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Washington D.C.- Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, issued the following statement after House Democrats failed to override President Bush’s veto of a bill to expand SCHIP and provide taxpayer funded healthcare to middle income American families:
“After two weeks of political posturing by Democrats at the expense of poor children, it is my hope that we can now go about the business of ensuring that SCHIP can do what it is supposed to do – help insure children from low-income families.
“Democrats are insisting that taxpayers pay for government run healthcare for middle income families at the expense of lower income families. Once again, they are trying to provide benefits – intended for children – to adults, illegal immigrants, and those who already have private health insurance. In addition, Democrats will hit the working poor with a massive tobacco tax that primarily falls on families with less than $30,000 in income. They are going to tax the working poor to give subsidies to those making up to $82,000 a year.
“If Democrats are serious about putting children first, House conservatives would work to pass responsible legislation that is consistent with the intent of the SCHIP program – helping low-income kids. Unfortunately, Democrats seem more serious about politicizing the issue, using children as political props, and trying to force America to leap into a healthcare system that empowers Washington bureaucrats over families and doctors. Enough is enough – its time for Democrats to match their rhetoric with decisive action.”
NOTE: Although SCHIP was created in 1997 by a Republican-led Congress to help provide poor children with health insurance, Democrats continue to refuse to work on behalf of those same children to reauthorize the program. As a result, they have brought the legislative process to a standstill in order to score political points at the expense of poor children.
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