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One of my finest moments as Nebraska's Governor came in 1998 when we were finally able to establish Kids Connection to provide health coverage for some 24,000 low income Nebraska children under the age of 18 who did not have any health insurance coverage.
One of my finest moments as Nebraska's Senator came in late September when the Senate passed legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program which is commonly referred to as S-CHIP. It is a joint federal-state program intended to provide health coverage for children whose families make too much to receive Medicaid, but either can't afford private coverage or do not receive it through their work.
Providing health coverage to the children of low income people is the right thing to do, which is why I am so disappointed that President Bush called the bill irresponsible in announcing his veto and tried to make it a partisan issue which it is not.
18 Republicans joined 50 Democrats in approving the bill with a veto proof margin in the Senate.
One of the Republican supporters is my colleague from Iowa, Senator Charles Grassley, who debunked all the misinformation surrounding this bill in a statement on the floor saying, "Here's what it's not: It's not a government takeover of the health system. It does not undermine immigration policy. It's not expanding the program to cover high income kids. It's a good bill."
In Nebraska, a family of four with an income of $38,208 or less can receive free health coverage for its children. Nebraska has some of the tightest eligibility requirements in the country-limiting eligibility to 185 percent of the federal poverty level.
The bill is funded by raising the cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack. I'm no fan of taxes, but to help vulnerable children, this is an appropriate action.
All Nebraskans deserve access to quality health care. This bill provides Nebraska with a critical increase in funding for its SCHIP, Kids Connection, and the opportunity to provide basic health care services including dental care, doctor visits, hospitalization, outpatient services and mental health to 34,000 uninsured children in the state. That is why it’s supported by health care providers such as the Nebraska Hospital Association.
The legislation also includes an amendment I co-sponsored that affirms the Senate's intent to enact legislation this year to improve access to health care for employees of small businesses. I have long pushed for such legislation, which is critically important in Nebraska as two out of three small businesses don't provide coverage for their employees.
This bill combines the best of public and private health coverage to get medical care to American children in need. It provides kids from working families the medical care they need when they're sick and the checkups they need to stay well.
I urge the President and Republican opponents of this bill to put partisan politics aside and pass this legislation to help the children of America's working poor.
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