The veto of the Dem give-away, political pork expansion of SCHIP was appropriate. This bill is simply welfare for the well-to-do -- families earning UP TO $83,000 can qualify for taxpayers to pay for healthcare for their kids. These families are not "poor" by any reasonable measure - and they shouldn't be suck'ing off the federal government through this welfare program. It's the Democratic equivalent of DickNBush's tax cuts for millionaires. Both are outrageously bad and nothing short of unreasonable and unjustifiable theft from the average taxpayer.

Just more evidence that Bush and the GOP don't give a damn about the American middle class. Seven billion dollars a year in extra cigarette taxes to expand an already good program is a no brainer. Only the ultra-crazies can oppose this.

Cigarette taxes will pay for the expansion of SCHIP. Can there be that many dummies who could believe this? I fear so. Wait until the Democrats come back for the 2nd feeding.

To get this going, I recommend the Red Lady lead House & Senate distaff Democrats in a mass Lady Godiva.

$83,000/year is upper middle class in states like Mississippi, but average in places like Hawaii and NYC. With a $2000/mo housing cost, taxes taking 45% of income, gas, food, insurance, utility costs higher than elsewhere, a six person household still cannot afford the $14,000/year medical plan cost. Aren't there emergency rooms sounds a lot like "Aren't there workhouses" from a
Christmas Carol. Look at the lifetime benefits rec'd by politicians serving 1 term, then complain about giving to those not being poor.

Democratic giveaway? Put down the Kool Aid and read the actual bill. Then consider that a family of four with 55K income curently pays $11,000 for insurance--add in their Social Security, payroll taxes and state taxes, and these "middle class" folks are left with less than $600 weekly for food, shelter, transportation, clothing and other expenses. Then make the absurd assertion that it's a giveaway. Consider that the added cost amounts to 3 months cost of his misbegotten war or that 60 percent of the amount represents what been lost to corruption over the last 3 years in Iraq. Moreover, the expansion amounts to 43/1000ths of the federal budget--and that Bush has added almost 3.2 trillion to the national debt. And this is him being fiscally responsible? Really, put down the pipe.....

The post by Alex H. is just more smokescreen. Everywhere I turn, I see the $83K -- even in good ol ' Mr. Novak's column. It has been well-documented that that is an extreme example, that NY state asked for that one time, and that the administration did (as is its perogrative -- noted in the article) turn down such request. And Gov. Corzine is right -- $85,000 in NY/NJ/Mass/Conn is FAR different that $85,000 in NC or OK or Idaho. The excuses for this veto are mind-numbing, and is but one more case of the incompetence of this administration. This is purely about fighting the Dems, and poor kids are the ammunition!! It's truly SICK.

Alex H seems to be following Bush's talking points. The bill does not mandate that families earning up to $83000 can receive SCHIP. The cap remains at 250% of the poverty line, or at about $50,000. States may ask for a waiver of that cap, as did New York State, but the President may deny such a waiver, as did President Bush. The $83000 family on SCHIP is typical Republican noise, on par with the idea that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction even though the UN weapons inspectors say he did not.

I does not matter who the GOP picks. There will be no Republican President in 2008. Too many blunders have been made. They have cheated the Veterans they claim to support. They have cheated the children. The Truth is out and everyone know what kind of scum the GOP has become under Bush. It is over for you in politics. The fat lady will sing in 2008 as she did in 2006 elections. Bye Bye GOP.

People, please, go to the Thomas web site and read the actual bill that was passed and sent to Bush. It clearly states 3x the poverty level, which is around $60,000 per year. The $83,000 is what New York asked for as a waiver under the current SCHIP bill and were turned down. The current bill, as well as the one just vetoed, allows for states that can prove they need a higher cap to get a waiver for the cap...and guess what, New Jerseys cap up until a couple of months ago was over $70,000/year. Bush is just misleading the press, who are willingly following, with the $83,000 red herring.

The line in the sand Bush has drawn on SCHIP was written with the stuff that pours from his ears. What a sad, sad, incompetent little man.

It is amusing to watch the Bush loonies try to justify, and explain, this ultra-stupid veto. For Democrats it's nothing but good news: stand back and let Dubya pound a few more nails into the Republican coffin. I predict that 2008 will be an historic election, one that will see not just the demise but the utter destruction of a major American political party. Not a moment too soon.

The reason Bush is looking for a compromise is because if Pelosi is able to get all the Dems that did not or were absent we are looking at about 11 GOP. About 145 GOP has signed a pledge of voting against it. But we shall see especially if some of the GOP senators who voted for it really work it.

Bush is veto proof.
The republicons are following him over the cliff.

The Christian right has never supported a
candidate that has true Christian values.
The neocons may be pro-life, but caring for
the poor, sharing earths bounty, promoting
peace, saving the environment is not part of their agenda. I hope they will put up a true Christian candidate for office, since both parties have seriously flawed candidates. To Evangelicals that believe in personal gain at the expense of others, please read the Bible. P.S. Do not vote for
pro-life politicos unless they adopt a kid.
Most are rich and can easily put their money where their mouth is.

Bush's veto is but another example of his true nature, which at its core is basically misanthropic, indeed sadistic - and shared by by far too many who call themselves "Christians". The obscenity of his veto is exceeded only by that of his war.

Must be raining in DC, looks like the trolls are coming out.

The $83,000 point has been rebutted many times, anyone continuing to repeat it is either a liar or an idiot, in either case someone to ignore.

20 votes short of an overide means it isn't going to fly. The Republicans who are obstructing better be prepared for backlash.

Veto override??? In her dreams!!!

pelosi has no credibility in this congress. she should go back to naming post offices.

"Tony Perkins, chairman of the Christian conservative organization Family Research Council, appeared on CBS to discuss the idea of a third-party run if Republicans nominate a candidate who does not oppose abortion rights."

--

Why don't you crazy religious nitwits stay out of politics and actually go back to a commitment of true worship?

Exactly what part of the Bible says that you are required to try to influence governmental policy?

Go feed the hungry, shelter the poor, do the things that Jesus would have you do instead of mast**bating your overly large egos and lusts for power.

The rest of us do not want you involved in government.

Just go away. Just go!

The Republicans are famous for pulling bogus "facts/statistics" out of their nether region - which is not surprising since that's where their heads are stuck.

If a few bucks slosh over into the middle class haha - hey it's not the end of the world. Get a load of this 'morale outrage' from the 'Pubes - their rich cronies have sucked the coffers dry with their payoffs, scandals, false contracts, banking crises - jeez give it a break.

The Republicans have zero credibility on anything now. Quite the fall from grace.
Just ignore them - sheesh.

How would you feel about a woman who brings a child to the O.K. Corral and uses him as a shield?

That's what the Democrats are doing.

They are hiding high entitlements and tax increases -- behind children who really need health care!

Nothing could be more dastardly or full of cowardice.

This is just a taste of the Pelosi-Clinton candidacy in the making.

Chicanery, and using the innocent to feed the need for power.

It is obvious that poor children do not give financial support to politicians. Rich doctors do give lots of money to them and guess how those Members of Congress vote? Talk about the double standard of those who claim to be "moral' and in favor of family values! I bet Jefferson is turning in his grave. Shame on them all!

How about a surcharge tax on war profiteering to pay for children's health insurance? Tax Blackwater and Halliburtons war profits to pay for this. If Pelosi and the Democrats had any spine at all, they would have commenced impeachment hearings against Cheney and Bush already. Congressional Democrats are afraid of this Administration with its unprecedented power. America has gone to hell and it's too late for Hillary or Obama to save it (like joe-six-pack is going to vote for a woman or Black man anyway)

Why do America's children deserve inferior health care than that provided to the Executive, Congressional and Judicial branches of government?

When did these people become such a privileged, superior class? And who approved it?

there currently exists programs to give tax payer funded health care to people who make more than $80,000. it happens in congress and the white house. just like republicans vote for raises for themselves and vote down plans for a raise to the minimum wage, republicans vote down health insurance that isn't as good as the insurance they have.

increasing tobacco taxes, gasoline taxes and alcohol taxes on those the dems want to help was their priority always. they have a special love with us, like impounding our cars, ever increased smog test, fuel tax and other democrat's specialty to make our life harder. they had created so much laws based on election promisses to more conservatives, they are the number one whose making poor's life harder. one poor posted the other day: its not so hard to live as being poor, what's realy hard is to fend off the government regulation against the poor.

These hypocrits in Congress would deny children and the working poor the same insurance that they have.

I think we should take aware any insurance that Congress has - if they vote against insurance for others.

I don't think Congress should have any insurance (provided by the government) that others cannot have.

What a bunch of hypocrits.

Vote them out.

I am disgusted by the the SCHIP debate. Many families in the expanded program earn more than mine, and I have a husband dying of ALS. We get nothing from the feds. We get nothing from Montgomery County even though they can afford to spoonfeed illegal aliens. I'm a lifelong independent who has occasionally registered as a Dem, but I will NEVER VOTE DEM AGAIN FOR ANYTHING. They are nothing but a bunch of immoral pigs.

The Mark Foley Republicans are protecting children by vetoing SCHIP.

SCHIP could pay for the no-bid Bushies in Iraq for a week. If America's poor, sick children want health care, they can just go to the world's largest embassy in Baghdad and get all the pork they want. And free gasoline rebates for a year! All you can burn! Or just go to the emergency room.

This debate is simply about middle class parents wanting to buy their whining brats more stuff while working adults go without. If somebody can't live on $80,000 a year -- no matter where they live -- they should go down in flames.

Who is paying for this?????? You want to saddle smokers of tobacco products, which is about 30% of the population with the health care of supposedly indigent children. Healtcare is about 17% of the US economy. Try just adding a tax to Coca-Cola or Pepsi for this and see how far you get. I'm tired of Lard Ass politics coming down on what is a legal product in a case of creating a new social welfare mandate.

I thing that everyone should have access to appropriate healthcare. I just don't think that any one segment of society should bear the entire burden of it.

I think it's possible that Bush vetoed the bill not wanting to, because his party demanded it. And Congress has the power to go over his head.

The Congress is supposed to represent the will of the people. Let's see if they really do; I read a poll that said 83% of the people want the children's health bill.

It is so apparent how many sheep are in the Republican party. How many people on these boards keep quoting bushie baby and his 80,000 dollar lie about the SCHIP limits. Do a little research people and quit marching lockstep behind this idiot. Guess that is expecting a lot for a party that brought us bush in the first place. Oh BTW anybody remember this idiot saying 200 thousand was the new middle class when he was handing out tax cuts? Somewhere there must be a republican proud of his party I can't for the life of me figure out why. Found those weapons of mass destruction yet? When do those parades for us start in Iraq anyway? How long is a couple of weeks take in Iraq anyway, you know how long the war was supposed to last? No money for children but plenty for Blackwater and Halliburton huh? Anybody else laugh when the republican religious right idiot owner of Blackwater said they never killed innocent Iraqis? Then he explained how he fired that drunk mercenary from Blackwater for shooting down and Iraqi presidential guard after a Christmas party. Republicans living the lie and proud of it. Sorry so bitter but I became a publican back when RR was gov in Ca. and the current idiots that stole my party make me sick. I have gone from RINO to independent and proud.

Cart

Did anybody hear about the vote to deny educational benefits to military members who have not served in Iraq. I think it's a minimum of two tours of duty. This was passed on Friday.

If you have children who are thinking of joining the military, go with them and ask the recruiter. Make sure EVERYTHING is in writing.

No compromise!!!

Bush wants to throw a monkey-wrench into the whole program by adding unworkable rules about who can enroll when. What that means is that needy kids would get insurance when Bush wants rhem to have it, rather than when they need it. No one can determine when they're going to need insurance!

Do any of you Republican Scum want to comment on the "Compassionate Conservative" he Bush claimed he was? I need to fill my hot air balloon for a ride tomorrow and could save on fuel...

After reading more of the transcript between Corzine and Leavitt, it's is truly amazing how deeply the Bush administration believes that if you lie, misrepresent, and bully you can get what you want.

I'll ditto that, Republican scum of the earth!

What about corporate welfare?

OMG that village idiot Democrat Screwball
Speaker Nutty Nancy Pelosi and Senile Old
Harry Reid's Stupid Gameplaying With Nazi
War Criminal President Dry Drunk George W
Bush over vital child healthcare and the
Democrats trying to sneak in even more free
healthcare for Illegal Aliens and their
Anchor Babies is reason enough to vote out
Every Incumbent Democrat in 2008! The Idiot
Democrats damn well better Dump Speaker
Nutty Nancy Pelosi and Senile Harry Reid
before 2008 or accept that pair of Democrat
Screwballs Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have
already cost the Democrats the 2008 Election! We need term limits and to vote
out every Incumbent Democrat and Republican
presently in Congress to end the BS now!

What? . . . what did she say? . . . Huh? . . . You mean she said . . . actually said . . . the "O" word????

OVERRIDE????

But Cheney and Bush will KILL her! Doesn't she know that?

She must mean some sort of conditional override - mustn't she?

Well I'm still not holding my breath waiting for it to happen.

siezing the propterties of the EXECUTIVE BRANCH and families...put Crawford up for sale, and Jeb and Niel bushes properties in North and South America...as well as "Poppies," holdings, since so much has been stolen from the PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES...

as well as the assets of Bechtel, Halliburton/KBR/Blackwater, and the Carlyle Group...

as a first step in paying for this...

maybe they can work on paying off the money that we have had to pay for their getting a free ride for the last 50 years...as well as the costs in addiction from their supporting cocaine and heroin drug trafficking....the costs of that in medical/law enforcement, and containment probably exceeds their personal fortunes...

since they have such poor business skills...they reak havoc and make about 1/10 of 1 Percent for every dollar needlessly spent on garbage...

like an occupation in IRAQ....heck they gave away 12 $BILLION$ in plastic shrink wrapped $100 BILLS!!! 362 tons of money...they don't even know who they paid off....they didn't get a receipt...

or trying to off Chavez.

what a bunch of F. ups.

How sad and depressing -- and consistent --that the Torture President and dozens of "born-again" Republicans choose to deprive 9 million American children of health insurance. So much for "family values"! I guess their Bibles left out Matthew 25:41-43:

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

For what it's worth, W also promised FREE health care to Iraqi children, and reneged on that. But then, our wounded troops have also been getting short-changed.

It's hard to think of a single promise that these people have kept -- other than cutting taxes for their biggest contributors.

George W. flew in $12 BILLION DOLLARS of your money....to bribe IRAQIs with....so he could get rich...get a clue.

grow the F. up and hold the little sh*t responsible for doing a p*ss poor job.

make him pay for it.

take away his stolen properties.

.

When we hear the line this is for kids we cave. At what age do kids stop being kids? For SCHIPS it is 25!! I am sorry but at that age my child was on her own with her own insurance! This is a good bill but has many loop holes!! Bush was right to veto it! The kids that need it are not the ones that get it. Government run=poorly run! So before you call your congressman read the bill you might be shocked!

"...Dem give-away, political pork expansion of SCHIP..."

ALEX H.,

You are presumably not getting paid for writing this. So you don't have to worry about fitting in the maximum number of buzzwords.

And you do don't have to worry about filling margins. So you can complete the adjective "Democratic."

You must be the only person alive who looks at the headlines of the New York Post and says, "I wish I could be that clever some day."

I know how he intends to determine elgibility? Children will be eligible if the parents join the military and serve two tours of duty in Iraq. The children can be raised in camps and attend schools so no child can be left behind.

All RepubliCONs are scumbags, including the ones who vote for them. Let them all go to Iraq. That will be imposible though because RepubliCONs are all squawk and no substance.

Democrats in Washington are on notice too. Put a stop to this madness or you'll be out on your a$$e$ in the next election. Independents may start gaining a REAL big following. Gotta watch those RepubliCONs though as they will disguise some of their wolves in Independent clothing.

LAngeloMysterioso:

Religion and politics should not now or ever be intertwind into our government. Our Government acts for the good and well being of all, (or at least they use too).

My point is that there are way to many different cultures, ways of life and so many different religious beliefs throughout our world today to mix relegion with politics.

Lots of angry people here. Lots of animosity and angst. The issue is not which political party gains or looses, or whether the amount being spent is too much or too little. The issue is not all the demagougery. The issue is whether our society, the greatest of this age, will accept that children go without proper health care because insurance and health care costs have gotten out of hand. It is time for Americans to recognize that our society will be lost if we do not stand up and deal with the fundamental isues facing our society -- health care costs being one of many. Name calling and rattling insults is not getting it done. Enough already. Can't we ever put aside our petty differences and work toward the commmon good? Or have we become so wrapped up in who is in control, that policy no longer matters? We must step up, or the long slow decline will begin -- Solutions are what we need, not insults or political posturing. Just tilting at windmills.

those who vote against schip....will face the voters rath. the public is already fed up on iraq...give the demos more bullets on election day by voting against children healthcare.

It is long past time to marshal a bipartisan override of any Bush veto. None is more worthy at the moment than child health care.

For anyone to complain about the household income of some families that may seem to be making enough to pay for health care is to believe some American children and their families may 'get rich' off of bare bones health care. It isn't going to happen.

And George Bush is hardly enriching real American families. He can't seem to through money at Haliburton, Blackwater, his friends in Texas, and his oil buddies, but he throws a fit when a penny goes for American children, Katrina amends, First-Class airline seats for his high level partisan friends in Washington.

Health care for children is necessary. They should get it.

Remind Bush that during his administration there are no middle income families. He has split the nation into high income and low income. It is now the haves and the have nots, due to his war for oil.

When an amazing majority of voters wants their government to provide funding for SCHIP, and an amazing array of organizations support the legislation, it is equally mysterious why the Decider would oppose this legislation on the abstract principle of public vs private funding. Nor does the Decider's position jive with his No Child Left Behind initiative, which strives to improve public education. Did he mean to say, No Child Left Behind, includes healthy kids, and excludes sick kids? Let us all pray with Speaker Pelosi for the highest good for all children.

All the partisan protestors who whine "what about the CHILDREN!?" are ridiculous. This is just another wasteful, unneeded, bureaucratic expansion, entitlement to buy votes for Dems.

Bravo for racarn's comment. Bush's policy is to turn the rich into the super-rich, and the middle class into the poor. But don't write off the Republicans in 2008. Less affluent Americans are not only losing their children's insurance, but, due to skewed voter ID requirements in more than 20 states, they are losing their own right to vote as well.

With large numbers of Democratic voters disenfranchised, the Republicans will do quite well, thank you, at all levels in next year's election, from the White House on down. Not only America's middle class, but American democracy itself, is on the way out unless there is more effective opposition to the Bush cabal than anything we have now.

As Bill Maher said, President Bush is vetoing a bill that provides healthcare to poor children in the name of "principle." Strange, strange, strange.

The way I feel about this subject,If you are American regrardless of your of your income you pay TAXES.WE are spending 94 billion dollars a year on illegal immigrants and GOD only knows how much more we are spending on Iraq.What could be possibly be wrong with spending some money on (Ameican) people whether their adults or childern.It doesn`t matter if your Republican or Democrat.What does matter that WE THE PEOPLE of the United States Of America take care of the people of United States of America.In GOD we trust!!

The bill does'nt go far enough. There should be universal health coverage for all. Labor output depends on people's health; so it is essential to ensure it.

When 40 million working citizens are uninsured, it means that the private insurance companies really cant operate in this country (whatever the reasons may be).
There will always be private insurance, and this can be an option for those that can afford it.

Edwards is so full of it I can smell it from here. He talks about getting "combat troops" out of Iraq but those he'd leave behind to train Iraqi security, guard the embassy and help with humanitarian efforts would be fighting for their lives every day and then we'd have to send the combat troops back in to protect them. This all from the man, along with Hillary Clinton and Obama, who wouldn't commit to getting all the troops out and anding this war before 2013!
As reported in today's NY Times, Maliki now says reconciliation for opposing groups in Iraq is not going to happen, and were there wasting american lives and money on a hopeless civil war.
Edwards, Clinton and Obama just don't get it and neither is deserving of your vote. If you really want this war over with, we have options and as I see it, Richardson or Dodd are the best ones.

"The public is weary of this war. They want it to end, and they had expectations that Congress could end it," (Pelosi) said. "You know we can't without a presidential signature."
Pelsoi makes me sick. You don't need a presidential signature to cut funding for this war. Who does she think she's kidding? Her leadership on ending this war has been abysmal. The democrats should have been hammering at the republicans every day and submitting a bill with guaranteed timelines to bring all the troops home over and over again to Bush until the outrage against this war became so overpowering that Bush would have no choice. Instead, the democrats continued to fund the war and will again. Pelosi, has been a disaster and so has Harry Reid who appears to change his mind every other week about what to do about the war.

This S-Chip bill is just another way for Democrats to get more people into their government-run socialized medicine scheme. Why cover children who already have private health insurance? Why cover adults up to age 25?

It is simple - Dems want everyone to suck on the government's teet. And they want that teet to belong to Hillary Clinton.

Ugh! The thought!

SCHIP has captured all the ink lately. Bush is taking a terrible beating, immolating the Republican party to wave the red cape at public opinion -- needlessly!
Needlessly?
With this White House, you've got to ask, "Why are they willing to put this much political capital into a diversionary maneuver? What are they paying so dearly to hide?"
Could it be ... the new war in IRAN?

What IS this war going to cost our kid's by the way? The Boss never seems to mention that or bring it up,WHY??
It's sickening to see all of the hatred written in here by the "followers". You don't believe in reality,yet you listen and follow along with the neo-clownistic lies that are spewed out everyday on Faux News or that drug addict Limbaugh.
Do you ever have a thought of your own ?
If they live long enough to collect their Social Security(if there's anything left), they'll be the first in line for that. RIGHT!

Take from each according to his ability to produce and give it to each according to his ability to need.

clever idea...ask the one time paradise known formerly as the Soviet Union how it all worked out. peace. love and moonbeams

most of you have the idea all this money does not comes from the goverment its from the taxpayer and its one tax after another the iraq war we pay artists for crappy art work we pay we pay we pay when is a 22year old a child. when is a pregnant woman i child but they are coverd.i dont have kids but here it is i have to pay taxes for one feed them school them house them because mom and dad rather buy a bmw or a 40inch widescreen all you whinners out there find a job and pay for your kids the rest of us should not have to

This idiot is not only mean and heartless. He is SO dangerous because of his stupidity and says whatever Cheney tell him to say.

Cheney, if only the blood clot would do its work then we could maybe see a complete collapse of GWB, his Nazi Daddy and his Mamma. Oh! HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!

It's amazing to see how uninformed and nearly illiterate many of the Washington Post commenters are. Have any of you actually read the bill the President vetoed? It said 250% of the poverty line. Your arguments about $83,000 (400% of poverty) are therefore rather nonsensical.

SCHIP is not "government provided" healthcare. It is private healthcare purchased for children whose parents cannot afford it any other way. My daughter was covered under SCHIP until I could afford to purchase insurance for her myself. I didn't choose to have her continue in the program because I wanted it to be available for other children.

It's hard to believe that any of these folks who go after Democratic politicians for trying to insure more kids have ever had any real trouble in their lives. They have no empathy even for children -- ideology and bs from their thoroughly discredited President is more important than the truth, more important than what's right, and more important than our nation's children.

You should all be ashamed of yourselves.

Someone please tell Georgie that these same kids will be in his military in a few years....then he will go along w/health care plan. Simple as that.

He is so concerned about the health care providers (heavy contributors) losing a few kids to this plan. That is what is called "compasionate CONservatism", worrying about the PROVIDERS...not the children.

And if the 'government' health care is so bad, why does the decider have it?? Why does Congress have it?? Why does the military have it??

For each elected representative, decider and shooter included, who votes against this, let them give up their health care
PAID FOR BY US, that would be the ONLY plan that I would, Ms. Nancy, compromise on!!

The solution to the cost of living being different in various parts of the country and it being a stumbling block to the proposed children's health care program is simple. There is a precedent to address that very issue in the Medicare program. All of those in government know of the precedent.
The Medicare program uses what is called an "Area Wage Index" to appropriately distribute Health Care dollars from the Medicare program to various areas in the country were the cost of living is more or less than a standard. For example: an average of the area wages of the various areas in the entire country is one (1).
Each area would be more or less than the average. New York is 1.4 and Arkansas may by .8. That would mean in this case that if the unadjusted for area wage index poverty income guideline were $60,000 as has been used as an example for a family of three to be eligible under the proposed that New York the number would be $84,000 and in Arkansas it would be $48,000 when adjusted for the "Medicare "area Wage Index".
The numbers now make more sense.
That is an easy solution. It would be even better if they simply applied the area wage concept to the poverty income guidelines in the first place. That would solve a host of problems.
· HHS Poverty Guidelines and CMS Wage Indexes
This methodology multiplies the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines for a family of three by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) wage indexes for urban areas and rural portions of states. This method allows the wage to reflect local market conditions.

The Democrats have to cloak there agenda in the "FOR THE CHILDREN" format again rather than to openly say " We want socialists health care. I guess they know there's enough people to fool.

What can we expect from a mindless, brainless, son of a *****, scion of illegal oil money? I just wish there was some way that the merkin people could have wised up to this idiots agenda before they voted him into office the SECOND time!!!

i just beleve that both sides of our goverment are not doing the job its fine to come up with a plan for chilldren but its going to end up like all goverment run plans the money will not go to who needs it just like it isnt now .just like how the elderly programs that do not work just like the va hospitals do not work the irs the ssi just name a goverment program that isn without a huge problem and its not entirely the instant georges falt its been going on for thirty years ssi did not empty in the past 10 years the goverment has emptyed the ssi all along if they had not embezzled the funds rep and democrats have helpt them selves to it so yes when i see a new goverment program i say a few years it too will be a huge goverment run ripoff.and who pays the bill i know most of you dont give a crap all you care about is your party

for all that grip about the oil im sure when iran gets there grips on it i hope you dont mind 5 to 8 dollars a gallon

All you people are so full of crap. There is not one hospital in AMERICA that will turn away your child for healthcare...the fact is...they will even treat for..oh his nose is running...will he live...sure...that'll be $150 tax dollars please.

Your child has a better chance of getting a heart transplant WITHOUT insurance than you do WITH insurance.

When are you all going to realize that every attempt to get something from the government (free or not) cost you a part of your soul and your freedom.

Now go out and hug your kids and play with them and stop freaking out about this.

Yeah according to NANCY'new-stinker-of-the-House-of-Fools'PELOSI 'they' are close to over-riding PRESIDENT BUSH's 'healthy veto' of this DEMBHOLE SCHIESS!!! Yeah and 'pigs can fly for the chilluns' right??? Ha!!! The mostly DEMBHOLE [operant relevant portions of ^SSHOLES+DUMB-DEMOCRATS=DEMBHOLES] U.S HOUSE of 'FOOLISH' REPRESENTATIVES passed a bill to increase 'health-care' to supposed indigent children. Except the 'children' are now minors up until age 25 and are now 'indigent' even if their respective families earn up to $86,ooo dollars in income. Further people who can afford 'private insurance' will now receive mandatory 'government insurance' paid for by our TAX DOLLARS!!! Some 'SOCIALIST DEMBHOLE RIP-OFF eh??? 'Let's do it for the chilluns' - Ha!!! DEMBHOLE SOCIALISTA TURDHEADS!!!

Michael Levitt on ABC "This Week" tell's us the presidents position on the SCHIP health care issue is summarized in three words. "poor children first"

With the ocupation in Iraq now at a cost of 12 billion a month I summarize it in two words: "Americans first"

For 4 years the Republicans spent and spent and spent and not once did Bush veto a single bill. Now the president wants 190 billion more for his pet war, yet he claims 35 billion spent on Americas children is "irresponsible". No amount of GOP spin is going to change this fundamental truth.

Does anyone truely believe that it will be funded by cigarettes? We will be taxed to death. No one has mentioned that the poor not only account for U.S. citizens. This plan also makes it possible for illegal aliens to receive the same beneifts as U.S. citizens at our expense. What a reason for more to come illegaly!

I'm working with Families USA and we've launched a 30 sec ad and petition, asking Congress to override the veto. Our window of opportunity is closing. Working families have enough on their plate without having to worry about not being able to provide health care for their kids.
http://familiesusa.org/bushvskids/

Why is everyone missing the most obvious in this discussion? If the $6.10 tax per carton on cigarettes goes into effect, how many people do you think will stop smoking? Then how will this be paid for? Trust me, they will come after something that the supporters of this bill will be angered by. I see people everyday who get these government funded benefits. Most of them drive cars newer than what I own, come in the store I work at on their cell phones, and buy beer and cigarettes on daily basis. I don't have a cell phone because I can't AFFORD one. I don't buy beer on a daily or a weekly basis for that matter. And for people up to the age of 25. This is preposterous. The only reason most people of that age wouldn't have a job where medical insurance is made available to them is because they can't pass a drug test. It is my opinion that anyone seeking to attain these benefits should be tested for drugs/alcohol abuse, and screened for smoking. I have to submit to a drug test before getting a job. Therefore, if I have to pay taxes which enable these very people to get these benefits, they should be subjected to the same procedures. We do not have a "right" to health care. Do we really want the government to have the power to tell us what we can and can't eat? That is what this will lead to.

In the State I live in (NY), we have seen an immediate, coordinated, and expensive TV ad campaign against Bush and the local Congressmen who voted against this monstrosity. Led by - AFSCME an SIEU, both local, public sector unions which thrive off the public tit in NY. Do NOT tell me this is all about "the children."

Oh sure,you lying two faced little weaseal
Democrat Speaker empty pants suit loser
Nancy Pelosi you care about health care for
our kids,so much that you phony Democrat loser packed your own Democrat SCHIPS Bill will so much more free benefits for your Illegal Alien Winery,Vineyards,Restaurant
and Resort Workers that you employ in them and and want us American taxpayers to foot the bill and pay for them for you and your
lawbreaking illegal alien employer pals,
admit it you two face Democrat Loser Pelosi

I hope the House overrides this Veto. Bush is a complete moron and a hypocrite. He has no problem spending trillions of dollars in Iraq fattening the pockets of private contractors but when it comes to supporting American families and American children he opposes it. In comparison to other government initiatives passed by Republicans the expansion of SCHIP is paltry. And, their argument that illegal immigrants will qualify for this program is totally false and only posited to persuade ignorant conservative voters. Override the Veto!!!

Sandra Long:
Your entire comment makes no sense at all. Not only can you not type or spell but apparently your brain doesn't function that well either. You are an idiot!!!

I hate when conservative republicans spew the rhetoric that democrats are going to raise your taxes. The truth of the matter is, Bush and the republicans have already raised your taxes. Well, not necessarily your taxes but your CHILDREN'S TAXES!! The Iraq war and other out-of-control republican spending initiatives will increase you and your children's taxes in the future. How do you think we are going to pay for all of this debt that Bush has allowed the US to accrue? With taxation, duh!!! You might not notice it now but you will be paying for this Iraq war over the next 50-75 years!
And the Republicans called themselves the party of fiscal responsibility. LoL! And whats worse is that many ignorant conservative voters don't even realize or understand these very easy concepts and those are the people who will buy the rhetoric of the republican party when they try and say that the democrats were the ones that raised their taxes! Conservatives are such ignorant fools!!