We did not get a supermajority in the House for the SCHIP program. We got 265-159, with 45 Republicans joining the Dems. The Senate should have 68 votes. Bush says he will veto this bill because it offers health care to children that live above the poverty line and discourages some people from paying for private health insurance (as though it is affordable). I’d like to know why Kucinich voted against this bill. He must have some reason.
Regardless, the Republicans will be pleading with Bush not to veto this bill. But I doubt he cares.
The bill left out legal immigrant children, that’s why Kucinich opposed it:
“I cannot support legislation which extends health coverage to some children while openly denying it to other children,” Kucinich said. “This legislation is woefully inadequate: and I will not support it.
“Legal immigrant children deserve the same quality health care as other children receive. It is Congress’ responsibility to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. Today, we did exactly the opposite.
Hopefully he’ll give us the vote if we need it to override.
I can understand that. We do need SCHIP, and perhaps it can be amended or something. Is Kucinich the only one who withholds support for this reason?
Many years ago, I was supervising a drafting department. One of my guys had been the child of migrant field laborers. He regarded getting tuberculosis as a major blessing and life-changing event. Because he couldn’t pick strawberries all day, he was sent to a sanatorium, where he learned how to read. (gasp, such an idea, educating children!) He taught himself well enough to end up in a real school and a real trade. He needed more education, especially math, for the complex jobs, but he worked hard and was proud of his work. Health care made the difference between dying in the fields and working in a decent office space.
Education and health care are investments which pay off not only for the individual but for society. Poverty, illiteracy, and illness pay off for nobody.