House Republicans Contend That H.R.2 is Not Bipartisan, Democrats Disagree

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, for Talk Radio News Service



In Wednesday's statements prior to voting, Republicans led by Pete Sessions (R-TX) complained that they had been effectively shut out of any debate over the provisions of H.R. 2: Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. They said the 40 percent of House members who were Republicans and the 12 percent who are freshmen (Note: this appears to double count 22 out of 54 freshmen), were not included in the drafting of the bill’s provisions.

Democrats, led by Jared Polis (D-CO) countered that the original bill was co-sponsored by Republicans and the extension was passed twice with overwhelming bipartisan support already, only to be vetoed by then-president Bush. Since there are no substantive changes, they said, this bill is bipartisan.
Republicans stated that they want to pass an extension of the existing bill, but not an expansion.
The current version, they feel, invites fraud by removing the proof-of-citizenship requirement. It expands coverage to families with much higher incomes than before, up to 80 thousand dollars, by raising the qualifying threshold from twice the poverty level to three times that, and by waiving some forms of income from consideration. This, in turn means that the four million new enrollees will include about 2.4 million who are actually privately ensured now. S-CHIP should not compete with private insurance because public healthcare pays only 30-50 percent of market, making providers reluctant to see such patients, thereby reducing access and lowering quality.

Several states are using S-CHIP to cover adults, they added. The net effect, according to Steven King (R-IA), will be to raise the true cost from the projected $3.85 Billion to over $15 billion. Cigarette taxes are not going to be nearly enough to pay for that, especially if smoking rates continue to fall.
Sessions reminded Democrats of their own criteria for the bill, saying, "This is neither cost effective nor common sense."
Democrats said caring for children should be the nation's first priority. They pointed out that children born here are citizens regardless of their parents' status, and children have no say in their own socioeconomic circumstances.
Healthcare dollars are cost effective, they said, because they ensure healthy workers and help reduce the high costs of under-managed chronic disease and of avoidable emergency department visits. The younger we begin preventive care, the greater the return on the investment. Healthcare also generates high quality, lasting jobs.
In the words of Alan Grayson (D-FL), "Choose life."

The measure passed, with 30 Republican votes, 183 to 89.

Congress presses for children's health insurance

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) commented on Congressional efforts to pass the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), describing it as a symbol of President Elect Barack Obama's promise to bring change to America.

According to data released by the Majority Leader's office, SCHIP will provide health insurance for over 11 million children, give parents greater access to preventative care, and allow states to enroll documented immigrant children in the country in health programs without waiting the five year waiting period.

Hoyer addressed concerns raised by conservatives that SCHIP will provide federal funds for children in the U.S. illegally, dismissing the complaint as a red herring and promising that nobody in the country illegally will receives SCHIPS's benefits.

Despite having support from a number of Republicans, SCHIP was vetoed twice in 2007 by President Bush. Following the initial vetoes, Hoyer stated that Democrats in Congress pledged that if they were reelected under a Democratic President they would pursue SCHIP again.

The Majority Leader also discussed upcoming legislation that would reform the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). The legislation seeks to enforce the original intentions of the bill, such as requiring a substantial amount of the remaining $350 billion to be used for lending, and will also be subjected to additional oversight.