Steny Hoyer: “earlier today, the President of the United States, in defiance of bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate, and in…”

“earlier today, the President of the United States, in defiance of bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate, and in defiance of the will of a great majority of Americans, vetoed fiscally responsible legislation that would ensure that 10 million children in our Nation receive health insurance coverage. That's approximately 4 million more children than are covered under the highly successful Children's Health Insurance Program today. I remind the Members of the House that that program was adopted in 1997 by a Republican-controlled Congress with strong Democratic support, a bipartisan program. Let us be clear, this is a defining moment for this Congress and for a President who has labeled himself a compassionate conservative. The President's veto, my colleagues, must not stand. The President wrongly claims that this bipartisan legislation is fiscally irresponsible. But the truth is the Children's Health Insurance Program legislation, forged by Members on both sides of this aisle, is paid for. It does not add to the deficit or to the debt. Moreover, President Bush, whose policies over the last 6 years have instigated record budget deficits and spiraling debt, should not be lecturing anyone on the issue of fiscal discipline. This administration, I suggest to all of us, has pursued and enacted the most fiscally irresponsible policies perhaps in American history.”