So the House Democrats made changes that 38 Republican Representatives said they wanted in the SCHIP bill and, surprise, none of the 38 voted for the bill. The reason this time? They argued that the vote shouldn't take place because of the fires in California. What exactly the fires have to do with SCHIP since most Representatives don't represent areas of wildfire damage wasn't really spelled out, but that's their reason.
It is, of course, BS. The real reason why they don't vote for the bill is that so-called "moderate" Republicans are torn between the Republicans who vote in primaries and the voters who vote in general elections. Therefore, they want to keep saying how they support SCHIP without actually voting to support SCHIP. While such a tactic might have worked in the past, it won't work when Democrats control Congress and can set the agenda.
Another reason why they supposedly voted against the bill is that House Speaker Pelosi wouldn't delay the new vote until next week. This is from a Washington Post article on the vote:
But Republican leaders rallied their wavering troops around a new issue, whether the vote should have taken place when much of Southern California was on fire and nine House members were touring the disaster zone. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) insisted she had no choice but to move forward and give the Senate a chance to send the measure to Bush next week.
"If Republicans believe in SCHIP as they say they do . . . then they won't be looking for an excuse to vote against the bill," Pelosi said.
But when Republicans suggested debating the measure yesterday and voting Monday night, she refused, infuriating even her closest Republican allies on the issue.
"I used to think they cared about the policy. Now I think they care more about the politics," said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), who had been working for the bill and personally appealed to Pelosi for a delay. "Everything from baptisms to bar mitzvahs, we've put off votes for here. But they won't do it for the people of California."
If the Republicans who supposedly support this bill had been able to assure Pelosi that the delay in voting would actually get more Republican votes, that would be one thing, but there was apparently no such assurance. The only benefit to Pelosi would have been that she would have had even more evidence of the Republican hypocrisy on this issue. She apparently decided that she has quite enough.
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In an effort to squelch support for the SCHIP bill, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and his Communications Director Don Stewart sent out an email with bogus talking points to swift-boat the Frost family all because 12-year-old Graeme spoke out in favor of the bill. This was meant to distract us from the real issue. Families don't have affordable health care.
Here are the facts: Graeme Frost attends a private school on a scholarship. Halsey Frost, Graeme's father is a self-employed woodworker. Graeme's parents earn between $45,000 and $50,000 a year to provide for their family of six. Their home was purchased in 1990 for $55,000. It's now assessed at $263,140. Maryland law says the value of a home is not taken into account to determine eligibility for SCHIP. Health coverage for the Frost family would cost $1,200 a month. They can't afford health coverage like most working poor in America. The Frosts are the kind of people that the SCHIP program was intended to help.
Published reports detail Halsey Frost's response to the swift-boat attack. Mr. Frost explained that his son Graeme has helped put on a human face on the SCHIP issue. He described his family as hard working and that mudslinging from the right wing lunatic fringe is being directed at the messenger. He says his family does not deserve these kinds of attacks and that it's shameful and pathetic. He goes on to say that he finds the right wing attacks directed toward his family as morally reprehensible and cowardly.
Republicans will only stop attacking those they disagree with when it doesn't work any longer. It's not working because a recent television network news poll illustrates 81 percent of Americans are in favor of the current SCHIP bill before Congress. Mr. Bush and some neo-con Republicans are still planning to oppose this health care for the working poor. Rumors on Capitol Hill indicate that vulnerable Republicans are feeling the heat to pass SCHIP. This shows that pressure is making them nervous.
Ask your elected officials, who in their family will they deny health care to?
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