President Bush vetoed another children’s health bill on Wednesday, effectively killing Democrats’ hopes of expanding a popular government program aimed at providing insurance to youngsters in lower- and middle-income families.
It was the seventh veto of Bush’s presidency and the second veto of a children’s health bill. Bush rejected a similar bill in October, despite support from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers sent Bush the updated version 10 days ago, and he had until Wednesday to reject the bill or let it become law.
“Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation, too,” Bush wrote in a message conveying his decision to the House.
The veto is another chapter in the president’s increasingly contentious battle with congressional Democrats over spending. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have been trying to wrap up their appropriations work by rolling 11 spending bills into one. Bush has threatened to veto the major measure, and the Democrats’ plans appeared in flux Wednesday,
If Congress sustains the veto of the children’s health bill, leaders of both parties say they hope to pass a one-year extension of the program, known as SCHIP, for State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Their aim is to include enough money in the measure to maintain current levels of enrollment, estimated at 6.6 million children.
To achieve that goal, the Congressional Budget Office says, Congress would need to provide at least $5.8 billion, $800 million more than the current spending. The bill Democrats sent to Bush would have increased spending $35 billion, bringing the total to $60 billion over five years, and would have added 4 million children to the rolls.
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Bush, however, argued that the measure would push people with private health insurance into a government plan and would change the original purpose of the program by allowing it to cover adults.
Democrats denounced the decision.
“It’s disappointing that even after weeks to reconsider, the president remains unwilling to give low-income, uninsured American children the health care they need,” said Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
Each side sees the clash making for good politics. The White House, convinced that Republicans lost congressional seats last year because the public was fed up with government spending, calculates that Bush will please fiscal conservatives by drawing the line against a big expansion of the program.
Democrats calculate that Bush will look heartless by vetoing health care for children.