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Praising the President on His Veto

By Bluey Posted in Congress — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

President Bush vetoed the $35-billion expansion of SCHIP this morning, setting the stage for a crucial vote to sustain the veto in the House. Although congressional Democrats have been lobbying Republicans to override the veto, the GOP should have more than enough votes to put the brakes on this new entitlement.

While this issue certainly seems like a loser for Bush and congressional Republicans -- you can imagine the headline, "Bush Tells Kids to Drop Dead" -- it could also work to our advantage. After all, polling done after last year's disastrous elections showed that Republicans had lost their brand on fiscal restraint. It'll take months, perhaps years, to earn back the trust of voters. Putting a stop to government-run health care, or at least the precursor to it, is a good starting point.

SCHIP was meant for poor children and should remain that way. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, today called the bill "the single largest step to government-run health care." He also emphasized that this was an "important fight" to have in Congress and "pivotal" to the future of our country.

It might not be clear for some lazy reporters to see what's happening in this debate, but for anyone who follows health-care policy, it's quite obvious that liberals are using SCHIP as a first step toward socialized medicine. Hillary Clinton spelled out the strategy way back in 1993. Unfortunately, some Republicans on Capitol Hill, namely Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), have taken the liberals' bait.

Conservatives can do their part today by commending Bush for standing firm on principle. But we need to take it to the next level and embrace a meaningful alternative to SCHIP expansion. I laid out the general ideas behind such a plan last week, and I'm pleased to report that Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) has continued to work diligently to make it a reality.

Check out the report from CQ's Congress Daily ($) on the jump ...

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., is vetting a new proposal with Republicans and the administration that would keep current enrollees on the program and create a health tax credit for families at 200 to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

Martinez said he believes SCHIP enrollees could be retained for an additional $5 billion, but he added that he would be willing to add to that figure to ensure no one loses coverage. The bill sent to the White House would add $35 billion to the program.

Under Martinez's proposal, the new tax credit would give families $1,400 for health insurance. It is estimated to cover an additional 2 million children, Martinez said. It has yet to be scored.

"We're at an impasse after tomorrow," Martinez said Tuesday, referring to Bush's expected veto. "We, as Republicans, can't just be against something. We've got to be for something."

Martinez is working on the proposal with Energy and Commerce ranking member Joe Barton, R-Texas, and other House Republicans. The White House is involved in the discussions.

Conservatives who have been clamoring for an alternative may soon have it. The question is whether Republicans will embrace it.