The Wapo reports House Votes to Expand SCHIP:
A broad House majority gave final approval last night to a $35 billion expansion of the popular children's health insurance program, with members from both parties brushing aside a stern veto threat from President Bush to vote their support, 265 to 159.
The Senate will take up the bill later this week and is expected to send it to the president with a veto-proof, bipartisan majority. But amid furious White House lobbying, even Republican advocates in the House ruefully conceded that they will probably fall short of the 290 votes they will need in the House next week to override the promised veto.. . .
Congressman Walz reacted to the veto threat on KEYC-TV, Mankato's local television station:
Congress and the White House are heading for a showdown over funding health care for children in need. Congress wants to expand 'S-CHIP', the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and cover an additional three million children. The president says that will bust the budget and subsidize some families that don't need help. But congressman Tim Walz says the program has worked, and needs to continue. Rep. Tim Walz says, "It costs us about $3.50 a day to cover these children, far less than the amount it takes to cover them in emergency rooms, where many of them get their primary care." Congress could pass the expansion this week and the president is threatening a veto.
The roll call vote is found here. In this state, it was a classic Minnesota split: all DFL representatives and retiring Republican Jim Ramstad voting yes, while Michele Bachmann and John Kline voted against the bill.
Comments