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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Hottest Galleries: October 19, 2007 Walden sides with Bush on SCHIP By Chris Rizo Ashland Daily Tidings Rep. Greg Walden, bucking pressure from Democrats and one of Oregon's most powerful labor unions, sided with President Bush and voted Thursday not to override his veto of legislation to expand a popular health insurance program for low-income children. The bipartisan proposal, financed with an increased tobacco tax, fell 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority supporters needed to override the president's veto so that an additional 4 million children from middle-income families could obtain health insurance through the State Children's Health Insurance Program. In the House vote, 229 Democrats and 44 Republicans supported the bill. In the Senate, the proposal passed last month with more than a two-thirds majority. Walden, the Republican who represents Ashland and Medford, was the only member of Oregon's congressional delegation to oppose the proposed $35 billion expansion of the program, known as SCHIP, which covers children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private coverage. About 2,500 children in Jackson County are currently covered under the program that has temporary funding through Nov. 16. Service Employees International Union Local 503 aired television spots condemning his opposition to the program; and in advance of Thursday's vote, the union held a candlelight vigil at the congressman's office on Wednesday to urge him to side with Democrats to override the president. For his part, Gov. Ted Kulongoski, in a letter to the state's congressional delegation, wrote that the SCHIP bill "represents a common-sense and bipartisan approach that will ensure that health coverage for millions of currently enrolled children is not jeopardized." Under the program, the federal government supplies two dollars for every dollar the state pays for health insurance for low- and moderate-income children. During Fiscal Year 2007, Oregon received $56.7 million, administered through the Oregon Health Plan. Walden, like many of his Republican colleagues, objected to the proposal because he argued it would have encouraged moderate-income Americans to eschew private coverage and enroll in the government-sponsored program instead. He complained additionally that the Democrat-backed proposal would have been financially unsustainable, dependent on raising the federal tobacco tax by 61 cents, to $1 a pack. He objected also to illegal immigrants being covered under the program that was enacted originally by a Republican-controlled Congress as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Still, Sen. Gordon Smith, the state's only other Republican member of Congress, expressed disappointment that the House was not able to muster the votes to implement a proposal that he was an architect of and has championed for months. "I believe there is room to discuss the concerns raised by my colleagues, however, I will not stand for a bill that doesn't provide the dollars needed to cover those kids eligible for the program, but who are not already enrolled," Smith said in a statement. President Bush on Wednesday expressed his willingness for a compromise, saying he had "made clear that, if putting poor children first requires more than the 20 percent increase in funding I proposed, we'll work with Congress to find the money we need." The president previously proposed an increase of $5 billion for the 10-year-old insurance program. Current Comments: With a recent (in the last few days) national poll showing Americans 81% in favor of the program, do we need any further evidence that Walden is not only out of touch with Oregonians but also with the nation as a whole. This guy has hung onto Bush too long and needs to go in '08! David - Ashland - October 19th, 1:35 PM Polling shows Americans broadly support assistance to provide health insurance to poor children -- which is the program that President Bush seeks to expand. I suspect that fewer than 10 percent of those polled understand that the controversial aspect of the vetoed legislation are provisions to provide subsidized health insurance to families with incomes in the top half of the U.S. population. The controversy isn't about "poor children," but rather about developing catchy campaign slogans Steve Wesche - Ashland, OR - October 19th, 2:28 PM Further evidence that Walden screws constituents to side with Bush: He voted against an extension of federal payments to Oregon timber counties, including Jackson, that would have kept libraries open and other public services funded. Why? The payments were attached to an Iraq war spending bill that Bush vetoed. Walden voted to uphold the veto. Pro war, anti county, anti reality. Walden in 08! Can we get a D? - ashland - October 19th, 2:57 PM Apparently the only "health care for children" that gets funded is the kind Halliburton delivers to foreign countries -- after all, a corpse can't get sick. Richard Cranium - Ashland OR - October 19th, 3:01 PM Steve, You've been listening to the RupubliCONS who're out to smear the program. POOR children are ALREADY covered by MEDICARE. S-CHIP is designed to cover children in working families who cannot afford health insurance...a VERY large number. Your Bush lauded the program while governor of Texas! As for this helping families with incomes in the "top half of the U.S. population", you, Rush, O'Reilly, Hannity, et al are making up "facts" that quite simply are untrue and have NO BASIS in reality. Wrong! - Ashland - October 19th, 4:30 PM Walden teams with Bush to see that No Child Is Left Insured. When he's finally voted out, he'll go work for the insurance industry. Thanks Greggie, you're doing a heck of a job on our children. newswatch - Ashland, OR - October 19th, 9:16 PM The anonymous "Wrong!" should look beyond his ideological reaction. The Bush Administration proposed and supports substantial expansion of the existing SCHIP program, which helps families unable to afford health insurance -- often called the working poor. It's a partisan, media-driven myth that the veto denies healthcare to "poor children." The income limits opposed in the vetoed bill are higher than the U.S. median family income; thus the reality is subsidies to families in the top 50%. Steve Wesche - Ashland, OR - October 20th, 8:30 AM Will Walden be voted out? He may not even run again, he and his staff behave like such whiney pouts since relegated to the minority. Example: Elk Creek Dam. He does an extended interview with Mark Freeman of MT complaining about how he can't stop the Army Corps of Engineers from restoring the best habitat in the Rogue basin for endangered coho salmon. "It looks like game over," he said. Example: an illuminating letter to the MT editor on Saturday. whatchu gonna do about it? - ashland - October 20th, 9:37 AM A factoid for the "top half incomes" argument can be found on the front page of the 10/17 SF Chron (yes, how ironic that I subscribe to a "foreign" paper). Headline reads "A family can't live on 50 grand", some bean-counters worked out that a family needs $77K just to scrape by. Translate this into local dollars with whatever formula you like, then explain how these people will afford healthcare for themselves or their children. It doesn't add up, does it? Richard Cranium - Ashland OR - October 20th, 9:53 AM As a life long Republican, I still like to look at the facts. Fact- Jackson & Perkins was recently sold. This left many of us without insurance. I'm sorry that I'm not "poor" enough for Mr Wesche. But again, fact- my children are currently suffering due to the lack of affordable health insurance. Politics should never come into question when we're dealing with our children. I personally wont support Mr Walden next election. Amazing we now want medicine from China (unsafe) vs. Canada. Jeef - Medford, Or - October 24th, 11:28 AM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us