Put the poor first in Future Schip's bill

ARRA Note: The following was furnished directly to the ARRA Editor by Rep. Boozman's staff with permission to share with our readers. However in fairness, we have identified the a link and the published source for the guest editorial.
by Rep. John Boozman, Editoral, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Over the last month, the debate over the proper and responsible re-authorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, has bounced between both houses of Congress, from Capitol Hill to the White House, and over the national and local airwaves as special interests from both sides urged you to call in and tell your representatives how to vote. What has it gotten us? Nothing. We are in the same position we were on Sept. 30: SCHIP still exists and the children who receive these benefits, as well as some adults, continue to be covered.

The Congress, the Bush administration and the people all know we need to reauthorize SCHIP and move on. However, the best we can give them is a roll call vote on the same plan with the same result. It is my hope we can move on past this last vote and seize upon the new opportunity we have available to us to negotiate a responsible plan to renew SCHIP. We have at least three alternatives in the House of Representatives that can serve as a blueprint to finding a truly bipartisan solution that will earn the signature of the president.

The day of the override vote, I joined 48 of my colleagues in putting forth one alternative to re-authorize SCHIP: House Resolution 3888, the More Children, More Choices Act. This plan fulfills the original intent of SCHIP—health insurance for poor children first—by fully funding the coverage of children in households with an annual income up to $ 43, 000. Our plan guarantees this by doubling the amount of money requested by the president. Estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office say that we need $ 8. 5 billion in new spending to make sure that all children currently enrolled in SCHIP are covered. The proposed More Children, More Choices Act provides those funds and goes $ 3 billion farther in an outreach program to find the children who are eligible for SCHIP but not enrolled.

There are no tax increases, no worries about families making $ 60,000 or $ 80,000 per year, no government taking over the health care system. H. R. 3888 refocuses SCHIP to its fundamental mission: putting needy children first and making sure they have the health care they need. My late brother Fay helped bring ARKids First into existence when he was head of the state Health Department under Gov. Mike Huckabee. Since then, Arkansas has maintained a record of success that has earned recognition from across the nation. The last thing anyone in Washington wants is to see such a successful program go away.

One question in this debate is how we do it and whether we ensure poor kids are at the head of the line. Another question is how we pay for it or whether we expand the program beyond poor children so much that we need even more taxes on top of the faulty tax scheme put forward in the first (and “second” ) plan. Yet another question is how we make sure needy American children receive this money or whether we dilute the proof of citizenship rules to such a level that illegal immigrants can use a stolen Social Security number to get SCHIP benefits.

Sadly, these three questions have not been answered, and this is why I have not been able to support the SCHIP plans brought to the floor. The alternative I support does, however, and does so in such a way that I know needy children will receive the health care they need before richer children, adults or even illegal immigrants. It is my hope that we can remember the bipartisan history of SCHIP when it was written by Republicans and Democrats in the Congress and signed by a Democratic president. It is my hope that we can get away from the “my way or the highway” stances undertaken by both sides. It is my hope that House Democrats can meet with House Republicans and draft a real solution that puts the health care of poor children first and keeps the politics as far away as possible.

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Tags: Arkansas, John Boozman, SCHIP, State Childrens Health Insurance Program, US House