The American people did their part, banding together behind the bill ? HR 976, the Children's Health In-surance Reauthorization Act of 2007 ? forging broad coalitions, and delivering a clear message that affordable health coverage for nearly 4 million more children is a priority. AARP ? many of whose members are now raising grandchildren ? are among the multitude of groups supporting the bill.
Congress did its part by sending HR 976 to the President's desk for signature.�The bill passed by wide, bipartisan margins in both chambers and offered lawmakers rare common ground on an issue that affects the lives of millions of children.
|
But the President chose not do his part, opting to veto the legislation for reasons that have been roundly dismissed as baseless by leaders in both parties.� Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the powerful Senate Fin-ance Committee, and a key proponent and author of the bill, suggested that "wholly wrong or intellectually dishonest" arguments had been made against the bill.�
In vetoing the bill, President Bush missed an opportunity to act in the name of the American people.�So, now it is back to Congress.�As lawmakers revisit the bill and take calls from concerned citizens, let us count the ways expanding CHIP serves the public good:
CHIP is a wise use of tax dollars.�The long-term benefits of relatively inexpensive children's health care coverage are substantial.�Healthy kids develop into healthy adults, and that is good for the nation.
CHIP is vital to the growing number of Amer-ican grandparents raising grandchildren, who rely on the program for affordable health care.
CHIP is a public-private partnership in which over three quarters of kids get coverage through private insurers. It has the overwhelming support of the nation's governors ? both Republicans and Demo-crats ? as well as America's Health Insur-ance Plans, which represents private insurers.
The proposed CHIP expansion is financed by a 61-cent increase in the cigarette tax.�Potentially, this will move hundreds of thousands of Americans to either cut back on or quit their smoking habits, there-by improving public health, generally.
Providing health insurance to more children should not be caught up in a rhetorical or ideological debate. Americans are tired of the politics of division and partisanship.�When broad segments of the nation ? and Congress ? can come together in agreement, we should not miss the opportunity to act to move forward.
Choosing children's health care ? access to pediatricians, affordable trips to the dentist, resources to combat childhood obesity, and so much more ? is doing the right thing, period.�AARP thanks Rep. Steph-anie Herseth Sandlin for her commitment to vote to override the President's veto of the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Loading ...
