AP News Alert:
WASHINGTON (AP) The House has passed legislation to cover an additional 6 million lower-income children under the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement opposing legislation from House Democrats to drastically slash Medicare benefits for seniors, increase taxes on working families, and expand government-run health care:
“Republicans support renewing SCHIP to provide health care to children in low-income families, but we oppose the Democrats’ poorly-crafted, partisan proposal that works against the interests of seniors, working families, and taxpayers. This bill cuts some $193 billion in Medicare benefits for American seniors. In my congressional district alone, 14,267 seniors currently benefit from Medicare Advantage and 73 percent of them will lose their benefits if the Medicare cuts in the House bill become law. Moreover, this bill raises taxes on low-income families, opens the door to using taxpayer funds to benefit illegal immigrants, and imposes government-dictated ‘Hillary-care’ when we should be focusing on free market solutions that provide every American with access to better health care.
“When Republicans established SCHIP to help low-income children 10 years ago, we worked together in a bipartisan fashion with our Democratic colleagues. Our ranking Republicans – Mr. Barton and Mr. McCrery – made great efforts to work with their majority counterparts in hopes of forging a bipartisan consensus this year. Unfortunately the majority’s bill needlessly asks millions of American seniors to sacrifice their health care security in favor of expanding government-subsidized health care.”
President Bush is expected to veto the bill if/when it makes it to his desk.
