SCHIP in Washington-speak stands for “State Children’s Health Insurance Program.” It’s a program originally created by Republicans in Congress designed to help provide health insurance for low-income children. But in typical Washington fashion, it turned out to be the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent.
SCHIP is up for renewal this year. And this year, the Democrats are in charge of Congress. So naturally instead of merely reauthorizing SCHIP, the House voted yesterday to greatly expand the government program, with the ultimate goal of using it as a backdoor means of ushering in Hillary’s national healthcare nightmare.
If passed, the new SCHIP-on-steroids program would reportedly add an additional 4 million kids from supposedly low-income families to its rolls. Problem is, the Democrats are redefining what constitutes “low income.” In fact, families making up to $83,000 a year would now qualify for Super-SCHIP. The inevitable result will be families perfectly able to afford health insurance dropping their private policies and hopping onto the new taxpayer-funded government health insurance gravy train. All aboard!
Oh, and if that’s not enough, there’s a huge tax hike included (of course) in the Democrats’ plan to pay for it all, plus critics say the new program could end up actually providing taxpayer-funded health insurance to illegal aliens.
For all of these reasons and more, Republican President Bush has promised to veto the bill if it reaches his desk, as well he should. If Democrats were interested in providing health insurance to poor kids and not in scoring political points while growing government bigger, they could have simply re-authorized the current program. But that’s not what they’re all about. They’re Democrats. By definition that means raising taxes to make government bigger, more expensive and more intrusive in the private lives of American citizens.
Naturally, Nevada’s liberal-as-the-day-is-long Democrat Rep. Shelley Berkley voted an enthusiastic “Yes” in favor of Super-SCHIP yesterday. When it comes to growing government, Rep. Berkley is as dependable as the sun rising in the east. She’s the safest bet in Vegas.
On the other side, Nevada’s lone conservative representative in the House did the right thing. Republican Congressman Dean Heller cast yet another politically tough vote, siding with Republican President Bush and responsible public policy by voting “No” on taking yet another step toward socialized medicine in this country.
And then there was Congressman Jon Porter.
Rep. Porter tossed the principle of limited-government overboard - again - and took the politically easy way out by joining a handful of Republican moderates who defied the president’s veto threat and voted “Yes” with Shelley Berkley, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats. Lovely.
And speaking on Jon Porter, get a load of this.
The Las Vegas Review Journal reports this morning that Porter is the lead co-sponsor of a bill, along with Democrat Rep. Sam Farr of California, which would take $50 million of taxpayer money and use it…to promote tourism.
I kid you not.
Their bill would be a whopping “250 percent increase over the current federal spending…for international travel promotion.”
The Improving Public Diplomacy Through International Travel Act is 100%, USDA Grade A “pork.” It is, as the RJ notes, “the newest effort by the travel industry and its backers in Congress to increase the federal role in tourism promotion since the dismantling of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration a decade ago for budget cuts.” In other words, Jon Porter is teaming up with a California Democrat to undo one of the few things Republicans actually did right when they had the majority.
Why Nevada Republicans continue to tout this man as the “Great GOP Hope” against Harry Reid in 2010 remains a mystery to me. On important vote after vote and issue after issue, Jon Porter IS Harry Reid. If this is the best Nevada Republicans have to offer, it’s no wonder I’m no longer a Nevada Republican.
Posted on September 27th, 2007 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
Congressman Porter posted a Wall Street Journal editorial opposing SCHIP on his website back on July 31.
If Congressman Porter posted the editorial on his website because he agreed with it, I wonder who/what got to him in the last two months.
I also understand it will cover the children of illegal aliens as well…
I heard up to the age of 25. ??
http://www.firesociety.com/article/17956/?src=111
Here is the article on SCHIP covering illegals.
Porter is happy with the bill now that the threat to Medicare is removed.
Well, there are 56 illegal immigrants in the Washoe County jail resulting from an ICE raid of eleven McDonald’s restaurants yesterday. I guess they won’t be benefiting from SCHIP if it becomes law.
I haven’t been in a McDonald’s in a long time, so I was surprised that there were an average of five illegals per restaurant. I must be living in the past, but I thought McDonald’s was still a place where teenagers worked before/after school and on weekends.
Of course, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell was outraged by the ICE’s raid and planned to file a protest with the feds. I figure that his twin brother Sparks Mayor Geno Martini won’t be too far behind with his protest.
John.. true so true…
when I was a teenager in the late 70’s … we all worked in the fast food joints…. and the boys mowed the neighbors lawn.
Up in Utah.. there are still teenagers working there.. it’s great.. they speak English.
I understand this Mickey D’s deal was a 5 month investigation sparked by identity theft.
[…] Background SCHIP, is a bill that the United States Congress passed in 1997 and expired September 30, 2007. Quoting a September 27, 2007 blog post on Murth’s Truth: “SCHIP in Washington-speak stands for “State Children’s Health Insurance Program. It’s a program originally created by Republicans in Congress designed to help provide health insurance for low-income children. But in typical Washington fashion, it turned out to be the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent.” “SCHIP is up for renewal this year. And this year, the Democrats are in charge of Congress. So naturally instead of merely reauthorizing SCHIP, the House voted yesterday to greatly expand the government program, with the ultimate goal of using it as a backdoor means of ushering in Hillary’s national healthcare nightmare.” […]
Trust me, I know how eligibility for socialized medicine is determined. Actually, in our state, the income guidelines are posted online. Not to mention, my job is determining eligibility for government handout programs.
I have to admit, it does tick me off that basic family Medicaid and Kid Care CHIP programs have no resource limits. In other words, you can have several thousand dollars in the bank, but if you have no job — you qualify to have the hard working taxpayers foot your freaking health care costs. Self employed people really take advantage. Get this, your income is what you say it is when you apply. We take client statement as the gospel. I know a family that lives a couple blocks from me in a $250,000 home and they drive a 2007 Yukon or Suburban, yet I pay for their freaking health insurance! Can’t afford health insurance, yet I can afford a $40,000 vehicle?! Don’t get me started ….
Hello…I found your site via Yahoo! when i was searching for rep nancy pelosi, and this post regarding SCHIP of State really sounds very interesting to me.. Thanks.