The Truth About SCHIP
By Congressman Bill Shuster Posted in Congress — Comments (21) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Accusations have been made in the media that a vote against the Democrat’s SCHIP program is a vote to take healthcare away from poor children. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let there be no mistake; I have no desire to take healthcare away from poor children and I strongly support the SCHIP program. Since its inception by a Republican Congress in 1997, SCHIP has proven extremely successful in bridging the gap between Medicaid and private insurance for low-income children. In Pennsylvania alone, the SCHIP program has succeeded in providing health insurance for 163,000 children.
My record speaks for itself. I am a strong supporter of reauthorizing the SCHIP program, and I am a proud cosponsor of the “SCHIP Extension Act of 2007.” This legislation would guarantee that current SCHIP funding levels remain fully funded through March of 2009. Democrats in Congress had the opportunity to embrace this common sense, bipartisan approach to reauthorize the SCHIP program. They rejected it and made a shrill political decision to craft a bill that would immediately draw a Presidential veto and manufacture a controversy to revive their flagging public support.
By politicizing SCHIP, the Democrats polarized the issue of children’s healthcare to an extreme that I could not support. The reasons for my opposition are clear. I cannot support an SCHIP plan that extends coverage to illegal immigrants. I cannot support a plan that burdens taxpayers with hidden costs to fund a massive increase in entitlement spending. And I cannot endorse a plan that plays politics with the health of our nation’s children. The unfortunate fact is, the Democrat’s SCHIP plan does all of these things.
First, the Democrat’s SCHIP bill extends benefits to illegal immigrants by lifting the requirement demanding program applicants prove their citizenship status. Second, the Democrat’s bill significantly expands SCHIP at taxpayer expense, inflating the cost from $35 billion to $110 billion. To pay for such a massive expansion, the Democrats will raise tobacco taxes on cigarette packs by $0.61 to $1, and taxes on cigars up to $3. Tobacco taxes are an extremely unstable and inadequate source of revenue for such a large program. In fact, it is estimated that 22 million people will need to take up smoking over the next five years to fund SCHIP at the levels passed in their bill.
Democrats argue that their plan will insure 5.8 million more children. They fail to mention that of those children 2 million, or 35 percent, would have otherwise been covered by private insurance. SCHIP was never designed for this. Instead of covering children whose parent’s incomes are at or below the poverty level, the Democrat’s plan expands the program far past its boundaries to families in excess of 300 percent above the poverty line who could make as much as $80,000 a year.
The Democrat’s bill also manipulates accounting to mask the true cost of their plan. While they do increase SCHIP funding for the first five years, they then drastically cut it by 80 percent. This budgetary ‘black hole’ will result in two possible and unacceptable outcomes: either taxes will be raised to cover the estimated $110 billion price tag for SCHIP or the children enrolled in the program will be pushed into Medicaid creating an entitlement disaster.
I voted against the Democrat’s SCHIP proposal for these reasons. The Democrat’s decision to turn a worthy program like SCHIP into a bumper sticker slogan for the upcoming election does nothing to help our children. It is my hope that members from both parties will sit down and work out a resolution to this issue that can be accepted by everyone. Our children deserve nothing less.
"I, frankly, don't know what we do to win this politically..."
That's the answer, Mike.
We must make a concentrated effort to explain "conservative principles" to the American electorate, and quit wasting our time answering questions that are premised as "political correctness equals good policy."
Refuse to lend credibility to the "Church of Liberalism."
***
“Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so.” – Ronald Reagan
We talk about "low-income children" but there is no definition of this term. Most kids do not make much money. That was half-serious, but it does raise the question of just where are the parents here?
And what is income? Does it include child-support money and alimoney (intentional) received by the mom? Most real poor kids are covered under Medicaid. In Florida, the SCHIP program was getting smaller because fewer folks were applying. The state insists they need to advertise it more, that the lower enrollment could no way mean that fewer people need it. We already fund internet access for the poor, so they should know about it, right? Or else why pay all those taxes on phone and cell bills (my home phone bill is 33% taxes). This is the usual path to "welfare creep". The program works, and then we increase the limits because fewer people need it, instead of shrinking the program and announcing its success.
And I agree however you illustrate my point. Which do you think is more effective politically, your summary or a little kid asking the Prez to please get him health insurance?
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
You won't take any more heat for doing that than you will for not "insuring" the kids of families that make $80K/year.
____
CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
The Democrats insisted on pushing ahead with their program, now make THEM get the votes to pass it.
And SOMEBODY talk to Bobby Jindal...
But we also have to win the battle politically because if we don't there won't be enough to sustain a veto which won't come since President Clinton will gladly sign a new version of SCHIP for families up to 100K.
We need to find examples of other programs that were bloated and corrupted that were also sold as helping poor children.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
By telling people that Democrats are promoting upper middle class welfare, which I'm sure is about as popular as corporate welfare with the average voter.
Argument. That would work in a debate however people do not understand that, they do understand a kid pleading for the Prez to please give him the health Insurance he needs.
Dp you really think that middle class welfare will win people over when the Dems trot out kids begging for the Prez to please get them health care.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
We. Can't. Afford. It.
We can't afford to have government foot the bill, because we have to start saving up if we want any chance of keeping Social Security afloat.
We as private citizens can't afford it either, because every time we pass a new government program subsidizing medical care, the result is higher medical care costs for everyone else.
It might sound like a nice idea, but the money just isn't there to have government pay for everything that sounds nice.
Might be a reasonable argument however we are funding a war with a Price tag three times higher. So you see the Dems come back with the Reps are willing to fund an endless unwinnable war but not Health Insurance for kids. Gee who wins that politically. You all need to wake up. This is an absolute political nightmare unfolding for Reps.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
If all the Reps worry about is doing the right thing, then come 2009 there will not be enough votes to sustain a veto which would not be an issue since President Clinton would sign an SCHIP bill all the way to 100K anyway. While the Reps worry about doing the right thing, the Dems are hammering us and it does not seem as though we have sny answers politically. Last Saturday, they trotted out a 12 year old to plead with the Prez to please get him health care in their response to the radio address.
Do you have any idea how badly the Reps are being hammered right now. They don't have time to merely do the right thing. I see politicians coming on here to plead their case. If that is the best they are going the do, the Reps may not keep 40 percent of both houses let alone the Presidency.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
Any less. Get your head put of the sand. This is not merely a left wing myth. The perception is the Reps don't care about kids. Health Insurance an important issue for most people.
I believe you were touting Rasmussen for their polling. Well, check out the polling from Rasmussen on this. We are not in the majority and it isn't close.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
You do like. It really does not matter since we are getting hammered in every poll.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
I see no great groundswell in public support for this. But more to the point, what do you believe we should do about it? The expansion of Schip to even upper middle class people is a perfect example of pandering, socialism, and growth of centralized government, are we not supposed to fight against it?
Why not just give up and join the democrats?
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/57_oppose_bush_v...
You don't see it because you don't want to see it. Meanwhile' the Reps get hammered.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/57_oppose_bush_v...
You don't see it because you don't want to see it. Meanwhile' the Reps get hammered.
I told I am with you on policy but frankly with all due respect the policy on this is not neárly as important as the politics. This will be used to bludgeon every vulnerable Rep and help guide Hillary into the WH where she will enjoy overwhelming majorities.
Is that what you want? Standing on principle is great but if you can not deal with the politics of it as well then you will win the battle and lose the war politically.
The Reps will veto this bill and then pay dearly come next November unless their political strategy changes dramatically on it.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'
Ronald Reagan
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com
I would like to ask the Representative just how the new SCHIP bill extends benefits to illegal immigrants.
While it is true that the new law does allow States to waive the current requirements to review identification documents like birth certificates, applicants must provide proof through a valid social security number that the child is a United States citizen. The following comes from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Some opponents of the bipartisan SCHIP compromise legislation are charging that the bill opens Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to illegal immigrants. This charge is false. Parents in all states would be required to sign, under penalty of perjury, that their children are U.S. citizens and to provide the children's Social Security numbers. States would then have the option of either continuing to apply the documentation requirement enacted in 2006 or of verifying each applicant’s and recipient’s name and Social Security number with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Only US citizens have valid Social Security numbers, so how does this SCHIP Bill give health benefits to illegal immigrants?
Respectfully,
A Resident of the 9th Congressional District
I am with you on policy. We all are, but you must know that you are getting killed on this politically. You reasoning is solid, but let's face it, your reasoning is dry. The Democrats put up a twelve year old kid who said that the President won't let him have insurance. It is hard to win a political debate when you put together a plethora of statistics, and the other side has a kid crying that he won't have proper health care.
I, frankly, don't know what we do to win this politically but it is a lot more than appealing to the base. The base gets it. You all need to get out and get in front of other voters and let the rest of the country know of the pernicious nature of bloated government, socialized medicine, and wasteful spending.
Ronald Reagan
Edward R. Murrow
www.proprietornation.blogspot.com