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Editorial: Bush's veto of SCHIP is bad for America's children and the GOP

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Even in the calculating world of ideological and partisan politics, President Bush's veto of the bill that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program is heartless and politically foolish.

How many "compassionate conservative" presidents does it take to put the disintegrating GOP in the worst place it has been since the pasting of Barry Goldwater? Just one — President George W. Bush, whose veto might cost many Republicans their seats in Congress next year.

In his latest insult to party, country and people, Bush used only his fourth veto in seven years to block a public policy that is broadly endorsed by both political parties, most of the nation's governors and virtually all public health agencies and medical associations.

It's a truly stunning action, when you consider that the federal debt has nearly doubled during Bush's deficit-spending tenure, which has been everything but fiscally responsible, let alone conservative. Now, when it comes to America's children, the federal government cannot afford to insure them against illness or death.

The president essentially decided last week that it was more important to stave off further government intervention in the nation's failing private health care system than to provide for the vital health care of 4 million more of America's children.

That would include an additional 11,000 children in New Mexico, where 19,000 kids already are covered under the existing program. The state's share of federal SCHIP funds would more than double under the expansion, from $52 million to $116.5 million.

SCHIP already covers 6.6 million American children from low-income families which earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid program but not enough to buy private health insurance.

The expansion, which would only cost $35 billion more over the next five years and would be financed by an increase in tobacco taxes, would significantly raise the qualifying income levels to bring more children into the program.

New Mexico is fortunate to have a congressional delegation that strongly endorsed the SCHIP expansion - with Republicans Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, both of Albuquerque, joining Democrats Sen. Jeff Bingaman of Silver City and Rep. Tom Udall of Santa Fe in voting for the expansion.

In New Mexico, only Rep. Steve Pearce, a Hobbs Republican, stood with Bush, whose veto will stand unless more than two dozen representatives — the vast majority of them Republicans — change their minds and vote to override him. Pearce should be among them.

Wilson, who has advocated for the expansion, and Domenici, who decided to support it recently after conferring with health officials at the University of New Mexico, should do all they can to persuade members of their party to abandon the president and stand with children and their families.

This should not be a partisan or ideological issue. The debate over public versus private health insurance can come another day. Today, it is imperative that America correct one of the most egregious shortcomings in its health care system — its inability to provide health insurance coverage for all of its children.

The president is out of step with the country, its people and even key leaders of his own party, such as Wilson and Domenici. His veto must not stand, lest children die.