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The House fell 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to save the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), HR 976, from the president's veto, according to Congressman Mike Thompson's office.
Bush vetoed the bill Oct. 3, saying that the bill raised spending by as much as $50 million, that it would cover children in households with incomes of as much as $83,000 annually and would raise taxes, according to a White House statement.
In his Oct. 6 radio address, Bush called the bill “deeply flawed,” and said it was an “incremental step” toward Congress' goal of government-run health care.
Thompson reacted Thursday by saying that “Members of Congress who chose to walk lock-step with the president rather than represent their constituents have kept millions of children from getting the health care they desperately need.”
The bipartisan bill, said Thompson, was to provide coverage to more than 10 million children from families that can’t afford private insurance.
“In addition to being supported by the vast majority of Americans, this bill is supported by 43 governors and hundreds of health-related organizations, including the health insurance companies. And, it’s completely paid for,” he said. “Those Members of Congress who voted against this bill and then call themselves compassionate conservatives should take a long, hard look in the mirror.”
Thompson's office reported that SCHIP would continue coverage for 6.6 million children, including more than 1,600 kids in Lake County.
In addition, HR 974 would extend coverage to 4 million children who qualify, but are not currently enrolled, Thompson's office reported. California has already identified 200,000 uninsured children who could benefit from this program if the current bill became law.
SCHIP was the product of months of compromise between Democrats and Republicans, said Thompson, “so when opponents say they’re waiting for a compromise bill, they’re blowing a lot of hot air.”
He added, “Claims that this bill provides coverage to adults and illegal immigrants or raises the income eligibility are equally false. This bill does not change the eligibility for SCHIP at all. It simply increases the resources available for SCHIP so kids who aren’t currently enrolled but qualify can get the coverage they need.”
State Assemblymember Patty Berg (D-Eureka) also issued a statement on the vote's failure to override the veto, which she said was deeply disappointing, although not entirely surprising.
“It is a sad day for California’s children and children across this nation,” she said. “The veto override places California’s children in jeopardy. Our kids are our future, and they certainly deserve better than this.”
Berg's office reported that, without federal funding, California’s children are at-risk of losing health insurance. State programs cover about 800,000 children with family incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty line.
Said Thompson, “We’re going to continue to fight for this bill until we prevail. Reauthorizing SCHIP in order to expand health care for our children is a fight we cannot afford to lose.”
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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LAKE COUNTY – A local organization formed to help support US troops overseas has been nominated for a national award.
Kelseyville resident Ginny Craven, founder of Operation Tango Mike, was notified Tuesday that the group has been nominated for the Above and Beyond Effort Award Award in the Microsoft/USO Salute to the Troops Program.
Operation Tango Mike translates to “Thanks much” in military lingo. Craven formed the group to send troops much-needed support – both emotional and practical. On a monthly basis the group of dedicated volunteers packs dozens of care packages to send overseas.
It's the kind of effort that the Microsoft Above & Beyond Program was created to spotlight.
Microsoft and the United Service Organizations (USO) announced Sept. 18 that they were introducing the awards, meant to recognize “contributions of the military community of friends, family and other individuals who support U.S. troops and/or their families in 2007.”
Adriana Marino, Microsoft Above & Beyond Program coordinator, notified Craven Tuesday of the nomination, the day after the nomination period ended.
“Your extraordinary dedication in supporting our Armed forces is evident through your exemplification of its core values of courage, comfort, and selflessness,” Marino wrote in an e-mail message.
Marino told Craven that if Operation Tango Mike is selected as a finalist, the group's story will be shared with the public and included in an online vote to decide the award winner.
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The chosen winners will be invited, with airfare expenses paid, for the Above and Beyond Awards Gala at New York City's famed Rainbow Room on Nov. 12, according to Marino. The event will be held as a part of Microsoft and USO’s inaugural “Salute to Our Troops,” a private, complimentary performance of the 75th Celebration of the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular.”
Craven said Thursday that she doesn't know who submitted the nomination, which was both surprising and flattering.
“The nomination is a superb testament to the Lake County community,” she said. “Though I started Operation Tango Mike, it has grown into something very special and is sustained through donations and the good work of volunteers. Kudos to Lake County. Supporting our troops is the right thing to do and is a labor of love.”
She told Operation Tango Mike supporters in an e-mail message this week that the nomination “speaks volumes about what we can do when we put our minds to it.”
A panel of judges will narrow the nominations to finalists in each category, from which the awardees will be chosen through an online public vote at the Above and Beyond Web site, according to Microsoft.
The final nominees will be announced Oct. 22, at which time the public can visit the Above and Beyond Awards Web site and vote for the winners.
On Oct. 22, visit the Above and Beyond Web site at www.microsoft.com/industry/government/federal/AboveandBeyondAwards.mspx to see if Operation Tango Mike has made the finals and, if they have, to cast your vote in support of the group.
For more information about Operation Tango Mike, visit the group's Web site at http://operationtangomike.home.mchsi.com/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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