Maine People's Alliance - Holtrachem Cleanup Press Release

Local Doctors, Veterans, Parents, Children, Faith Communities and Labor speak out against President Bush's Veto of Children's Health Care

Urge Congressional Delegation to continue their support for state children's health insurance program (SCHIP)

Lewiston, Maine – Nearly 10 million kids nationwide, and 43,560 children in Maine were just one step away from receiving the basic health coverage they need following last week’s passage in both the U.S. House and Senate of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act – critical legislation that would reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for 6.6 million kids and provide coverage to nearly 4 million more low income children. Nearly 12,500 more Maine children would have been covered. However, President Bush, after spending half a trillion dollars on the Iraq war, vetoed the reauthorization of this critical program for the nation’s children, putting at risk healthcare for 10 million children including thousands right here at home.

In response, Maine physicians, leaders and mother’s of children in need of health care gathered at the Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston today in protest, reacting angrily to President Bush’s backwards priorities and irresponsible policy that sacrifices the healthcare of children for a failed policy in Iraq. Those gathered at the Trinity Jubilee Center called on Senators Snowe and Collins, and Representatives Allen and Michaud, who voted in favor of the children’s health insurance program in defiance of the White House last week, to stand firm and vote to override the President’s veto when it comes back before the House and Senate next week.

Even as President Bush was vetoing a modest, $35 billion expansion of the children’s healthcare insurance program over the next five years, he asked Congress for nearly $200 billion in additional funds for Iraq. The fact is, for the amount spent in just one week in Iraq, 800,000 children could get health insurance for an entire year.

“After spending half a trillion dollars in Iraq, President Bush chose to deny healthcare funding for millions of children in need, thousands right here in Maine, with one stroke of his veto pen,” said George Christie of Americans United for Change. “The fact is, for what we spend in just one week in Iraq, 800,000 children could get health insurance for an entire year. This is a question of priorities, and President Bush has his all mixed up: billions for the Iraq War and a veto for kid’s health care. The needs of our children and other priorities here at home, like education and prescription drugs for seniors, have been shortchanged for far too long while this President spends billions and billions each week in Iraq.”

“The SCHIP program allows families like mine to meet the health care needs of our children, thereby assuring not only healthier children, but a better quality of life for all of us,” said Jami Collins of Steep Falls. Collins works 40 hours per week and has employer sponsored health insurance for her self but she cannot afford the premium of almost $300 per month to include her two children on her employer’s plan. “Because of the SCHIP program families like mine do not need to suffer the fear and anxiety caused from living without health care coverage for our children.”

“We want Maine’s congressional delegation to continue to stand for families like Jami Collins’, and look this President in the eye and say enough is enough and to vote to override the President’s shameful veto of this critical legislation to provide health care for thousands of kids in Maine and expanding that care to thousands more in desperate need,” said Christie.

The press conference was sponsored by the Maine People’s Alliance and Americans United for Change.