BRIEF: Congress Fails To Overturn a Presidential Veto on Child Health Insurance Expansion

WASHINGTON D.C., United States - The House of Representatives fell thirteen votes short of overriding the President's veto of legislation that proposed to expand the reach of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  President Bush, in vetoing the legislation, stressed that the proposed expansion took the program "beyond its original purpose" of insuring low-income families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance.  The proposed legislation would increase SCHIP's budget by $35 billion in order to insure approximately ten million children.  President Bush has offered a compromise where he has expressed a willingness to approve a bill that would provide insurance to 500,000 children. 

For more information, please see:

BBC - Democrats fail to beat Bush veto - 18 October 2007

The Boston Globe - House fails to override veto of SCHIP - 19 October 2007

MSNBC - House fails to override Bush child health veto - 18 October 2007