House Passes New Children's Health Bill

Democrats Alter Earlier SCHIP Bill, but White House Warns of Veto

By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Oct. 25, 2007 -- House Democrats pushed through another children's health insurance bill Thursday in hopes of pressuring more Republicans to support the measure.

The vote was a response to President Bush's veto of similar legislation last week. The president announced he would also veto Thursday's bill, despite attempts by Democrats and a handful of Republicans to compromise on controversial parts of the package.

Two hundred sixty-five Democrats and 43 Republicans backed the bill, almost the same number of each party that voted for it several weeks ago. Roughly 20 members were absent for the vote, many of them traveling in their Southern California districts because of wildfires there.

The result represented a failure for Democrats, who were hoping to win more Republican support in order to set up a possible override of the president's veto of an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Attempt at Compromise

During weekend talks and early this week, Democrats agreed to several compromises to win that support. They included tightening restrictions on state rules allowing parents of children in the SCHIP program to obtain benefits. They also agreed to tougher enforcement of rules meant to prevent illegal aliens from using SCHIP services.

"We have made significant, concrete changes to the legislation vetoed by President Bush -- changes that are designed to address the concerns expressed by some Republican House members," says Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House Majority Leader.

But Democrats failed to attract any new Republican votes with those changes.

"They put a fig leaf on, but the fig leaf is practically translucent. Probably transparent," says Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., who voted against the measure.

Overall the bill would expand SCHIP coverage from around 6.4 million children now to an additional 4 million. The plan would cost $35 billion over five years, funded with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in federal cigarette taxes.

The White House threatened to veto the bill just as Democratic leaders were leaving a morning news conference Thursday.

Several Republican senators who helped author the SCHIP legislation expressed disappointment that more in their party refused to support it.

The SCHIP bill now goes to the Senate for action.

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