CHIP is a successful, thoughtful and appropriate health insurance program that should not only be continued it should be expanded. If we can afford a trillion dollars to carry on an unjust war that American citizens do not want, we certainly can afford to provide basic health care for our children. PERIOD.

I do understand the GOP principles that condemn children to disease and death without health insurance because taxing tobacco hurts their real clients, big business and big tobacco.

I just find it surprising that they would be so utterly obvious about it. Yet another indication of the vast gulf between Democratic ideals and GOP priorities.

So Bush will veto a children program that will cost seven billion a year and at the same time request an extra 200 billion from Congress to continue his stupid war. Can someone please tell me what has happened to the value system of this country when our President will spend more than 30 times as much on his personal war as he is not willing to spend on the sick children of our beloved USA. More importantly can someone explain to me why we let him get away with it? How come this sick in the head President has not been impeached?

All the posts above make such common sense: We have a dry drunk president who spent all his "political capital" on not finding Bin Ladin. Funding his profit driven neo-Vietnam at the expense of our nation, our future financial stability, our safety, and here, the well being of our children. If it WERE possible for an individual to buy decent health insurance that wasn't jacked up in price to support Big Pharm and six-seven figure HMO salaries, that would be one thing to argue against this bill. But you can't. They don't sell it. Health insurance for the self employed and for those not working for the government or a large corporation is a joke. Something has got to change. Before more kids die at the hands of this "Pro-Life" administration. We can't wait till 2008 to kick his wrong ideas to the curb.

Citizens have been way too complacent about this President and his minions. If We the People, even a fraction of us, got really organized and utilized the internet and the power of the vote, these Jackals in Washington would have nowhere to hide. Our elected representatives have great health insurance for life, paid for by you and me. But not enough of us are making the kind of noise that will change this. Eventually the responsibility falls to us: To keep calling and writing our representatives, writing letters to the editors and telling Congress we WILL vote them out of office in a New York Minute if they don't do what's right, what real American family values call for. Our children are so worth it, and so are we.

The GOP are always bragging about being friendly to small business owners.

Who do they think benefits by the expansion of S-CHP?

I can give them names of small independent contrators who are able to provide health insurance for their kids.

These same hard-working, tax-paying independents would be buck naked health-wise without it.

What does that mean?

The parents of a girl I know who fell out of a stopped car and broke her foot would have had to pay all the bills.

Instead, through CHP, they were covered.

Doesn't anyone in the GOP caucus actually talk to independent small business owners?

The Repub's had no problem expanding the Prescription Drug Benefits, maybe because it can help elderly voters think favorably of the Repub party. Even Rush Limpbaugh railed against the Drug plan because it cost too much and gave benefits to millionaires (like Rush). I guess that kids can't vote so Bush won't fund then. I'm not surprised.

Bush should veto this bill. A continuation of the current program is one thing, but to expand it to cover people not poor ($80,000 per year family income), or not children (up to age 25), is simply ridiculous. This is just a backdoor attempt at socialized medicine.

So Brian,
I guess that little girl doesn't deserve the health care?

Obviously, non-socialized medicine has failed America and decent Americans.

As someone who has a bit of experience with "socialized medicine" (the VA healthcare system), let me say that not only does it work, it works very well. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg (unless that's how one became eligible), and it's proof that the government is quite capable of administering a comprehensive, single-payer healthcare system. It's time we extended the benefits of "socialized medicine" to everyone in America, not just members of Congress and privileged administration officials.

Brian, do you really think a household making $80,000 a year can afford the insurance premiums they would pay without a group rate?

Are twenty somethings earning entry level salaries likely without benefits supposed to handle those big non-group premiums, too?

Brian, how can you convince us you know from socialism when you obviously don't have a clue about the free market?

I am flabbergasted that the American people can be so STUPID!!! We have a MORON for a president and vice-president, who have set themselves up above the law, created am imperial administration, using lies, deceit, fear, and every low-down tactic that they can manipulate to stay in power. Still, there are American people who are totally BLIND to these facts thinking that "the Bush" is a good Christian man. To classify himself as a Christian is nothing less than an extraordianry act of blasphemy, however, those "Christians" who think he is a good man are complete hypocrits themselves. Our children need this program and I cannot believe that the American people think that it's OK for Bush to veto the bill. Judgement day is coming in Novemeber 2008. ALL Republicans beware!! This will be your day of reckoning!! The movement is gaining speed to kick all of you out of the Congress and the White House, then maybe our nation can return to its foundations from which it was built. Today is the most dangerous time in our nations history, and it comes not from terrorism per se, but from Bush and his court of criminals!!

Until we overhaul our healthcare system altogether, we need band-aids like this program. Eighty thousand may sound like plenty for someone to live on, and it may sound unreasonable to insure those who already have private insurance, but the truth is, this expansion is still necessary. We have good friends who recently had a baby with many complicated long-term medical problems, none of which were identified before birth. Though they had believed themselves to be in a good position to have a child, they now find themselves buried in medical bills, with no end in sight for years. Thanks to schip and other such programs, they will be able to pay for the care their baby desperately needs to survive. Right now, the system only works for people of an average income if no one in their household gets sick. That is simply untenable.

Perpetual war is much more necessary than health care for children as far as the Bush administration and most Republicans are concerned. Why not divert all tax revenue to wars and military weapons. About 6 billion dollars a week of our tax dollars are currently being spent on just the Iraq War. We have military bases around the world and our military budget is about 30% of our multi trillion dollar federal tax revenue. Why not spend everything on war and war preparation and end the continuous debates on funding health care, social security, and education. Let's do the only RIGHT thing and declare PERPETUAL WAR and spend every tax dollar fighting wars forever!

Bi partisan work on the SCHIP program is vital, and could they bundle it with subsidized universal health care for working poor adults as well? Why not kill 2 birds with one stone? Government efficiency is paramount! The Tennessee Primary Care Association holds alot of keys. Their grassroots state lobbying team is in great touch with Corporate America, bi partisan work, and holding the keys to the finest health care available. We have some of the finest doctors and nurses here in Nashville. I am a fundraiser for the Fred Thompson in 2008 presidential campaign. I am a Rising Junior straight A student at Tennessee State University. We need to put an end to government waste and corporate misery when it comes to top notch health care. Meet my doctors, Dr. Michelle Rorie at the United Neighborhood Health Clinic and Dr. Michael Fowler at the Irwin Eskind Clinic at Vanderbilt Hospital. These people have the answers. In the spirit of vocational rehabilitation and government money, let's go further!P.S. I love Porter J. Goss!

considering the $350 billion a year in tax cuts the Bush administration has pushed through in his first term, we can't afford a lot of things.

Underlying this issue is something very important, namely the large and rapidly growing class of citizens between the dirt-poor bottom and what was once a thriving middle. The contentions on whether the 80K income is enough are appropo; it may very well be that govt. assistance will have to expand upward from the bottom, for indeed in many areas 80K is not enough. You don't have to see your wages fall to grow poorer, it can also happen if prices of certain necessities, such as healthcare or housing, increase more. Folks, a big issue is lurking here.

Health insurance is important...we need to keep the kids healthy...in case we need to send them off to get killed in a war over oil,politics,or whatever...Anything but the truth.
I am saddened that the people of the US are stupid enough to fall for this guys lies....
Why are his kids not in the war?
Do you think him or any of his family are ever going to have to worry about health care costs?Not likely when you got stock in oil companies and you allow them to gouge us for gasoline.
This country is going south...Where are the protestors of the 60s?
We need to wake up people!