Bachmann leaves no child insured!

Rep. Bachmann: Leave No Child Insured

Rep. Bachmann Stands With Bush Over Minnesota’s Families, Votes to Sustain Veto of Healthcare for 10 Million Kids in Need

Rep. Bachmann Would Rather Spend Half a Trillion Dollars in Iraq Than a Fraction of That on Healthcare for Her Most Vulnerable Constituents: Low-Income Children

Click Here to View AUFC TV Ad “Abby” Targeting Bachmann: http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/blog/entries/aufc_schip_ad_campaign/

St. Paul, MN – Rubberstamping the backwards Bush policy of “Billions of Dollars for Iraq, But Veto for Kids’ Health Care,” Rep. Michele Bachmann stood with the President today over thousands of Minnesota families by voting to sustain a veto of meaningful legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for 6.6 million kids and provide coverage to nearly 4 million more – legislation that enjoys the support of 72 percent of the American public, including 61 percent of Republicans, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll.

“Even as President Bush was vetoing a modest, $35 billion expansion of the children’s healthcare insurance program, he asked Congress for nearly $200 billion in additional funds for Iraq ,” said Donald McFarland, spokesperson for Americans United for Change. “Today, after a half a trillion dollars spent in Iraq, Rep. Bachmann still chose to deny healthcare funding for millions of children in need when, the fact is, for the amount spent in just one week in Iraq , 800,000 children could get health insurance for an entire year. And Rep. Bachmann voted to enable Bush’s endless war every chance she had. 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 .”

“We understand Rep. Bachmann doesn’t have much, in any, history breaking ranks with President Bush, but when it comes to taking care of children who are most in need – we thought even she might be able to make an exception. But once again, she chose to put blind loyalty to this President ahead of the basic health care needs of thousands of children in Minnesota .”

“When it comes to spending 10 billion a month fighting an endless war in Iraq – Rep. Bachmann can find the money,” continued McFarland. “When it comes to shelling out billions of dollars in tax breaks for the special interests – she can find the money. But when it comes to providing basic health coverage for nation’s most vulnerable citizens – low-income children – she can’t spare a dime. It sends a sorry message to the Minnesota families who pray each night that their children don’t get sick or hurt – a message that it’s more important to give political cover to this President than it is to protect our children.”

“What’s particularly disturbing is that Rep. Bachmann couldn’t find anything wrong with this bill, so she resorted to wild distortions and outright lies about the legislation to excuse her opposition to healthcare for thousands of kids in Minnesota,” continued McFarland.

According to the Associated Press, as the debate over Children’s Healthcare heated up, House Republicans circulated a survey by a pollster with close ties to House Minority Leader John Boehner, offering suggested talking points to House Republicans that critics of SCHIP could win the public debate if they say they favor "covering uninsured children without expanding government coverage to adults, illegal immigrants and those who already have insurance...."

FACT V. FICTION on the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/09/schip_factcheck.html
http://majorityleader.house.gov/docUploads/SCHIPFactVSFiction.pdf

And Rep. Bachmann was all to happy to parrot the misinformation: http://bachmann.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=76551

“Rep. Bachmann knew she didn’t have a leg to stand on opposing this bipartisan, popularly supported legislation -- so she resorted to making stuff up. This legislation doesn’t provide a dime of coverage to a single illegal immigrant. The only adults this legislation would cover is low-income pregnant women, because research has shown that prenatal care leads to healthier babies, which will reduce the cost of SCHIP over time. And this legislation doesn’t expand eligibility for CHIP; it targets low and lower-middle-income children who have no health insurance, not children from wealthy families. Right now, less than 1 in 10 children covered by SCHIP live in a family of four earning more than $41,000 a year, and that wouldn’t change a lick under this bill. So, either Rep. Bachmann -- a professional legislator, mind you -- didn’t read the bill, or she is so loyal to this President that she would rather knowingly mislead her constituents to provide him cover. Either way – it’s reprehensible and her constituents are not as stupid as she apparently thinks.”