Cornyn's no vote on kids' insurance could haunt him

2007-10-06

Source: Houston Chronicle

Get ready, Texans: Sen. John Cornyn's vote against the $35 billion expansion of government health insurance for children looks to be shaping up as a top issue in the 2008 Senate race.

Already, the Texas Republican is being pummeled by the Senate Democratic leadership, his would-be Democratic rivals and liberal interest groups lobbying aggressively for an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program that would cover nearly 4 million more kids beyond the 6.6 million already on the rolls.

"Will Cornyn Continue To Side Against Texas Children?" blared a press release issued by the Democrats' Senate campaign committee — only a shade less inflammatory than the "Why Does John Cornyn Hate Kids?" banner on several liberal Texas blogs.

Cornyn makes an attractive target for several reasons: Texas has more uninsured children than any other state; he's up for re-election; and his Senate teammate, fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, bucked the White House to support the bipartisan package.

Then there's the fact that the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature's decision in 2003 to enact cuts that dropped 200,000 children from CHIP coverage still is rippling through the health care system and political landscape. Of the 9.4 million children in America who lack insurance coverage, 1.3 million live in Texas.

President Bush last week vetoed the bill, which would provide $60 billion over the next five years. Congressional Democratic leaders are indicating little interest in compromising with Bush, instead allowing outside groups to turn up the heat on Republicans in hopes some will switch their votes.

Eighteen Senate Republicans broke with the White House, leaving Cornyn among a minority in opposition to the bill, estimated to cover an added 440,000 Texas kids.

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