Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 -- Veto Message From the President of the United States

Floor Speech

CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES -- (House of Representatives - October 18, 2007)

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Mr. PALLONE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I just keep hearing inaccurate information on the other side of the aisle in an effort to try to sustain this veto, and it's simply not right.

First of all, this bill is totally paid for with a tobacco tax increase. Now, you may not like that if you don't like your tobacco taxed, but that's how it's paid for and it's a good way to pay for it.

Secondly, this idea that the President's alternative will not take kids off the rolls, that is simply not true. With the President's alternative, 800,000 children that are now covered by SCHIP will not have SCHIP anymore.

The President's veto of this bill was a slap in the face not only to this Congress but to the millions of children who, without this bill, will continue to be uninsured or, worse, lose the insurance they currently have.

And this is the truth about CHIP. Just listen up. The bipartisan CHIP proposal is supported by 72 percent of the American people, two-thirds of the Senate, the majority of the House, 43 State Governors, and more than 300 organizations nationwide.

The President is deluding himself if he doesn't think this veto is going to hurt millions of children; and unless we override, there are just going to be a lot of kids who simply cannot go to the doctor and would have to go to the emergency room.

What we sent to the President was a reasonable, bipartisan bill that would cover 4 million previously uninsured low-income children, most of whom are in working families, a total of 10 million. The vast majority of these kids are the very lowest income children who have no other options for care.

The President claims this bill covers rich kids, but it's not true. Senator Hatch who helped write this bill said 92 percent of the kids will be under 200 percent of the poverty level.

The President has also said that this bill opens the door to government-sponsored health care because it encourages families to drop their coverage. Simply not true. CBO said that that is not the case.

The best way to avoid crowd-out is to basically pass this bill. The problem is we continue to get inaccurate information from the other side of the aisle.

I would urge my Republican colleagues today to vote with their conscience, instead of with this misguided loyalty to the President who is out of touch with America's families.

Vote to override.

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