Smokers Versus Kids?

Why George would veto this is beyond us. NYTimes (07.15.07):

"The White House said on Saturday that President Bush would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee.

The vow puts Mr. Bush at odds with the Democratic majority in Congress, with a substantial number of Republican lawmakers and with many governors of both parties, who want to expand the popular program to cover some of the nation’s eight million uninsured children."

Bush Is Prepared to Veto Bill to Expand Child Insurance

"The program, which insured 7.4 million people at some time in the last year, is set to expire Sept. 30."

The CBO projects that the expanded program would "reduce the number of uninsured children by 4.1 million." The Senate Finance Committee is proposing a $35 billion increase [ed. - which works out to about three months of what we're spending in Iraq and Afghanistan] over the next five years. It would be financed by raising the tax on cigarettes from $.39 a pack to around a $1.00. Generous souls that they are, George and the boys dont' want more than a $5 billion increase.

"[Tony] Fratto, the White House spokesman, said, 'Tax increases are neither necessary nor advisable to fund the program appropriately.'"

But that's the bogus reason. The real reason is that increasing the number of kids who would become eligible "'will have the effect of encouraging many to drop private coverage, to go on the government-subsidized program.'"

And we certainly can't have that now, can we.