兒童健康節目由布什炸開了

由 Catherine推託

9月. 29 (Bloomberg) -喬治・ W.總統。 布什說一個計劃由Congress擴展兒童健康保險節目是「不負責任」和被責罵的立法委員為了不能通過消費法律對資金政府。

「國會領導在他的每週廣播電臺地址提出了將顯著擴展這個節目在它原始的意向之外的一個不負責任的計劃」，布什說。 「他們知道我將否決它」。

Bush also signed today a stopgap spending measure that continues funding federal agencies, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other programs at current levels until Nov. 16, buying time for lawmakers to act on regular spending bills.

Congress this week sent Bush legislation supported by Democrats and many of his fellow Republicans that would more than double the funds for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as Schip. The measure would add $35 billion over five years to the $25 billion program. To pay for the expansion, the federal tobacco tax would be raised to $1 a pack of cigarettes from the current 39 cents.

Democrats enlisted a 12-year-old boy who received life- saving care through U.S.-subsidized health insurance to deliver their response to Bush’s radio address today. Supporters of the measure say it is needed to add about 3.8 million needy children to the 6 million now covered.

Political Advantage

Bush has said he would veto the legislation because it would provide subsidized health care to middle-class children whose families can afford private insurance. Democrats see political advantage in Bush’s veto vow.

The president criticized the Democratic-controlled Congress for failing to pass any of 12 spending bills to fund government operations in fiscal 2008, which begins Oct. 1.

“Congress failed in its most basic responsibility,” Bush said.

The Republican-controlled Congress last year also had to send Bush a stopgap measure after failing to complete work on spending legislation.

Since 1977, Congress has only three times approved all its spending measures by the Sept. 30 deadline, according to the Concord Coalition, a Washington-based research group.

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