Prometheus 6

Republicans pointed out that last month Congress approved enough money to fund the program, known as SCHIP, through March 2009.

"There is no child currently on SCHIP that is going to lose coverage, regardless of the vote today," said Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Tex.), the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Hm...I seem to remember the Republicans rejecting the identical argument as regards funding the Iraq invasion.

Then again, I seem to remember Bush rejecting the funding he demanded to protect Iraqi business interests.

Bush's Second Child Insurance Veto Stands in House
By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 24, 2008; A04

House Democrats failed for the second time in nearly four months yesterday to override President Bush's veto of a proposed $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

The 260 to152 tally left backers of the legislation about 15 votes short of the two-thirds majority of lawmakers voting necessary to override the president's Dec. 12 veto. Forty-two Republicans supported the override attempt, two fewer than in the previous effort to reject Bush's Oct. 3 veto of an earlier version of the bill.

Democrats argued that the nation's economic troubles made expanding a program that provides subsidized health insurance to children of the working poor all the more important.

"With the economy taking a sour turn, now is not the time to deny the most innocent and helpless Americans -- children whose parents can't afford health insurance -- what they so desperately need," said Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.