A bid to override President Bush's veto of a bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program failed in the House today, as override supporters fell at least 12 votes shy of a two-thirds majority.
Bush yesterday defended his decision to veto bipartisan legislation to expand the SCHIP by $35 billion over five years. "I don't like plans that encourage people to move from private medicine to public," Bush said.
At the Oct. 17 press conference in Washington, the president said he wasn't able to reach middle ground with Congress, because, "On the SCHIP bill, we weren't dialed in at the beginning."
According to Bush, six or seven states spend more on adults' healthcare than children's. Additionally, Medicaid already spends $35 billion a year on children's health insurance, he said.
Bush said eligibility levels under the proposed legislation would expand SCHIP to families with incomes up to $83,000. "That doesn't sound like a program for poor children," said Bush. "To increase eligibility up to $83,000 is an attempt to expand the reach of the federal government in medicine. I believe strongly in private medicine."
Members of Congress have battled the president on eligibilty levels for the SCHIP program in recent weeks. The Senate Finance Committee maintains that the program would leave eligibility levels at states' discretions, and has written to the administration reminding them that only one state - New York - has considered expanding eligibility to $83,000.
"I find it interesting that when Americans hear the facts, they begin to understand the reasons behind the veto," Bush said.