Grassley: Bush Holding Kids' Health Hostage

GOP Senator Says Bush Should Put Health Bill Before Policy Goal

By Jonathan Weisman and Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, September 25, 2007; Page A04

A senior Senate Republican accused President Bush yesterday of holding a bipartisan expansion of the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program hostage to his broader policy goals of using tax deductions to help people afford private health insurance coverage.

With a five-year, $35 billion expansion of the children's health insurance program due for a final vote in the House today, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and White House aides agreed that Bush's opposition to the legislation stems not from its price tag but from far larger health policy issues. The White House wants to use the issue of uninsured children to resurrect the president's long-dormant proposals to change the federal tax code to help the uninsured, adults and children alike, Grassley said, calling that a laudable goal but unrealistic politically.

"The president has a goal that I share, that we need to take care of the uninsured through private health insurance," said Grassley, relating a sharp conversation he had with Bush on Thursday morning. "But you can't put that on this bill."

"It's bad policy," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said of the children's health bill. "Why should we go along with bad policy if we've got something better?"

A day before the House vote, lobbying on Capitol Hill was in high gear. A broad coalition -- including liberal health policy advocates and their usual foes, the health insurance lobby -- endorsed the SCHIP bill, urging House Republicans to get on board and the president to sign it. The bill appears to have at least 69 votes in the Senate, a bipartisan, veto-proof majority, so White House lobbying has focused on House Republicans.

Reps. Heather A. Wilson (N.M.) and Ray LaHood (Ill.) released a letter to fellow Republicans yesterday, urging them to vote for the bill.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/24/AR2007092401562.html

:wow:

Hope he gathers enough Senators to override *'s upcoming veto.

cooler heads must realize vetoing this is NOT a good idea.

insuring children. :eyes:

sick children to pay for the wars and his deficit."