Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of overriding the President’s veto of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007.
I was deeply disappointed that the President exercised his veto pen on a bicameral and bipartisan bill. Not so long ago, the President pledged to expand coverage of CHIP to include eligible children who are not yet enrolled in the program. In his September 2004 speech to the Republican National Convention, the President stated – and I am quoting here, “We will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the government’s health insurance programs. We will not allow a lack of attention, of information, to stand between these children and the health care they need.” With this veto, the President has reversed course and turned his back on America’s children.
The CHIP Reauthorization Act would reauthorize and improve the very successful Children’s Health Insurance Program for five years. This bipartisan bill would preserve coverage for the six million children currently enrolled who otherwise would have no access to health insurance while extending coverage to 3.8 million children who are already eligible, but not enrolled in the program. The bill also includes guaranteed dental coverage and mental health parity in the CHIP program. By reauthorizing this very important program, we would strengthen CHIP by improving the quality of health care children receive and at the same time increase health insurance coverage to one of the most vulnerable segments of our society.
This legislation is paid for. It increases the tobacco tax by 61 cents to a total of one dollar. Increasing the tobacco tax will save billions in health costs and is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among young children. In short, raising the tobacco tax will prevent thousands of children from starting to smoke and the proceeds of the tax will be used to provide health coverage for children. That is a win-win result.
Madam Speaker, we should do the right and moral thing and override this veto. I strongly urge my House colleagues to override the President’s veto on this bipartisan legislation.