Congress working on veto-proof SCHIP bill

Here’s a shocker: South dakota’s Donk Congresscritters (Herseth-Sandlin, & Johnson) both support the current scheme to expand the SCHIP – State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The nominal justification of this is to provide health care coverage for children in circumstances of poverty, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The current version of the law expires September 30th. The proposed replacement that the Donk Congresscritters are pushing for would massively, and expensively expand the coverage…with poverty afflicted children now being in families of up to $80,000 income.

The program, in concert with individual states, covers children in families earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. There are ongoing efforts in Congress to expand that to take in more children from higher income families and even adults who care for them. Democratic proposals range as high as $35 billion. It would make the total cost of the program about $60 billion within five years.

So, our own Donk Congressette Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin has admitted to be working a sort of political calculus: how to change the cost of the program to increase as much as possible to expand government dependency (Hey, she’s a Donk – that’s what they do!) while still able to reach enough votes to be veto-proof, since the Prez won’t accept the proposed expansion:

Bush considers that an incremental step toward socialized health care and threatens to torpedo such expansion. He wants to see the program grow by no more than $5 billion.

Herseth-Sandlin says Congress this week “is figuring the best way forward in light of the 60 votes needed in the Senate to call the administration’s bluff on that veto threat. “I know President Bush prefers an extension of the law. That’s an option on the table. But that misses an opportunity to expand coverage in a reasonable way that, in my opinion, is paid for,” she says.

SUBTEXT: How much trimming can we do to con enough Republicans into backing us so we can push this through and stick one to the President? Also note Ms. H-S describes this as expanding coverage “in a reasonable way”. Coverage for children up to $80K income? Also, this raises the ages of eligibility for “children” into their nid 20’s. Looks like her Donk colors are showing through, and the “blue dog” isn’t really very blue af all…shocking!

Bush considers that an incremental step toward socialized health care and threatens to torpedo such expansion. He wants to see the program grow by no more than $5 billion.

We surely should not be setting up this sort of new entitlement. It sure looks to the Chief like the President has the right idea for once, as does Sen. Thune (R-SD)

Sen. John Thune supports Bush’s position on the issue. “I strongly support continuing the SCHIP program, but I do not support the Democrat effort to radically change this successful program from its original intent,” he said.