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Rep. Johnson on President Bush's Opposition to the Proposed Children's Health Insurance Plan

Press Release

Date: Sept. 25, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care


Rep. Johnson on President Bush's Opposition to the Proposed Children's Health Insurance Plan

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Hank Johnson today urged reauthorization of S-CHIP on the Floor of Congress. Following his remarks the Congressman released the following statement:

"Once again President Bush is putting special interests over the public's best interests. His threatened veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) could put thousands of American children at risk.

We, in Congress, have negotiated a workable, bipartisan compromise because funding expires for PeachCare in Georgia and others nationally on September 30th. Not coincidentally, I'm sure that the tobacco industry will be pleased because they won't have to pay the proposed taxes that would've funded a share of the S-CHIP health services

Tobacco wins. Our children lose.

Last weekend I held a health fair in my district and witnessed firsthand the dire need to provide health care for our children. Working mothers and fathers told me repeatedly that health care costs are too high to take their children to the doctor. Families in Georgia are not alone because millions of parents and guardians face the same challenges. Even with S-CHIP, 11 million children would still remain uninsured and at risk.

Sadly, the President will likely give children's health insurance a veto because he says it costs too much. This is the same President who appropriates $125 billion annually for a war in Iraq. This is the same President whose Administration can't explain the billions more dollars that have disappeared in Iraq. And he is the same President who favored the pharmaceutical companies over seniors, big oil interests over drivers, and sub-prime lenders who have stigmatized my state as a leader in residential foreclosures.

Congress must reauthorize the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (H.R. 3162). We can afford it and our children need and deserve it."


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