John Yarmuth: “when President Bush vetoed a bill earlier this month that would provide health care coverage to 10 million American…”

“when President Bush vetoed a bill earlier this month that would provide health care coverage to 10 million American children, he said the spending was excessive. The bipartisan bill invested $35 billion more in children's health over a 5-year period. Three weeks later, President Bush announces that he needs $196 billion to fight the war in Iraq over the next year. If $35 billion for children's health is excessive, what exactly is his request for the war? I know the President believes that Congress is his personal ATM machine, but article I of the Constitution says different, and we will not rubber-stamp his funding request for the war. As we have in the past, Democrats will continue to exert pressure on the administration to change course in Iraq so that we can begin to bring the troops home. There is no military solution to the war; yet the Bush administration refuses to put pressure on the Iraqi Government to enact the political reforms that are necessary to bring about stability in the country. While we push the administration to change course in Iraq, we also remain firm in our conviction to pass the children's health care bill that covers 10 million American children.”