Kids' Health Insurance Bill Stalls Again

House Dems fail to capture votes needed to foil Bush veto of popular measure
By Marcia Greenwood,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 26, 2007 3:23 AM CDT
Kids' Health Insurance Bill Stalls Again
President Bush pounds his fist as he delivers remarks on Cuba Policy, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007, at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)   (Associated Press)

House Democrats' plans to expand a children's health insurance program hit a brick wall again yesterday when they failed to attract the Republican votes necessary to override a presidential veto, reports the Washington Post. The final vote on a reworked $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program was 265-142, more than a dozen votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to defeat a veto.

Of the 265 who voted for the legislation, 43 were Republicans, two fewer than supported the original bill in September. Regardless of the final outcome, Dems believe the battle is a winning issue for them. If they work out a compromise, they can claim victory. If the measure stalls, they can skewer Republicans for killing a popular program to help kids without health insurance. (More SCHIP stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X