S-CHIP money running out, Dems rejoice
Let’s recap the S-CHIP debate briefly. The Democrat leadership wants a massive entitlement expansion of the federal children’s health insurance program dependent on taxing smokers. President Bush supports renewing the current funding levels and embracing a less ambitious expansion. The Dems are holding the current funding dollars hostage until and unless Bush and the GOP cave in to their demands. The GOP stands accused of abandoning The Children, despite a Republican compromise S-CHIP funding measure that’s sitting on the table. Instead of agreeing to a reliable funding plan, the Dems want to exploit the issue in the heat of next year’s election season and force a vote on the program one month before voters go to the polls.
Now, there’s this:
President Bush and Congress have spent much of autumn locked in a bitter fight over expanding a popular children’s health insurance program, and neither side has been willing to blink.
But for states such as California, the effects of the stalemate are hitting home.
Unless there’s an infusion of cash - and quickly - California will run out of federal money to pay for its program in June. To prepare for the shortfall, state officials will decide in the next two weeks whether to stop enrolling new children and send letters to 56,600 families telling them their children will lose health coverage on Dec. 31.
“These are horrible options,” said Lesley Cummings, who manages the state’s Healthy Families insurance program for low-income kids. “We never thought we were going to be in this place.”
Au contraire. That’s exactly where the Dems want them.
California isn’t alone. The Congressional Research Service estimates that 21 states will exhaust their federal money next year - nine will run out of money in March - if Congress simply keeps the program funded at the current levels.
Congress approved a short-term extension until Dec. 14 for the program, which is run by the states and paid for with state and federal money. But while lawmakers and the White House have been negotiating for weeks over a compromise to boost funding, no deal has been reached.
The Dems and their media water-carriers will blame Bush. But the Dems’ political ploy is transparent: They’d rather S-CHIP run out of money than pass a streamlined version of the bill that provides a steady stream of funds at current levels.
Who cares about the children?
(Hat tip: Erika)
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The suffering of the children, the poor and the minorities only matter to Democrats when they can shove an ‘example’ in front of a camera and blame it on the Republicans. Beyond that, they don’t care.
This is how politics work. It would be one thing if the American people didn’t support the S-CHIP expansion, but they do. It would be another thing if there wasn’t a bipartisan majority in Congress looking to pass this expansion, but there is.
All the cards are on the Dems side of the table save for one: the veto pen.
Being against the expansion is fine, but the reality is that this is a political loser for Republicans. And Democrats are going to exploit that in order to help more children and more families.
Hello, Oregon.
All I’m sayin’ is that if you can’t afford gasoline, you shouldn’t buy the car.
Holy cow. Man, have I been asleep for a thousand years. Big government is going to help my family. Where do I sign up?
I looked at my paycheck this past week and so far, the government has helped themselves to $3000 of my money just for Social Security.
Math:
$3000 per year x’s 20 years at 4% compounded monthly = $91,999.30
I die at age 65 and never draw a dime, how much of the $92k does my family get?
Yep, they really, really care about my family.
It is my impression that a slim majority of the the taxpaying voters actually agree with the President - probably gets better if you look carefully at the GOP proposal which does look out for the children.
…or two….or three….
…and withholding funding for the troops is a political loser for Democrats.
I beg to differ. Any way you cut the mustard the Dems are the ones who are standing in the way of progress. Libs can try to spin that it’s the Republicans all they wish but the American people are watching…
We shouldn’t have to compromise and make concessions for a timetable to withdraw out of Iraq…this is simply to important and delicate a situation for that kind of granstanding.
But as far as S-CHIP is concerned it is more than a reasonable request to veto expanding S-CHIP.
Michelle, with all due respect, the ploy maybe apparent to you, but it is not necessarily apparent to the mainstream of the country. It is downright disturbing to watch the right blogosphere act as though this is some sort of political victory for the Republicans.
Politics is full contact. You don’t only get to do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. That isn’t how politics works. Just because the Reps are on the right side, doesn’t mean they will gain politically. They won’t unless it is the Rep leadership, and not YOU, carrying the story. Why do I need to read about developments in this debate on your site? Why isn’t the Republican leadership ahead of the story themselves?
You have framed the debate quite effectively so why can’t the leadership do the same and present it that way to the public? It is really sad to watch the leadership let this debate slip away from them without fighting back. You are fighting back however this debate isn’t going to be won in the blogosphere. It will be won by which of the two parties debates it better and so far, it is the dems that have done that. That is just my opinion and here is how I saw it.
It saddens me that way these clowns play with other’s lives and money. We really and truly need to shut down this rogue operations called our Federal government and send these nattering ninnies of negativism back to their no-mans land.
How in the world do they get away with exploiting “children” like everything else they use to get their way? (I know, the Lame Stream Media who carries their message unchallenged.) So let the children suffer instead of doing the right thing because you aren’t getting your way….makes perfect sense.
Do they ever practice what they preach or actually have a legitimate argument that isn’t totally based on power rather than principle? The left really is repulsive.
You mean they are going to exploit that in order to win in 2008. If they truly cared about the children like they say/think they do, they would compromise on the funding now.
The President supports expansion too, but not a huge one that’s the ramrod for Canadian-style health care. And the public is against support at levels promoted by Dems. And Oregon voted against it…
Disagree if you must - don’t leave out half the facts, we’ll think you’re a journalist.
Couldn’t they just tax beef jerkey?
Ditka, nice monikor,
Like I said, politics is full contact. If you think such cynical tactics don’t work, you are sorely mistaken.
Would be nice if the right was prepared to show the general public just who exactly is currently covered and who would be covered under the democratic proposed expansion.
As Michelle pointed out, Oregon is proof that the informed voter does not favor the 300% poverty level expansion.
If S-CHIP isn’t expanded and renewed the political fallout is going to hit the Republicans. People will see the lack of coverage for poorer families and the first thing that people will think of is the presidential veto.
Compromise is something that you try to achieve when you’re fighting an uphill battle. Democrats have had lots of weak compromises over the past few years since the Republican majorities and administration made it hard for them to operate their agenda. Well, the tides have turned. There is no need for compromise here. It’s the administration fighting the uphill battle now.
And when I said the American people favored the S-CHIP expansion, I was referring to national polls, not the ballot initiative in OR.
From the Boston Globe:
In other words:
Americans support S-CHIP expansion in theory, but when it hits close to home and the rubber meets the road, they reject it soundly.
Even in liberal Oregon.
S-Chip running out of money? GOOD! I’m sick of vote-buying, wealth shifting socialist charity programs. They can all go under.
I have a dream. I dream that a Republican president would use the bully pulpit of his office to explain the the American people on national television just what the democrats are attempting in congress. Instead of mouthing pulchritudinous platitudes George W. Bush should communicate the truth to the American people in simple, uncomplicated language just how S-Chip expansion will bust the budget and force tax increases on all Americans.
Just what does the president have to lose by taking a confrontational approach with the dems? He only loses if he allows the dems to continue framing the debate. He needs to make the dems defend their policies in the court of public opinion.
The president and only the president can change the framework of public debate. Sending out surrogates is no substitute for public leadership.
Unfortunately for conservatives this dream is likely only a pipe dream. But hey, I can still dream, can’t I?
Everything the Dems do is a precursor to shining a negative light on Republicans. While I wholeheartedly understand that politics is a dirty business. I will not support Republicans doing the same. Someone has to hold the line and that usually falls on Republicans shoulders.
That said, Democrats too have an uphill battle and that is the WoT. The fight surrounding S-CHIP is meant to be a diversion…oh look at what the big bad Republicans have done. They don’t care about the children. Meanwhile, while the Dems have withheld funding for the troops, pork galore has been appended to their bills, and did I mention funding that has been withheld.
The surrendercrats stance on the war has done more damage to those on that side of the aisle than S-CHIP will do to Republicans. What the Dems need to realize and quickly - is that GW isn’t up for re-election. They are going to have to stand on their own merits, policies, etc., sooner or later.
We’ll see who’s still standing.
Nice smack-down MM!
Rusty and his polls. Let me explain polls to you Rusty using an example.
Soap Poll: How many men on this blog have stopped beating their wife?
Zero responses.
Conclusion? All men who visit Michelle’s blog still beat their wives.
Get it? Somehow, I doubt it.
I do not believe that it makes the Republicans look bad to point out that a child’s health care is the parents responsibility, not the neighbors.
Translation:
Dems make sure the money is there for things that glorify them personally such as having a public building named in their honor…ie PORK. But when it comes to something that is important such as our troupes or “the children”, then politics takes number one priority.
Don’t you just love their sincerity?
Rusty,
Wasn’t that the same poll that included distinctly different results to more specific questions regarding the nature of s-chip funding? I seem to recall that when asked if they favored the specific funding levels, and eligibility levels, the majority of the populace was actually OPPOSED to S-Chip.
Just goes to show that we as a nation can be in favor of an issue, simply because we’re ignorant of what the issue actually represents.
That’s a fair point, but I wouldn’t use one ballot initiative to come to a national conclusion. Ballot initiatives often produce some wacky results, especially in odd numbered years when turnout is significantly lower.
Liberal or not, I have no idea how many people in Oregon would be affected by a very, very high (85 cents per pack!) cigarette tax. If this S-CHIP expansion were passed as is, the tax increase on cigarettes would be much less in most states, btw. Something to keep in mind.
#24 - Ohhh, but you know, it takes a “village to raise a child”.
I wonder if all this poppycocking is just a way for the Dems to point to Hillarycare as the end-all-be-all solution to the affordable health care (non)issue.
bwaaahaaahaaaaa
Rusty, Please give us an example.
Slightly OT:
Polls - I’ll rely on my own two eyes. Thank you very much.
The proof is that shamnesty bill after shamnesty bill has gone down in flames. The American people have spoken. We do not want amnesty or driver’s licenses for illegals, S-CHIP expansion, another Vietnam, etc. When will Dems listen? I sent them the memo…
Rusty - it doesn’t matter who is supposed to pay for it now. This program, like all freeby programs, will expand over whatever the original tax allocation was to support them. It will be a general fund drain as the outlays increase and the smoker’s tax base decreases.
Polls are like (well, you know) everyone has one and the way they are put forth is usually slanted in the direction intended. In other words their a freaking joke.
aj, exactly. When the real “polls” come in you usually see an about-face from the Dems…
“Garbage in, garbage out”.
I believe California has a choice here - divirt those hard earned tax dollars they plan on using to fight the big, bad boogie man, Global warming, or put them toward “the children” and fund S-Chip. That will let everyone know where their compassion is placed.
The Healthy Families program in California will not “run out of money”. This program is ROLLING in money, because they have under-enrollment! So much of a problem is getting enrollment that Maria Shriver did a state-wide tour to promote it to communities where likely-eligible families (read “illegal immigrants”) are in high numbers. Do not be fooled by the tears of this clown, Cummings.
This just in.
A poll of smokers: 100% say they do not support the tax on cigs to fund S-Chip.
Conclusion? Smokers hate children.
Michelle, what about almost all of Fox News shilling for Rudy?
Oops, wrong article!
Vickisoup - true-dat!
If you go on to City and County of SF website the “eligibility” requirements for Healthy Families don’t seem to EXCLUDE too many (e.g. illegal immigrants).
Democrats are saddened to learn that not everyone needs their entitlement programs, even when they are told that they DO. Yes, indeedy, it’s a major bummer that some actually can do for themselves what Hillary and her kind insist they’re more qualified to do.
San Francisco Health Plan
“nationals or eligable qualified immigrants” READ BETWEEN THE LINES!!!
Except national support is 15% at four times the poverty level. Pretty steep drop. Didn’t see numbers at 3x the poverty level, which makes me suspicious the MSM doesn’t want you to know. To get context, you have to know the questions asked, the order in which they were asked (priming) and so on, what wasn’t asked, how the reporter interpreted the answers, what the editor left out of the story…
San Francisco Healthy Families
Just to clarify, this SFHP is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and Medical (Medical is the CA equivalent to Medicaid).
50% federal money and 50% state money fund this program. immigration status doesn’t seem to apply.
And they wonder why they are running out of money here in California.
The first thing I thought of when reading the article. If they restricted this program to only those that could prove legal citizenship the costs would be reduced significantly. The only way to stop the flow of invaders is to stop the free goodies stolen from the pockets of hard working Americans. S-CHIP works in its current form and the Democrats have already been outed as using this as a socialized medicine “Trojan Horse” program. Expansion will only create another out of control entitlement program.
You are missing the point. The program should not exist. There is no moral reason for someone to FORCE their neighbors to pay for his kids medical coverage. Forced charity is legalized theft.
If the SCHIP program is such good insurance for middle class kids, the Congresscritters and the staff of those who vote for it ought to be required to sign their children up for it.
FYI, the SCHIP program is basically the same as Medicaid — full of red tape and restrictions on providing quality care. There’s lots of clinics that don’t take Medicaid and/or it’s SCHIP clones. Many severely limit access to care by one means or another. This is likely to get worse if the Dem’s expand SCHIP like they want to.
Putting more folks into the Medicaid treadmill is only going to make it harder for the truly needy on Medicaid to get timely care as the middle class starts cutting in line for their care.
Making it harder for needy kids to get care isn’t compassionate, it’s nuts…
Which is why it makes so much sense for the Dem’s to be doing what they are doing…
Especially when they learn exactly what the Dem S-CHIP plan involves. It’s one thing to ask people “are you for helping poor children get health care”. Who isn’t for that? But once you explain to them that the Dem plan covers 25 year old “children”, “poor” families earning $80,000 a year, etc, they’re not so much for S-CHIP expansion, at least not the Democrat version.