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Editorial: Kids' health trumps presidential whims
Albuquerque Tribune - 7/27/2007
Let's see if we have this correct.
President Bush insists that his tax cuts for the most wealthy Americans must continue. He is getting close to nearly doubling the national debt, which approaches $9 trillion, during his administration. He is spending about $12 billion per month to continue the Iraq occupation over the objections of the majority in Congress and the American people. And he just underwent a successful colonoscopy, courtesy of the American taxpayers, who provide him and other top federal officials with the best medical care our money can buy.
But when it comes to America's uninsured children - thousands of whom live in New Mexico - there is no money.
He threatens to veto an almost inconsequential (in budget terms) $7 billion per year increase in the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which has widespread bipartisan support in Congress. This would be an egregious mistake, and the president should reconsider.
The pending bill would extend health coverage to another 3.2 million children, including an estimated 24,300 in New Mexico, and would do this without adding a penny to the national debt, by increasing the tax on tobacco products.
The dimensions of this nation's health care crisis - and the fight for its moral soul, because uncovered children are dying - is no more evident than in this face-off down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Incredibly, the White House and the Congress are glaring at each other over uninsured kids, whose health is on the line right now. The Congress had better not blink.
It happens to be a Republican White House and a Democratic Congress. But for many Republicans and Democrats in Congress, it is not a partisan issue.
We applaud them for placing the health of America's children above presidential loyalty and party. We encourage New Mexico's entire congressional delegation to support SCHIP's expansion without reservation and to override a presidential veto - if Bush is so unwise as to take that course.
It is but the latest issue on which he is grossly out of touch with the country.
A poll released this week, taken by First Focus - a bipartisan group directed by Republican and former secretary or state Colin Powell and dedicated to children's issues - found that an impressive 83 percent of Americans support renewing SCHIP, which is set to expire this fall unless Congress acts. Equally convincing is 90 percent of Americans believe that, at the least, every American child should get basic health care.
Other polls are reporting similar numbers, which probably explains why ideology and party are falling by the wayside on this issue in Congress.
When it comes to its children, Americans increasingly are blind to party, race, creed or economic status. We are talking about our children here. Too many are sick and are not getting the medical care they need, because they are uninsured and their parents cannot afford to pay.
For the wealthiest nation on the planet that simply is unacceptable. Our children - all of them - need to be as healthy as we can make them.
In the bill pending before Congress, these kids trump the president, hands down.
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