Rockefeller says Bush is on wrong side of children's health debate

2007-09-28

Source: Associated Press

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller says President Bush is on the wrong side of the debate over the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

The Senate voted Thursday to reauthorize the program and increase spending for it from about $5 billion to $12 billion annually over the next five years. The legislation, which could potentially add 4 million children nationwide to the program, won the House's approval on Tuesday.

The White House said after the Senate vote that Bush will veto the legislation.

"The President is squarely on the wrong side of the issue. I'm prepared to keep sending this bill back to him again and again until he finally does the right thing for our children,'' Rockefeller said Thursday in a news release.

Bush and most GOP lawmakers say the spending increase is too large and would expand the program beyond its original intent. That intent was to help families with incomes too large to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.

Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said the program is the most cost-effective, public-private health insurance program ever.

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