S-CHIP Battle Escalates

by: David Dayen

Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 08:26:26 AM PDT

Several states said Monday they would challenge the Bush administration in federal court over its new rules that block the expansion of a health insurance program for children from low-income families.

Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Washington are joining in the litigation, either as plaintiffs or by filing supporting briefs.

The states object to rules issued by the Bush administration in August that make it harder for them to provide coverage to children in middle-income families by limiting the total income of families who participate.

The states accuse the administration of overstepping the federal government's authority to set income limits for participants in the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

It's amazing that, in this day and age, states have to sue the government so they can provide health insurance to needy children.  But this case puts extra pressure on the Bush Administration to pass the bipartisan bill expanding S-CHIP, which is politically popular.  It also puts pressure on Republican House members, who are all that's standing in the way from this bill becoming law through a veto override.  Smart Democratic challengers are already making this a defining issue in next year's elections.  The DCCC is targeting House members with radio ads, and today CA-26's Russ Warner will hold a rally at David Dreier's San Dimas office, to protest his vote against S-CHIP.  850,000 children in California alone will be negatively impacted by this vote, so it's a huge issue here.  Details for the rally on the flip.

WHAT

Join Democrat and 26th District Congressional Candidate Russ Warner, parents and child health advocates for a rally in front of
David Dreier's San Dimas office on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 11 am.

Tell David Dreier you object to his vote against the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Tell him to stand for children and not with President George Bush and Big Tobacco.

WHY

As a result of this vote, hundreds of thousands of California families will likely lose health insurance for their children in the coming months.  Currently 850,000 children in California receive health care coverage through the SCHIP program in California, called Healthy Families.

Taxpayers in the 26th Congressional District will have paid $1.3 billion for the cost of the Iraq War through 2007.  For the same amount of money, health care could have been supplied to 149,373 children, according to the National Priorities Project.

WHEN/WHERE

Tuesday, Oct. 2, 11:00 a.m.
Congressman David Dreier's Office
510 East Foothill Blvd.
San Dimas, CA 91733

Bring A Home Made Rally Sign And Your Voice. Stand Up and Be Heard!