December 12,2007

Baucus Condemns President Bush’s Second Veto of Chip Renewal

Finance Chairman remains intent on solution to help low-income, uninsured kids

Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) today
strongly condemned President George W. Bush’s second veto of legislation to renew and
improve the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Baucus, along with Finance Committee
leaders Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah),
wrote the original Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act this year, as well
as the second bill that the President vetoed today – legislation that was modified to address specific White House concerns. Both bills won large bipartisan votes in the Senate and the House, and would have provided health coverage to as many 10 million low-income
American children.

“Congress has demonstrated its willingness to compromise, and to go a long way for an
agreement to renew and improve the Children’s Health Insurance Program. It’s
disappointing than even after weeks to reconsider, the President remains unwilling to
give low-income, uninsured American children the health care they need through
reasonable CHIP legislation. This veto is just as wrong for America’s working families
and for poor children as the President’s first rejection of children’s health legislation
this year.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program gets low-income, uninsured kids the doctors’
visits and medicines they need to stay healthy, and I will never stop working to reach
more kids who desperately need CHIP. As long as parents in America’s working
families are waking up worried about health care for their kids, I have an obligation to
fight on their behalf. We have won widespread support for CHIP legislation in the
Senate and in the House already, and I didn’t come all this way to give up now.

I expect that soon, Congress will send the President legislation extending the Children’s
Health Insurance Program for a time, with additional funds that at a minimum should
keep children who are covered today from being cut off from doctors’ care. The hour
is late now. When the President gets his next chance to do something about CHIP – and
a chance to improve health care for America’s seniors through Medicare – he must stop
playing politics, and do at least a little better by Americans in need.”

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