Bush Threatens to Veto CHIP

We continue to be apprised of what a monster we have in the White House. Even as we hear now how, according to Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, Justice Souter “was so upset about the result in Bush v. Gore that not only did he almost resign the Court because he was so upset, but there were times when he thought about the case and he wept.”

The vote of just one Supreme Court justice has cost us dear. For the first time in American history we have a president who was not elected by the American electorate. And it is so fitting that that is the case because this is the worst president in American history. Bar none. Worse than Calvin Coolidge, Richard Nixon and Warren G. Harding, combined.

And now he threatens to veto one of the greatest bipartisan pieces of legislation to come out of the Senate and will pass next week in the House by a huge margin: the Children's Health Insurance Program, a state-federal program that subsidizes health coverage for low-income people, mostly children, in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private coverage.

CHIP expires on September 30th. If it is allowed to expire, children in 15 states will no longer be covered by health insurance.

Bush’s rationale?

“Bush has promised a veto, saying the measure is too costly, unacceptably raises taxes, extends government-covered insurance to children in families who can afford private coverage, and seems like a move toward completely federalized health care”.

Besides, Bush has a war to prosecute and he needs those kids’ health insurance premiums to do that. Oh, yes, that’s the other result of that one vote of one of the five Supreme Court justices that gave us this president. A war that is costly in both lives and treasure, a war that has removed our country from every other country’s admiration list.

Bush has the blood of American soldiers on his hands. He has the blood of Iraqi men, women and children on his hands. Now he’s trying for the blood of America’s own children. America’s greatest resource. America’s promise for the future.

None of this blood will ever wash off. Bush needs to consider this as he endures the righteous wrath of the vast majority of Americans for the many remaining years of life after he leaves office. The rejection. The boos. The infamy.

It won’t be a pretty sight.

HB 109 Passes - Kids Get CHIP

It took awhile and a second reading, but Sylvester Turner’s HB 109 which would restore health insurance to children of the poor passed by 126 to 16, Craddick not voting.

As written in the El Paso Times:

“The bill, which passed with a vote of 126-16, would reduce restrictions on Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollment and allow more than 100,000 additional Texas children in the program, according to a legislative analysis. It would undo some changes legislators, trying to save money because of a nearly $10 billion shortfall, made to the Childrens Health Insurance Program in 2003.”

I didn’t see it but I heard the amendment war was strident, with 28 amendments put forth. Of the 28 only 6 were adopted. Amendments by Sylvester Turner and Yvonne Davis were procedural and corrected wording. Ones by Dan Flynn, Patrick Rose made sure there was sufficient wording to keep aliens from being covered by CHIP. Gattis and Corte tried to amend by including wording that would require people in the program to reapply for eligibility every 6 months rather than every 12. That didn’t work and from that point it looked like passage was going to happen. Trey Martinez Fischer’s amendment to ensure that the information provided by section 2 of the bill be available in Spanish and English was passed, and finally Larry Taylor to strip the 90-day waiting period for a newborn under 90 days old.

They say that most of the children that lost their coverage in 2003 will regain their eligibility. Not as many as they wanted, but 100,000 children will get their health benefits restored.

The 16 Nay votes were from the following:

Leo Berman, Joe Crabb, Robert Eissler, Dan Flynn, Linda Harper-Brown, Charlie Howard, Carl Isett, Jodie Laubenberg, Nathan Macias, Sid Miller, Tan Parker, Ken Paxton, John Phillips, Debbie Riddle, Robert Talton and Larry Taylor.

Was this a vote based on religious values? You can bet. Who on God’s Earth would be against children’s health? Jesus loves little children.

Sixteen Republicans in safe districts, that’s who. Being from a safe Republican district allows you to do things that Jesus would not approve.

But Satan most certainly would.

CRADDICK KILLS CHIP BILL AUTO-CRADDICK RULE ONCE AGAIN FAILS TEXAS KIDS

I am just going to pass this on on with no written comment. I really don't trust myself right now with civility.

Below is a statement from Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie on Speaker Tom Craddick’s decision to send back to committee HB 109, a bill to restore funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program:

“By killing legislation that would restore much-needed CHIP funding, Speaker Craddick killed the chance for thousands of Texas children to finally obtain health care without an emergency room visit.

Under Craddick’s heavy-handed rule, our state’s uninsured rate continues to climb, while the CHIP rolls drop. This is yet another slap in the face for the hard-working Texas parents who simply can’t afford for their kids to get sick.

I applaud Democrats in the State Legislature who have worked to undo the damage caused by the Republican failure to restore full funding to CHIP and remove the red tape that has prevented far too many children from getting the health care they need.”