"You don't know SCHIP!"

Well, I guess you can enter my name onto the list that says, "Hates Children!" Because I agree with The President that the SCHIP Bill sent to him for approval by Nancy Pelosi's "gang 'o thieves" is a bad piece of legislation! The original 1997 SCHIP legislation, was a good piece of legislation, that got "FUBARED" when Congress got their grubby little hands on it this year!

Just let me give you a short summary as to why I think this bill was correctly vetoed.

Here's how WIKIPEDIA describes the program... "The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a national program in the United States which was founded by Senator Ted Kennedy and First Lady (now a senator from New York) Hillary Rodham Clinton.^{[citation needed]} The program provides health insurance for families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, yet cannot afford to buy private insurance. The program was created to address the growing number of children in the United States without health insurance. "

[NOTE: Most of you who know me, know that I'd generally be against anything conceived between the ears of "C.M.G." Hillary Clinton - throw in authorship by a person who should be serving time in jail for manslaughter, and generally you get the feelings I try to hide when thinking about Mary Jo Kopechne's killer, Ted Kennedy.]

However, I was in favor of SCHIP when originally passed in 1997 because there is no reason why there should be poor American children without health care coverage. For those folks at (or a little above) the poverty level, who might earn too much to qualify for Medicare, but still not enough to afford private insurance, SCHIP was a God-send! In my estimation that might even include families making $50,000 or $55,000 annually - Poverty level for purposes of the bill are approximately $20,000.00 .

Unfortunately, because of Congress, even the current SCHIP plan in 11 states covers families earning between $56K and $72.2 K. Now, isn't that stupid? (New Jersey being the highest at $72,250! It figures!)

SCHIP covered nearly 7 million children in 2006 - it was doing the job it was created for. A job that - by the way - cost the American taxpayer $5 BILLION.

Then came the 2007 version of the plan which extended coverage to families who were making two and three times the national poverty level. In some states that meant families earning over $83,000 would be covered by the plan. Simple logic would tell you that folks making $80,000, aren't living in poverty! In addition the price tag for this version of SCHIP jumped to $35 BILLION! President Bush had budgeted for a continuation of SCHIP at the previous level ... it's not like we have $30 BILLION just laying around!

But that wasn't enough, Congress also changed the definition of children to include anyone under the age of 22. The term is "children," not kids in college! How about capping it at 18 or 19?

And, just to make the new version even more ridiculous, Congress didn't even tell you that 77% of the children who's families earn between $40,000.00 and $60,000.00 annually, are already covered under private health care plans and would have to opt out of those plans to join the federal SCHIP program! So, if they are already covered, why would we force them to drop coverage just to pick up federally funded coverage? IF THEY ALREADY HAVE COVERAGE - LEAVE THEM ALONE YOU MEDDLESOME OVER-OFFICIOUS BUREAUCRAT! I thought this was for uninsured poor children who couldn't afford coverage? Why are we doing this?

Oh that's right. It's because by-hook-or-by-crook the Liberals in Congress want to socialize medicine here in the United States, and extend governmental programs to a greater number of people. And once you've gotten people up to age 21, making $80,000 a year dependant on the government for their benefits, it's so much easier to "move" the next incremental step the next time the bill comes up for review. It's government becoming "everything" to all people. It's government answering all our questions, and knowing what's best for us. It's all part of the re-education process. It's not a handout, I deserve this!

"Baa - Baa" People!