macjoe53
09-21-2007, 10:34 AM
Bush says bill to insure children goes too far
Veto threat one of nearly a dozen as fiscal year ends
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
THE NEW YORK TIMES
WASHINGTON -- President Bush, bracing for a series of battles with Congress over spending, threatened on Thursday to veto a bill expanding a popular children's health insurance program, calling it "a step toward federalization of health care."
The program expires Sept. 30, and Congress is on the verge of renewing it by providing coverage to an additional 4 million children over the 6.6 million already enrolled -- at an additional cost of $35 billion over five years. Bush says the bill would expand a program aimed at helping the poor beyond its original intent.
The veto threat is just one of nearly a dozen the White House has issued recently aimed at a variety of bills including measures on education spending and financing for medical research. With the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Bush and congressional Democrats are headed for a showdown over spending similar to the one that preceded the government shutdown of 1995.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have yet to complete action on any of their 12 major spending bills. But even if they do, Bush will not sign them; he has issued veto threats on 10 of the 11 appropriations measures passed so far by the House.
At his news conference Thursday, Bush sought to get out ahead of the Democrats by painting them as big spenders and himself as a responsible steward of taxpayers' money. He urged Democrats to pass a temporary extension of the health insurance program, and accused them of playing politics with children's health care by waiting until the program was about to lapse to send him legislation they know he will veto.
"In other words," Bush said, "members of Congress are putting health coverage for poor children at risk so they can score political points in Washington."
Democrats are trying to force Bush into the uncomfortable position of vetoing a bill covering 10 million children before any spending bills reach his desk. They are casting Bush as the compassionate conservative who forgot his compassion.
"They thought they were going to get a fight on spending appropriations, and what they're getting is 10 million children's health care," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois Democrat who is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. "Sept. 30 is the deadline on kids' health care. We're going to meet that deadline and he's going to get a chance to side with 10 million kids or not."
If Bush's emphasis on fiscal restraint is angering Democrats, it is pleasing conservatives in Bush's own party, who long have accused the president of allowing government spending to run amok. That criticism is percolating again in Washington this week from an unlikely source: Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, who in a new book has accused Bush of putting Republican politics ahead of fiscal responsibility.
On Thursday, Bush defended himself: "I respectfully disagree with Alan Greenspan when it comes to saying that this administration didn't handle the fiscal -- the fiscal issues we faced in good fashion. As a matter of fact, we did."
In calling for Congress to pass a "clean, temporary extension" of the current State Children's Health Insurance Program, Bush argued that the Democratic bill would raise taxes and allow children whose families earn up to $83,000 a year to enroll. The Democrats propose paying for the measure by raising the federal excise tax on cigarettes.
But the chief Republican sponsor of the bill in the Senate, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, said Bush "is getting bad information." He said Bush's reference to the $83,000 limit was drawn from a proposal put forth by New York state to receive an exemption from the program's restrictions, which the administration recently denied.
The senator said he appealed to the president directly on Thursday morning, telling Bush that a long-term extension of the current law would leave children uncovered, and that the $5 billion increase in the program the president has proposed is not enough to cover more children.
"Drawing lines in the sand at this stage isn't constructive," Grassley said, adding, "I wish he'd engage Congress in a bill that he could sign instead of threatening a veto, and I hope he'll still do that."
Democrats were more pointed. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., accused Bush of a "stubborn and uncompassionate stance," while Rep. John Dingell, the Michigan Democrat who is the longest-serving member of the House, called Bush's stance "shameful."
The House and the Senate have approved the legislation in different forms, and for the last month they have been trying to reconcile their differences. Though they have not announced the fine points of their final bill, they have agreed on its major provisions and are expected to approve it next week. But it is unlikely that the approval will come with a veto-proof margin.
Veto threat one of nearly a dozen as fiscal year ends
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
THE NEW YORK TIMES
WASHINGTON -- President Bush, bracing for a series of battles with Congress over spending, threatened on Thursday to veto a bill expanding a popular children's health insurance program, calling it "a step toward federalization of health care."
The program expires Sept. 30, and Congress is on the verge of renewing it by providing coverage to an additional 4 million children over the 6.6 million already enrolled -- at an additional cost of $35 billion over five years. Bush says the bill would expand a program aimed at helping the poor beyond its original intent.
The veto threat is just one of nearly a dozen the White House has issued recently aimed at a variety of bills including measures on education spending and financing for medical research. With the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Bush and congressional Democrats are headed for a showdown over spending similar to the one that preceded the government shutdown of 1995.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have yet to complete action on any of their 12 major spending bills. But even if they do, Bush will not sign them; he has issued veto threats on 10 of the 11 appropriations measures passed so far by the House.
At his news conference Thursday, Bush sought to get out ahead of the Democrats by painting them as big spenders and himself as a responsible steward of taxpayers' money. He urged Democrats to pass a temporary extension of the health insurance program, and accused them of playing politics with children's health care by waiting until the program was about to lapse to send him legislation they know he will veto.
"In other words," Bush said, "members of Congress are putting health coverage for poor children at risk so they can score political points in Washington."
Democrats are trying to force Bush into the uncomfortable position of vetoing a bill covering 10 million children before any spending bills reach his desk. They are casting Bush as the compassionate conservative who forgot his compassion.
"They thought they were going to get a fight on spending appropriations, and what they're getting is 10 million children's health care," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois Democrat who is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. "Sept. 30 is the deadline on kids' health care. We're going to meet that deadline and he's going to get a chance to side with 10 million kids or not."
If Bush's emphasis on fiscal restraint is angering Democrats, it is pleasing conservatives in Bush's own party, who long have accused the president of allowing government spending to run amok. That criticism is percolating again in Washington this week from an unlikely source: Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, who in a new book has accused Bush of putting Republican politics ahead of fiscal responsibility.
On Thursday, Bush defended himself: "I respectfully disagree with Alan Greenspan when it comes to saying that this administration didn't handle the fiscal -- the fiscal issues we faced in good fashion. As a matter of fact, we did."
In calling for Congress to pass a "clean, temporary extension" of the current State Children's Health Insurance Program, Bush argued that the Democratic bill would raise taxes and allow children whose families earn up to $83,000 a year to enroll. The Democrats propose paying for the measure by raising the federal excise tax on cigarettes.
But the chief Republican sponsor of the bill in the Senate, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, said Bush "is getting bad information." He said Bush's reference to the $83,000 limit was drawn from a proposal put forth by New York state to receive an exemption from the program's restrictions, which the administration recently denied.
The senator said he appealed to the president directly on Thursday morning, telling Bush that a long-term extension of the current law would leave children uncovered, and that the $5 billion increase in the program the president has proposed is not enough to cover more children.
"Drawing lines in the sand at this stage isn't constructive," Grassley said, adding, "I wish he'd engage Congress in a bill that he could sign instead of threatening a veto, and I hope he'll still do that."
Democrats were more pointed. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., accused Bush of a "stubborn and uncompassionate stance," while Rep. John Dingell, the Michigan Democrat who is the longest-serving member of the House, called Bush's stance "shameful."
The House and the Senate have approved the legislation in different forms, and for the last month they have been trying to reconcile their differences. Though they have not announced the fine points of their final bill, they have agreed on its major provisions and are expected to approve it next week. But it is unlikely that the approval will come with a veto-proof margin.