Veto battle looms on children’s health insurance

This is an issue where the Senate is trying to do something good, but it sounds better than it actually is. This program will actually cause people who can afford health insurance on their own to qualify for federal assistance. I appreciate the government's protecting the indigent, however when they just want to pay for everyone's health insurance through taxes, I have a hard time supporting the measures.

This shows what 'Universal Health Care' from the government will be about. It is nothing but a tax and spend system of entitlements. The money from this will come from a 61 cent tax on cigarettes. Surely in 10 years the revenue will be less from tobacco because people aren't smoking as much thanks to smoking ban legislation. Once again I direct you to the hypocrisy of the government who makes more money off of tobacco than anyone else yet is not the subject of any tobacco settlement lawsuit.

Any health care program that is universal in nature and comes from the Congress will be tax and spend. It doesn't address the rising cost of health care, it just throws more money (tax money) at the situation and kicks the can down the road for some future generation to decide how to fund. Enjoy the article.


By JONATHAN WEISMAN and CHRISTOPHER LEE
The Washington Post

WASHINGTON | The Senate, with an overwhelming bipartisan vote Thursday, sent President Bush a $35 billion expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, launching a fight that will reverberate into the elections.

Bush has vowed to veto the measure, but he has faced strong criticism from many fellow Republicans reluctant to turn away from a popular measure that would renew and expand a program aimed at low-income children.

Democratic leaders, while still two dozen votes short in the House, are campaigning hard for the first override of Bush’s presidency.

They secured a veto-proof majority Thursday night in the Senate, with the 67 to 29 tally including “yes” votes from 18 of the 49 Republicans, including some of the president’s most stalwart allies. Among them were Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri and Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas.

Every Senate Republican facing a difficult re-election bid bolted from Bush on Thursday. Most House Republicans in swing districts abandoned him Tuesday when the House approved the bill 265 to 159. Those Republicans “took the vote that was easiest to explain,” said House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican.