October 15, 2007 - House lawmakers will vote Thursday on whether or not to override President Bush’s veto of legislation that would have increased funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by $35 billion over five years.
SCHIP, which is being continued through a stop-gap bill in effect through mid-November, currently provides 6.6 million children with health insurance. Additional funding passed by the House and Senate would have provided an additional four million children with health care.
“The President said ‘no’ to bipartisan legislation that would have extended health care to 10 million American children for the next five years,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in a statement. “The President said ‘no’ to giving assurances to America’s working families that if they work hard and play by the rules, then we are their partners in raising the next generation of Americans and investing in their future.”
While there’s a veto-proof majority in the Senate, House Democratic leaders have been working to secure the additional 20 votes needed to override Bush’s veto.
Contact your Congressional Representative and urge them to vote for the override of President Bush’s veto by dialing 1-866-544-7573.
