Lawmakers decry veto of kids' health bill

Bangor Daily News - President Bush vetoed the state children’s health insurance bill Wednesday morning, only the fourth veto of his presidency.

Last week, Congress passed the legislation that would have expanded the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to cover an estimated four million more children at a cost of $35 million over five years. The program is designed to provide health insurance for children in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.

All four Maine congressional members quickly denounced the president’s decision.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins called the veto "a tremendous mistake."

"This is a program that has been cost-effective and has had a significant impact in reducing the number of uninsured children, not only in Maine but across the nation," Collins said in an interview. "At this point, I hope that the president will be finally willing to change his mind if there are a few — and I hope they are minor — changes in the bill. But of all the bills to veto, I think the president really made a mistake on this one."..read more >>