a divided country, but to find
such a big majority like that.I feel like it hardly ever
happens.”