Bush Just Can’t Leave Bad Enough Alone

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/29/bush-just-cant-leave-bad-enough-alone/

by Donna Jablonski, Sep 29, 2007

President Bush signed a temporary spending measure today to keep the government running during his ongoing budget showdown with Congress. And he just couldn’t do it without taking another poke at supporters of health coverage for children.

With bipartisan backing, both houses of Congress recently voted to renew the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The legislation would retain health coverage for more than 6 million low-income children and extend coverage to 4 million more of America’s 9 million uninsured children. Bush, outraged at the idea of insuring more children, has vowed to veto the measure. The legislation he signed today temporarily keeps SCHIP operating beyond its Sept. 30 expiration date. Here’s what he had to say:

Congressional leaders have put forward an irresponsible plan that would dramatically expand the program beyond its original intent. And they know I will veto it.

Irresponsible? Getting health insurance to children whose families can’t afford it?

The president’s claim that the SCHIP legislation goes beyond original intent–and other fish stories he’s spun about it–have been disproved by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Annenberg Political Fact Check.

Twelve-year-old Graeme Frost went further today, telling the country that without SCHIP, “I might not be here today.” Delivering the Democratic response to Bush’s weekly radio address, Frost said the program enabled him to get the five and a half months of hospital care and major surgery he needed to survive a devastating car accident.

I don’t know why President Bush wants to stop kids who really need help from getting CHIP….I just hope the president will listen to my story and let other kids be as lucky as me.