WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Lois Capps, a nurse and Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement today after 152 House Republicans voted to sustain President Bush’s misguided veto of bipartisan legislation that would have provided health insurance to 10 million children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  The veto override was defeated by a vote of 260 to 152.  The bill would have protected the health insurance of 6 million children currently enrolled in CHIP and extended health insurance to 3.8 million children who are currently eligible, but who do not receive coverage due to a lack of funding:

“It’s disappointing the President and a few of my Republican colleagues could derail this common sense, bipartisan bill that is overwhelmingly supported by the American people.  The Children’s Health Insurance Program has helped ensure that millions of our most vulnerable children have the medical care necessary to be safe, healthy, and strong.  As more and more Americans feel the pinch of these uncertain economic times, access to essential health care for their children becomes all the more difficult to obtain and afford. 

“We can and should be able to do better than this for our children.  This bill would have provided an additional $35 billion to this successful program, ensuring coverage for 10 million of our country’s neediest children -- more than 6 million who are currently enrolled and an additional 3.8 million who qualify for the program but remain without coverage due to a lack of funding.   In California alone more than 600,000 children would have stood to gain health insurance had this bill been enacted, but the President and his Republican allies in Congress defeated our bill for the second time.  It’s unconscionable that a program that enjoys such strong support from Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress, as well as Governors of both parties, and most importantly from a majority of the American people, could be defeated by the misguided opposition of a few individuals. 

“As this economic downturn continues to threaten the jobs and challenge the budgets of hardworking American families, more children will face the uncertain prospect of lacking health insurance when they get hurt or sick and will have to forgo the important preventative care like regular check-ups.   Coupled with looming state budget cuts and the Bush Administration’s continued efforts to restrict access to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the immediate outlook for the health care of our nation’s neediest children is bleak at best.

“In the face of these challenging economic times and continued obstruction from President Bush and his Republican friends, those of us who care about the health and safety of all our children have our work cut out for us.  Despite today’s setback I will continue my efforts to press for this all important health care for our most precious resource, our children.” 

###

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.