Anna Eshoo: “Today is the second time we are voting to override the President's veto of legislation which provides health care to…”

“Today is the second time we are voting to override the President's veto of legislation which provides health care to more low-income, uninsured children under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Last year, 64 percent of the House voted for this legislation--just a handful of votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override. In the Senate, there is a sufficient 'super majority' to pass this bill. With the economy either in recession or on the threshold of one, the arguments for this bill are even greater than they were when we voted for it last year. Unemployment is edging up. With more Americans out of work there will be an increase in the number of uninsured. For every point that unemployment rises, 1.2 million to 1.5 million Americans lose their health insurance. This legislation increases to 10 million the number of children covered under SCHIP and it addresses almost every major concern that has been raised about the bill. The bill covers only American citizens (not undocumented individuals). The bill will cover only children, not adults. The bill focuses on covering low-income kids and it caps eligibility to families earning less than $51,500. The bill makes certain that coverage under SCHIP will not substitute for coverage by employer-provided and private health insurance. The bill is fully paid for with an increase in the tobacco tax.”