Statement by Edward J. McElroy, President, American Federation of Teachers,
On Today’s Effort in the House To Override Bush’s Veto of Children’s Health Bill

Note: The U.S. House of Representatives voted 260-152 today to override President Bush’s December 2007 veto of a children’s health bill, falling short of the necessary votes to overcome the veto. This was Bush’s second veto of a bill that would have extended health insurance to approximately 4 million children through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

WASHINGTON, D.C.—With millions of families facing uncertain economic times and the prospect of losing their jobs or health insurance, it is unconscionable that President Bush and his allies in the House would once again deny children the healthcare security provided through SCHIP. Strong bipartisan majorities in both chambers support an expansion of SCHIP, yet President Bush is stubbornly clinging to ideology and turning a blind eye to the needs of working- and middle-class families.

High-quality, affordable healthcare for all children—indeed, for all Americans—is a basic value worth fighting for, and the AFT will do our best to make sure that healthcare plays a major role in the 2008 elections. 

In the meantime, as Congress develops an economic stimulus package to send to President Bush, we strongly urge House and Senate leaders to include an increase in the federal share of Medicaid payments (FMAP). An increase in these payments would provide much-needed relief to cash-strapped states struggling to provide a safety net to working families, and it would help cover some of the children left behind by the president’s veto.

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