Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007

CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - September 25, 2007)

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this compromise legislation which will provide healthcare for 10 million low-income American children.

This bill will give 4 million currently uninsured children a healthy start in life.

Yet in a confirmation of the White House's pitiless priorities, President Bush is threatening to veto this bill if we spend any more than $5 billion dollars over 5 years to help poor American children get health care.

This year alone, the President requested 40 times that amount--$200 billion dollars--for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet he has threatened to veto SCHIP on the basis that it spends too much money on American children.

The President constantly chooses Corporations over Children, spending billions on tax cuts for millionaires and subsidies for his friends in big oil without batting an eyelash. But when it comes to giving our country's poor children health care, he can't find the heart to come up with the money.

Today's debate is a major moment in the history of health care, and a veto will place the President firmly on the wrong side of history.

By vetoing this bill, President Bush will expose himself as a Compassionless Conservative.

By vetoing SCHIP, the President will dash hopes of millions of working families who dreamed that they would be able to provide health care for their sick children.

I urge you to stand with those working families and help their children get the health care they need. Vote yes on this critical legislation.

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