Revised SCHIP Bill Faces Another House Vote October 25, 2007
News Summary
The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote today on a revised children's health bill that addresses some of President Bush's concerns about eligibility, the Associated Press reported Oct. 25.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill, previously vetoed by Bush, still calls for a $35-billion expansion funded by a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tobacco tax. It also calls for parity coverage of addiction and mental health problems. But the revised measure would now exclude families earning more than three times the federal poverty level, and phase out eligibility for low-income childless adults.
Bush's primary stated objection in vetoing the bill was that it would allow higher-income families to replace private health insurance with the government-funded SCHIP. The Senate easily mustered enough votes to override the veto, but the House fell 13 votes short of the needed two-thirds majority. In a letter, 38 House GOP members outlined their objections to the bill, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said have now been addressed.
However, the administration continued to object to the SCHIP legislation, with Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt stating that Congress has failed to justify the program's expansion from covering 4 million children to covering 10 million.
The revised bill is expected to easily pass both houses of Congress, but Bush has already vowed to veto it again.
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