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Posts Tagged ‘SCHIP’
Letter to Todd Tiahrt
Categorized: Politics
Tagged: Healthcare, Hypocrisy, Republican, SCHIP, Todd Tiahrt
After seeing that one of my state representatives voted against the SCHIP expansion again, after the revisions that addressed each of his “concerns” I became angry. I wrote the following letter to him and will keep our readers up to date on his response, if there is one.
At this point it seems that it is merely a partisan fight. They will not vote for something an overwhelming majority of Americans wants because the Republican leadership doesn’t want to go against the Republican president on such a big issue. An issue that is a bi partisan, majority supported bill for our frickin’ children!!!
Representative Tiahrt,
As a Kansan I have called every one of our Representatives, participated in several different vigils and rallies, and worked on my political blog to gain support for the SCHIP expansion. I was very disappointed to see that even after the revisions to the bill that addressed what your concerns were, you still voted against it in the last vote.
I have 5 children, will be working 3 jobs and my husband works 2. We are lucky that his main job offers us good insurance for our family. There was a time last year; however, that wasn’t the case. Now we have thousands of dollars in medical bills that piled up very quickly with the birth of our son and his subsequent illnesses. We made too much money to qualify for Healthwave and we couldn’t afford private insurance.
You are ignoring 81% of the US population that supports the SCHIP expansion, 71% of whom would support it even if it meant a tax increase. You see, even if our children aren’t important to you they are to us. Due to Republican leadership and corruption our health care system is seriously flawed. I had to pay $600 for my baby’s first check up and immunizations, something that is required by law but that we could not get assistance for.
I would like to know what your position is now for not voting for SCHIP. The revisions in the bill would phase out coverage for childless adults (most states don’t have this anyway) within one year, there would not be coverage for anyone making 3 times the federal poverty level, and it would require stricter checking of social security numbers.
Surely 35 billion dollars over 5 years is not too much money when it comes to protecting this nation’s children. After all, you and your party are only too happy throw billions more into the illegal Iraq war. Are the deaths of our soldiers and innocent Iraqis worth more to you than the lives of our children?
The United States is second only to Latvia for the highest infant mortality rate in modern countries. It is time to listen to your constituents and stop blindly following the failed leadership of George Bush and do what is right.
I thank you for your time and look forward to your response.
Summer R. Ludwig
Bush Will Again Veto SCHIP
Categorized: Politics
Tagged: George W. Bush, Healthcare, Nancy Pelosi, SCHIP
Although the revised bill costs the same, 35million dollars over 5 years, Democratic leaders say that they have addressed the concerns brought up by the President who vetoed the original bill and the members of the House who voted no on overriding his veto.
Namely it will not allow coverage to families who make more than 3 times the federal poverty line, it would phase out coverage to young childless couples over a one year period (some states offer this, not all), and require stricter checking of applicant’s social security numbers.
“This is a clarification of the legislation” stated Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi denied requests from moderate Republicans for more time before the vote, which is scheduled for today, in order to try and get more supporters from their conservative partners.
The bill will almost certainly pass a majority vote before going on to get vetoed by our obstinate president. The changes made to the bill address his concerns except that the money is still coming from a cigarette tax which he opposes. Let’s hope that this time our Representatives will be able to override the veto and get the protection in place that our children deserve.
Mike Viqueira, NBC News’ reporter, has seen a lot of anger in the House Republicans who feel that these changes might just cause enough Republicans to deflect and actually support America’s children. The changes are specifically targeted to 38 Republicans who supported the veto and then wrote a letter detailing their concerns. The bill’s supporters are certain that these concerns are addressed now in the new legislation.
This just may mean success, now that their “legitimate” concerns have been addressed it will be harder for them to refuse to listen to a majority of American citizens, their constituents, without seriously damaging their opportunity for reelection. My fingers are crossed.
“For the Children”
Categorized: Politics
Tagged: Hypocrisy, Nancy Pelosi, Rush Limbaugh, SCHIP
Something about this phrase really amused Rush Limbaugh. As you can read here on his radio show transcript. He was in stitches that Nancy Pelosi had implored the House to do the right thing and override the president’s veto “for the children.”
Now, we’ve all seen overused catch phrases in politics, rhetoric that means nothing, but this time the issue at hand was “for the children”. As we have written about on this blog, SCHIP is a good program. The expansion would ensure coverage for 10 million US children. It’s supported by 81% of America with 71% of America saying they would support it even if it raised their taxes.
How can Right Wing spinmeisters take something that is overwhelmingly approved by the citizens and turn it into something dirty and evil? By repeating lies upon lies upon lies; by attacking the spokespeople for this bill; by calling Nancy Pelosi “pathetic” for attempting to get our Representatives to think of the children that this bill is designed for before they voted.
Nancy Pelosi in addressing the House before the vote stated, “We’ve had a much higher goal. This is what is achievable for the children. It should have been signed by the president. There is no reason that he has given that is consistent with the facts.”
If you’ve really looked into this story you know that she was right. Every reason that the president gave for vetoing this legislation was faulty or an outright lie. For more on this please see our story here.
I am surmising that because Rush knows that he cannot counter her logic with any evidence, facts, or truth he must immediately rail against her and get all of his cowardly followers up in arms. He does by stating, “That is embarrassing. That, folks, is literally pathetic. It is embarrassing!”
Exactly what was embarrassing or pathetic about telling the truth and imploring the House to do the right thing and think of the right people when they voted? NOTHING! That doesn’t matter; however, when you’re dealing with the radical right. Because they cannot defend their own ignorant positions they counter with baseless attacks the democrats, even when they are working on a bi-partisan piece of legislation that is approved by an overwhelming majority of America, and is FOR THE CHILDREN.
That is why Rush Limbaugh is this week’s SINNER!
SCHIP Fails
Today is a sad day for our nation’s children. After weeks of lies and smears the “pro-life until birth” crowd has re-affirmed their stance on life by denying the expansion of health care to millions of children. I am truly disappointed that more Republicans could not have put the well being of their constituency above partisan politics to support the passage of a bill that has the potential to help so many.
The final vote fell just shy 273 to 156, 9 13 (( edited to correct my bad math )) votes short of passing. For those who enjoy a moral victory I guess this is a good one. We managed to convince 44 Republicans to cross the isle in what counts as a strong bi-partisan effort in today’s politics. I am particularly pissed at the two Democrats who crossed over. They were Marshall(Georgia) and Taylor (Mississippi). Democrats are the party of the working people, maybe these guys didn’t get the memo.
Well, just wanted to get this out there while its still fresh. I hope that I never lose my job, and with it my family’s health insurance, otherwise this moral victory won’t make me feel better at all. I feel sorry for the millions of children who won’t appreciate this either. Luckily the Democrat who makes it to the White House next will care more about the health of our children than whatever it is Republicans care about. War, death, and killing I guess.
~ William ~
SCHIP Vigil
Categorized: Activism
Tagged: George W. Bush, Healthcare, SCHIP
This evening I took my 5 and 6 year old to our state capital building to participate in a candlelight vigil urging Congress to override the president’s veto of SCHIP. My kids were excited to go and I wondered how much they really grasped of what was going on. I asked our 6 year old son what he thought we were doing.
“We’re gonna hold candles and make George Bush say he’s sorry.”
“What should he apologize for?” I asked bemused at his answer.
“He doesn’t want all the kids to go to the doctor and get shots and be healthy every day.”
At this point his 5 year old sister chimed it, “It’s because he’s wrong, he thinks kids don’t want to go to the doctor but they really really do. Maybe he just needs a hug and a time out.”
To set the stage a little we do explain in child friendly age appropriate terms what is going on in our country, especially if it impacts them or someone close to them. We try very hard to present facts and not to indoctrinate them into our personal beliefs. We encourage critical thinking, asking questions, and being able to come up with your own ideas on things.
I’m usually pretty amazed at the way the kids, especially the younger ones, grasp things. They are very caring and at times inform others of their opinions. Tonight we ran by the store to buy candles and our daughter was chatting up everyone she could about the importance of the “candle virgil” and how “George Bush said ‘no healthy surance!’”
This enthusiasm and genuine empathy for others is something that I wished people never lost. If we could just see things through the eyes of a child more often perhaps we would be better off.
The vigil was wonderful, all the kids there did an awesome job and should be an inspiration to us adults. Our daughter did scare one little girl with the statement, “kids need healthy surance so they can get shots!” but overall it was great. Oh, and if anyone sees a chalk drawing on the sidewalk outside of the capital building that looks an awful lot like a part of the male anatomy, my son assures me it is a snail going to the doctor. I guess he has “healthy surance”.
If you haven’t already please contact your Representatives and urge them to override the president’s veto on SCHIP. You can find the contact info HERE.
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