This vote was on final passage of a measure that would reauthorize and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), allocating nearly $60 billion over five years for the program. The costs of the program would be offset by increasing the taxes on tobacco products, including raising the tax on cigarettes by 61 cents to $1 per pack. The SCHIP program – funded primarily through taxes on tobacco products -- helps low income families with children afford health insurance, and currently covers about 6 million kids.
During debate on the bill, which President Bush threatened to veto, Republicans repeatedly attempted to chip away at the bill’s additional funding, complaining that SCHIP has fulfilled – and exceeded – its original mandate, to be a health insurance safety net for poor children. The debate was so contentious that the Senate Democratic leadership had to call for a vote on cutting off debate and proceeding to a final vote on the measure, which succeeded by a veto-proof margin (see vote 352).
Some Republicans complained that some states have begun to allow very poor adults, as well as children, to be covered under SCHIP. They have also argued that people have begun quitting their jobs so that they can qualify for SCHIP coverage, and that expanding the program would just encourage more people to quit their jobs. Additionally, some Republicans have argued that SCHIP will turn into another large government entitlement health care spending program, such as Medicaid or Social Security.
“Republicans were ready to finish the good work we started with SCHIP, and we approached its reauthorization this year as an opportunity to do just that, to reach out to the kids in our original target area who should be covered by SCHIP but weren’t,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “Meanwhile, our friends on the other side had another idea: following the lead of a number of State Governors, they decided to expand SCHIP beyond its original mandate and bring us down the path of Government-run healthcare for everyone. These Governors started with adults and children from middle and upper middle-income families. Taking SCHIP funds that were originally meant for children from poor families, they spent it on these other populations instead. Then they turned around and said they didn’t have enough money to cover the poor children in their States.”
Democrats generally counter that providing health care to more needy people is better than providing it to fewer, and that SCHIP is funded through a vice tax on tobacco, and therefore nothing like an entitlement program.
“Our bill focuses benefits on low-income children. It is that simple. That is what the bill is, no more. And the truth is, the administration does not have a credible alternative,” said Max Baucus, D-Mont. “I urge my colleagues to join me in making the right choice because in the end, this bill is about helping those who can least afford health insurance now. This bill is about helping America’s parents who truly want the best for their children. And as much as some may be tempted to make up a story to say it is about something else, the truth is, this bill is about kids.”
By a vote of 67-29, the Senate passed the bill. Every Democrat present voted for the bill. Of Republicans present, 18 voted for the bill and 29 voted against it. The end result is that the Senate cleared the bill that would reauthorize and expand the SCHIP program, sending it on to President Bush.
The Middle-Class Position:
The Middle Class Supports: SCHIP has been highly successful at reducing the number of uninsured children, but a lack of funding has limited its reach, leaving 9 million American children uninsured in 2006. The shortfall has consequences, not only for children’s individual health and well-being, but for society as a whole, which bears the cost of preventable emergency room visits from children who never got preventive care. By renewing SCHIP and expanding it to more low- and middle-income children, this bill offers children a healthy start in life.
Steeply rising costs over the past several years have made health coverage unaffordable, not only for the poor, but also for a growing number of middle-class families. Since 2000, the premium that the average American employee pays for health coverage has risen more than 83 percent, increasing more than four times faster than wages. At the same time, more employers are dropping insurance plans entirely, and coverage is even more expensive for Americans who must purchase it themselves on the open market. Being able to take a child to the doctor for regular check-ups and immunizations is fundamental to a middle-class standard of living.
From the Experts:
“Research has clearly shown us the connection between a child's health and his or her ability to be successful in school, and ultimately in life. Healthier children are more successful, a fact that, when coupled with our moral obligation to care for our nation's children, has helped spur efforts to improve health care for the youngest Americans. It's also why there's been such strong and steadfast support in both parties and in all regions of the country for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) ever since its creation in 1997.” –Governor Sonny Perdue, R-GA, and Governor Kathleen Sebelius, D-KS (September 12, 2007)
“If CHIP is not reauthorized, millions of children will be in danger of losing access to the health care that the program makes possible. The health care kids in low-income families get through the program is vital to their growth and development. America’s children are our future, and without proper health care they are not given a fair chance to succeed.”-Edward Langston, MD, Chairman of the American Medical Association (September 28, 2007)
“This is the President who is content with spending $12 billion a month on war, yet finds $7-10 billion a year on making sure that kids have health insurance "wrong" and "a mistake." I can’t imagine a clearer case of utterly distorted priorities. Compassionate conservatism has been on life support for the last several years of this administration. President Bush's threatened veto of SCHIP will officially pronounce it dead.” -Rev. Jim Wallis, author of God’s Politics (July 26, 2007)
Beyond this Bill:
This legislation will put a significant dent in the number of uninsured children in the United States, but it still leaves millions without access to medically necessary care. The original House bill would have extended health insurance to 1.2 million more children, closing the gap still further. At the same time, the American health care crisis extends far beyond children: 38 million people over age 18 went uninsured in 2006. A true solution must provide coverage for all Americans.
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Injustice Index Facts
Number of children who would have health care coverage by 2012 if this legislation passes who would otherwise be uninsured: 3.8 million
Increase in the number of uninsured children between 2005 and 2006: 611,000
Percentage of uninsured children who saw a doctor for a medical check up, emergency care, or any other reason during the previous year: 51
Percentage of insured children who saw a doctor in that time: 76
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