Iowans react to Bush veto of health plan
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By Dan Gearino | Wednesday, October 03, 2007 |
President Bush walks to his helicopter Marine One on Wedneseday after vetoing a bill expanding a popular health care program for children by $35 billion. (AP PHOTO)
TODAY: (Updated: 2 p.m.) DES MOINES — Iowa reaction was swift and scathing today after President Bush vetoed an expansion of a children’s health insurance program.
“The president made a bad decision that I believe to be both irresponsible and unacceptable,” Gov. Chet Culver said.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Bush has “decided to turn his back on the health of millions of American kids.”
Bush rejected a $35 billion funding plan for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, which provides insurance to low-income children.
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is one of the leading supporters of the bill, going against his party leadership. He said this morning in anticipation of the veto that he will try to persuade Republicans who voted against the bill to vote in favor of a veto override.
“I’m in a quandary to understand how people are thinking about this and justifying voting against it or justifying the veto,” Grassley said.
If there aren’t enough votes for an override, Grassley hopes to come up with a version that Bush will sign or that has enough support for an override.
“Sometimes you need to sit down and negotiate if you’re going to have a bipartisan agreement,” Grassley said.
The proposed SCHIP expansion would have added $35 billion to the program over five years, which is much greater than the $5 billion expansion Bush supports.
The program, created during the Clinton administration, serves 6.6 million low-income children. The vetoed bill would have added 4 million children by expanding the income criteria.
About 21,000 Iowa children have insurance funded through SCHIP. The benefits were scheduled to expire on Monday, but they were extended when Congress passed a temporary resolution to allow for more time to resolve the conflict.
Culver said he will continue to push for an expansion of the program.
“Now we have to fight for our kids and find some sort of compromise,” he said.
All but one member of Iowa’s congressional delegation voted for the bill. The exception was U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican, who saw the bill as a step toward socialized medicine. He also voiced concerns that some benefits might go to illegal immigrants.
King issued a statement praising the veto. He said he supports SCHIP in its current incarnation and doesn’t want to see it expanded to include middle-class beneficiaries.
“President Bush was correct to send the SCHIP bill back to Congress for a rewrite,” King said.
Dan Gearino can be contacted at 515-243-0138 and dan.gearino@lee.net. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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