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SCHIP

Congress should override veto.

Washin on/JTA

A

fter months of debate, nego-
tiation and compromise,
Democrats and Republicans
in the U.S. Congress sent to President
Bush a bipartisan bill that would
reauthorize the State Children's Health
Insurance Program. That
SCHIP measure would have
provided much-needed health
insurance to 10 million chil-
dren who otherwise would be
uninsured.
Regrettably, however, the
president chose to compromise
the health and well-being of
the youngest and most vulner-
able Americans by vetoing this
vital legislation.
We know that SCHIP works.
SCHIP programs in every state allow
millions of children nationwide to see
doctors when they are ill, have access to
medications, get regular checkups and
be hospitalized if necessary.
We also know that children with-
out health insurance are less likely to
receive care for childhood illnesses such
as sore throats, earaches and asthma.
Not surprisingly, children without
health insurance coverage are at greater
risk of experiencing significant health
and developmental problems. As a
result, they are less prepared to learn in
school and succeed in life.
What we don't know is why the
administration and some members of
Congress oppose this fully funded, fis-
cally responsible bipartisan bill. They
claim the compromise SCHIP bill
expands coverage to higher income
families. This claim is unfounded.
In reality, this bill represents a bipar-
tisan compromise to reach out to the
growing number of low-income, unin-
sured children in this country. More
than 75 percent of the children expect-
ed to gain coverage under the compro-
mise bill have family incomes below
twice the poverty level, or $41,300 for a
family of four.
What's more, acting in a fiscally
responsible manner, members of both
parties found a way to offset the cost
of offering SCHIP to great numbers to
eligible children.
Every dollar spent in this bill is paid
for. According to the Congressional

26A

October 18

2007

Reject Dems' gamesmanship

children has been accomplished, congres-
sional Democrats propose to spend SCHIP
funds on adults — even childless ones
ow that the battle between
— and expand SCHIP eligibility to families
President Bush and Democrat
leaders in Congress over a federal making as much as $83,000 a year.
And it explains why supporters of the
children's health program has heated up,
Democrats' approach are untroubled by evi-
it is important that Jewish leaders – even
dence that the predominant effect of their
those who affiliate with a different political
proposed changes would be to move
party than the president — not
children now covered in private
rely on biased or simplistic
plans onto the government rolls
accounts of what's at issue in this
Unfortunately, Baucus and corn-
showdown.
pany are concealing the costs of
The State Child Health
this down payment on full-blown
Insurance Program, or SCHIP,
socialized medicine with budget
was enacted by a Republican-led
gimmickry.
Congress and signed into law
They propose to finance ever-
by President Clinton in 1997.
growing spending commitments
Michael
Its mandate was to help states
with the proceeds from increased
David
finance health insurance for chil-
taxes on cigarette sales.
Epstein
dren in families that lack private
But the numbers don't add up.
Counterpoint
coverage but also earn too much
How
can it be that under the plan
to qualify for Medicaid.
pushed by congressional Democrats, states
SCHIP has made some progress toward
will see federal assistance under SCHIP
covering those children since its enactment
decline from $13.9 billion in 2012 to just
a decade ago, the Congressional Budget
$7.8 billion in 2013 and just $4.8 billion
Office found, cutting the uninsured rate in
in 2014? Is the cost of health insurance for
the target population from 22.6 percent of
children scheduled to decline precipitously
in five years, or is this evidence that politics
Yes On Expanding SCHIP
as usual has infected this children's cru-
As our two guest commentators debate SCHIP, the JN supports the congressio-
sade?
nal attempt to override the president's veto of a plan to expand this important
Consider this: A recent headline in The
quality-of-life program. We urge U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills,
Hill, a newspaper covering Congress, read:
to reconsider his position against support of expanding the State Children's
"House Dems see political win on SCHIP."
Health Insurance Program as proposed by Congress. The 1997 bipartisan pro-
The story quotes U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel,
gram provides health care to kids in families who don't qualify for Medicaid,
D-Ill., the Democrats' chief campaign strat-
but who are unable to pay for private insurance. We believe that concerns
egist in the House of Representatives, crow-
about expansion being too costly are tempered by provisions to prevent access
ing in anticipation of a partisan political
by families who earn too much and by full funding through a 61-cent tobacco
victory, a victory in pursuit of which he is
tax. In Michigan, expansion would cover 80,900 uninsured kids from families
willing to dishonestly assert that President
with annual incomes between $20,535 and $41,300.
Bush "does not believe in testing kids for
measles and mumps."
SCHIP's authorization has been extended
on
a temporary basis providing time for
children to 16.9 percent.
imperative to ensure that all of our
negotiations.
For the president and his congressional
children have the opportunity to grow
But congressional leaders — openly
allies, the aim is to build on that progress by
and thrive.
boasting
of their "success" playing political
maintaining SCHIP's focus on low-income
On Oct. 18, the choice for House
games
with
children's health care — have
children.
members is clear: Either you stand with
spurned
the
president's invitations to dis-
Congressional Democrats and their
the 10 million children who without
cuss
compromise.
boosters want to radically redefine the
this bill will go without health insur-
It is commendable that so many Jewish
program's purpose. The author of the
ance, or you stand with the administra-
groups
have taken an interest in this debate,
Senate bill, Finance Committee Chairman
tion and its misguided priorities.
but
our
community ought not give aid or
Max Baucus, D-Mont., explained that "the
Congress must exercise its pre-
comfort
to those pursuing such irrespon-
Children's Health Insurance Program is
rogative and overturn President Bush's
I
sible
gamesmanship.
another step to move toward universal cov-
veto. El:
erage" — that is, a health-care system run
Michael David Epstein is vice chair of the legisla-
by the government.
Phyllis Snyder is president of the National
tive affairs committee for the Republican Jewish
This explains why, even before the pro-
Council of Jewish Women.
Coalition.
gram's original mission of covering needy

Budget Office, the various provisions to
maintain and expand children's health
coverage in the compromise bill would
cost $34.9 billion over five years. These
costs are fully offset by an increase in
federal tobacco taxes.
Over the past month, Jews have been
wishing each other a happy and healthy
new year. That traditional greet-
ing takes on an added meaning
this year. On Oct. 18, Congress
has the opportunity to ensure
a healthy new year for millions
of America's children by over-
riding the ideologically driven
presidential veto of SCHIP.
Legislators from both sides
of the aisle, ranging from U.S.
Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa,
and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to the
U.S. House of Representatives
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., have
embraced the compromise bill to
expand SCHIP coverage. So, too, have
most Jewish organizations across the
spectrum, understanding the moral

VVashington/JTA

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