SCHIP Gets Renewed by Senate
The Children's Health Insurance Program renewal passed in the United States Senate recently, and the some Republicans let it be known they disagreed.
However, if there is any one position that should be considered morally and politically correct, it is that all children should have health care protection.
That's the bottom line.
Since 1997 the SCHIP program has continued to provide coverage to millions of children who need medical care.
This last renewal marks the third time Congress has approved an SCHIP bill.
The third time is apparently the charm for greater expansion.
President Obama is expected to sign the bill which was approved by both houses of Congress.
The Senate passed the SCHIP bill by a lopsided 66 to 32 vote, but that didn't make certain Republicans feel any better, as partisan politics continued to reign in Washington.
The sticking point for Republicans was a certain provision which allowed legal immigrants to participate in SCHIP.
They wanted to keep them from benefitting from the program until after a forced five year minimum waiting period.
The last bill presented before Congress had this immigrant provision, but now with a majority and a Democratic president, it was re-added.
The debate got heated in the chamber and Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah was among the most vocal.
He felt that the bill could have gotten 95 votes if the provision hadn't been added in, and added that he felt that the addition of it was like a slap in the face from the members of the other party.
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi questioned whether the real intent of the legislation was to replace private health care with a government run system.
Democratic Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois saw it a bit differently, when he advised that the debate was about children's health care, and was not a debate about immigration.
However, if there is any one position that should be considered morally and politically correct, it is that all children should have health care protection.
That's the bottom line.
Since 1997 the SCHIP program has continued to provide coverage to millions of children who need medical care.
This last renewal marks the third time Congress has approved an SCHIP bill.
The third time is apparently the charm for greater expansion.
President Obama is expected to sign the bill which was approved by both houses of Congress.
The Senate passed the SCHIP bill by a lopsided 66 to 32 vote, but that didn't make certain Republicans feel any better, as partisan politics continued to reign in Washington.
The sticking point for Republicans was a certain provision which allowed legal immigrants to participate in SCHIP.
They wanted to keep them from benefitting from the program until after a forced five year minimum waiting period.
The last bill presented before Congress had this immigrant provision, but now with a majority and a Democratic president, it was re-added.
The debate got heated in the chamber and Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah was among the most vocal.
He felt that the bill could have gotten 95 votes if the provision hadn't been added in, and added that he felt that the addition of it was like a slap in the face from the members of the other party.
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi questioned whether the real intent of the legislation was to replace private health care with a government run system.
Democratic Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois saw it a bit differently, when he advised that the debate was about children's health care, and was not a debate about immigration.
