For the last two weeks we have read nothing about compromises on the vetoed SCHIP expansion. What we have seen both from the media and from prominent Democrats has been slanderous attacks against President Bush and other Republicans for being against the children. Missing from those soundbytes however are the issues that Republicans are really against.

It was a Republican controlled Congress which authorized the SCHIP program initially a decade ago, and for all intents and purposes, it has largely been a success. The proposed expansion of SCHIP had less to do with helping the children of the working poor and more with expanding an entitlement program, which could eventually lead to the Dems goal of a taxpayer funded healthcare system. The bill the President vetoed allowed for ‘children’ as old as 25 years old to sign on, and did not mandate that States check citizenship status prior to granting benefits.

Democrats continue to push children into the spotlight in an effort to gain more support from the American people. The problem is however the children the Democrats are pushing to the forefront of the debate are already covered by the SCHIP program that was drafted by Republicans 10 years ago, i.e. these children recieved the care they needed because of a Republican program! The reauthorization requested by President Bush also would allow these children to remain covered by SCHIP, so they are obviously the wrong spokespeople.

In the meantime, while Democrats are holding a 2 year old in front of them as a human shield to protect them from any political backlash for wanting to offer taxpayer money to illegal aliens, adults, and families which earn more than the average American, Republicans are finally doing something pro-active. As Rob Bluey is reporting:

Sens. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) will join Reps. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) to introduce an alternative to the Democrats’ $35-billion expansion. The lawmakers plan an afternoon news conference in the Capitol around the time of the veto vote.

Their alternative, based on a proposal crafted by the Heritage Foundation, consists of three elements:

1) A full reauthorization of SCHIP. The program would continue to cover children in families with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level;

2) A child health care tax credit. Rather than putting more people on a government-run program, the legislation advances tax credits to families with incomes between 200% and 300% of the poverty level; and

3) A health care “federalism” initiative. This piece would complement both the reauthorization and the tax changes in expanding health care coverage, and would encourage even more dramatic health care experimentation at the state level with different approaches to coverage expansion.

As it stands right now, Democrats are still trying to gain enough votes to override the Presidents veto, but it appears they are about 15 votes short. After that point it will be interesting to see how willing Dems are to compromise. Will they put the needs of children ahead of their own political needs and work with Republicans to draft a compromise?

My guess is it will take alot of pressure from the public to convince Dems to compromise, but it will be fun to watch it play out.

Michelle Malkin will be liveblogging the upcoming SCHIP debate, stay tuned.

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Congress, Health Care, Politics, President Bush