Lawmakers clash over bill to expand children’s health plan

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The House was poised Wednesday to pass a massive increase in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program over the strenuous objections of Republicans, who used a stream of parliamentary tactics in an effort to block a vote on the legislation.

Democrats tout the bill as a much-needed expansion of SCHIP that would allow an additional 5 million children to receive health care. Six million currently are enrolled at a cost of about $25 billion over five years.

The program would be funded with a 45-cent cigarette tax and by cuts to Medicare.

Republicans believe the legislation, which increases the five-year cost of the program by $47.4 billion, is far too expensive. Democrats also have added an additional $38.6 billion to the bill for other health-related initiatives, raising the overall cost to $86 billion.

The GOP opposition to SCHIP essentially derailed efforts to pass the fiscal 2008 farm spending bill Tuesday, as one Republican after another offered small cuts in the legislation to pay for the major increases in SCHIP.

Democrats finally pulled the farm bill from the floor.

On Wednesday, Republicans continued to employ stalling tactics, calling several times for votes to adjourn the House. Republicans argued that the Democratic SCHIP proposal would cut off medical care to seniors by reducing funds for popular Medicare programs. The bill, Republicans said, would increase government-run health care and even allow for the inclusion of illegal immigrants because of loosely worded identification requirements.

“What this bill does is open the door for all kinds of other people to be involved in government-paid health care,” said Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. “It’s Hillarycare all over again.”

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, replied that the bill “does not allow one thin dime to be spent on illegal immigrants, nor does it create a government-run health care system.”

The Senate is considering a much smaller SCHIP expansion, which would increase the program by about $35 billion over five years. A final vote on the bill is expected Thursday in that chamber.

President Bush, who proposed an SCHIP expansion of $5 billion over five years, has threatened to veto the House and Senate bills.

sferrechio@dcexaminer.com

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