WASHINGTON -- President Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have expanded government health insurance for children, his second rejection of an effort by Congress to dramatically increase funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), said the Associated Press.
The president has opposed using an increased tobacco tax to fund the expansion. The bill includes a 61-cent rise in the federal tax on a pack of cigarettes, as well as tax increases on other tobacco products. Bush said the bill was unacceptable becauselike the first oneit allows adults into the program, [image-nocss] would cover people in families with incomes above the U.S. median and raises taxes.
The bill passed the Senate by a veto-proof margin, but not the House. Even after the bill was approved, negotiations continued to find a compromise that would attract enough Republican lawmakers to override Bush's expected veto. But that effort was unsuccessful.
The vetoed bill would have increased federal funding for SCHIP by $35 billion over five years to add an about four million people to the program that provides insurance coverage for children from families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but cannot afford private insurance. The joint federal-state program currently provides benefits to about six million people, mostly children.
Bush has demand that nearly all poor children eligible for the program be found and enrolled before any in higher-income families could be covered. He originally proposed adding $5 billion to the program over five years, but later said he was willing to go higher as long as his conditions were met.
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