Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Pro-SCHIP Rally Thursday



President Bush vetoed the SCHIP bill today, as expected. With 67 Senators supporting the bill, everything falls on the House of Representatives to override the veto. If all the Democrats in the House and the Republicans who supported SCHIP last time vote to override, they'll still be 15 votes short. That's 15 Republicans who need to be swayed.

Here's some polling data on the issue, from ABC News and the Washington Post:
"There's a proposal to increase federal spending on children's health insurance by 35 billion dollars over the next five years. It would be funded by an increase in cigarette taxes. Supporters say this would provide insurance for millions of low-income children who are currently uninsured. Opponents say this goes too far in covering children in families that can afford health insurance on their own. Do you support or oppose this increased funding for this program?" Options rotated.

Support Oppose Unsure
% % %
9/27-30/07 72 25 3
(For more good information on SCHIP, see here and here.)

It might be a lost cause, but a group of activists is ready to try to convince Congressman Tim Walberg, who voted against Michigan's children, to change his mind and vote to stand with 72 percent of Americans. From the Battle Creek Enquirer:

A rally to encourage Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg to vote to override President George W. Bush’s veto of a $35 billion expansion of the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will be held 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Mill Race Park in downtown Battle Creek.

Walberg has promised to side with the president’s plan to expand the program by just $5 billion. Although the Senate may have a two-thirds majority necessary to override the president’s veto issued today, analysts estimate the House is about 15 votes shy of an override.

Kate Segal, Calhoun County Commission chairwoman; Tony Walker, vice mayor of Battle Creek; and Marvin Austin, former county commissioner, plan to attend. The gathering is organized by Kalamazoo-based Michigan Citizen Action, an affiliate of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit USAction.

(Emphasis added.)

I'd love to be there, but, unfortunately, I'm not actually in the state of Michigan at the moment... Still, I'd encourage everyone to go. Maybe, if enough people show up, it might convince Congressman Walberg to change his mind.

If you attend the rally, be sure to send me an e-mail about how it goes.

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posted by Fitzy  # 8:58 PM
Comments:
I wonder if Kate Segal is going to be on the state's payroll while she's at the protest? She is Schauer's district person... Is this considered campaigning while on the government's pay clock?
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : October 5, 2007 at 12:34 AM
 
Who is Kate Segal? What is this about?
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : October 11, 2007 at 9:29 AM
 
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