Bush quipped to a group of wealthy diners "What an impressive crowd: the haves, and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite; I call you my base."
Congress has the opportunity to offer health care coverage to 10 million children--but a Bush veto stands in the way.
Tell Congress today:
Defend kids, not Bush.
At a recent news conference, President Bush accused supporters of an expanded State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) of trying to "score political points."
The fight over children's health isn't about chalking up political points. It's about making sure millions of children have access to secure, quality health care.
The House will vote next week on legislation to expand SCHIP to cover 10 million children--4 million more than are currently covered through SCHIP. We need a strong bipartisan show of support for the bill to demonstrate to Bush just how isolated he is on this issue.
The bill's opponents argue that the current program should merely be extended--but not expanded.
But because of a big increase in uninsured children in the United States, a simple extension of SCHIP would mean more children than ever would go without doctor visits and medications. With nearly 9 million uninsured children in this country now, we should be doing more to reach them, not less.
It's time Bush's allies stood up to him.
As Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) said of a "yes" vote on SCHIP: "It shows that, if [members of Congress] feel strongly about something, they are willing to stand up to the president and tell him."
LaHood is onto something--the American people want Congress to defy Bush. In a recent poll, 64 percent of voters disagreed with the president's decision to veto SCHIP expansion.
They must know something Bush doesn't--the SCHIP program works and is worth expanding.
Thanks to the program, the number of uninsured children of low-income families has dropped by nearly one-third in a decade. But those gains are in peril as the number of uninsured children jumped to 8.7 million in 2006—an increase of 1 million in just two years.
We need SCHIP expansion more than ever before.
Tell your representative today to deny political cover to Bush, and instead cover 4 million uninsured children:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/schip_house_vote
In solidarity,
Tell the Senate to Fight for Healthy Children
Your senators will vote soon on making 3.2 million more uninsured children eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
But Bush's veto threat stands in the way.
Tell your senators to pass SCHIP funding with a veto-proof majority:
"I mean, people have access to health care in America," President Bush said earlier this month. "After all, you just go to an emergency room."
Tell that to the parents of 9 million uninsured children around this country.
The U.S. Senate is set to vote on a $35 billion increase in funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Such an increase would allow 3.2 million uninsured children—the ones Bush thinks should just head to the nearest emergency room when they get sick—to become eligible for the program.
While threatening to kill the legislation, Bush has claimed new funding for SCHIP "opens an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."
He's wrong. These children aren't switching from anything—they're uninsured. To clarify for President Bush: They do not have health insurance.
The Senate Finance Committee just passed the bill with an enthusiastic, bipartisan vote of 17-4. Six of the 10 Republicans on the committee supported the bill.
The 10-year-old program expires Sept. 30. It's time for the Senate to defy Bush's veto threat and help ensure millions of low-income children get the health care coverage they desperately need.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/pass_childrens_health_care
In solidarity,
Legislative Update
Brothers and Sisters,
On July, 5th and 6th Steelworkers converged on Cleveland Ohio to listen to the U. S. Presidential candidates. Senator Joe Biden, Senator Hillary Clinton, former Senator John Edwards, and Congressman Dennis Kucinich, gave their views from free trade to health care.
All of the above candidates are Democrats. The Republican candidates were invited, none chose to attend. We will continue to watch the election unfold and look for the best pro-labor candidate.
In solidarity,
Steve Dunn
Chairman Legislative Committee
