CBC Radio Commentary

Although voters will not cast ballots for the next President and Congress for some time, it is already clear that health care coverage will be the number one domestic issue. The American people are demanding an end to the national scandal in which tens of millions of their fellow citizens go without health insurance, and tens of millions are under-insured.

While a sweeping reform of our health care system will have to wait until the next administration and Congress, The Congressional Black Caucus is in the forefront of efforts to address the lack of health coverage for millions of American Children. We are focused on extending health care coverage to as many children as possible by dramatically increasing eligibility for the federally-funded State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). We must act quickly because the program expires on September 30.

Last week, the Senate adopted a measure to dramatically expand SCHIP coverage. The House is considering legislation that would cover 1.1 million more children than the Senate bill. Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2012, 5.1 million children who otherwise would be uninsured would be covered under the House legislation.

The House bill would make SCHIP a permanent program. It would allow states with higher-than-expected SCHIP enrollment to qualify for additional funds. It would provide fiscal incentives to states that adopt simplified enrollment practices and enroll more of the uninsured children who are already eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP.

SCHIP is vital to African Americans. It is a known fact that minority children are a disproportionate percentage of our uninsured children. The lack of health care coverage prevents early detection and treatment of diseases that disproportionately undermine the health of many minority children.

Yet, President Bush has promised to veto either version of the bill: not because of cost, not because expanding SCHIP isn't a worthy undertaking, but because in his tunnel-vision view of the world, the bill is a democratic ploy to move children from private insurance to a government program! He accuses the Democrats of using the program to advance the goal of creating a government-run health system.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We simply want and need to provide states with the resources to insure uninsured children.

Unfortunately, leading House Republicans have partnered with the president in perpetuating this transparent attempt to protect private insurers who as a rule refuse to provide affordable coverage for children in poor families. I hope rank and file Republicans will join House democrats in a bipartisan coalition to ensure enactment and if necessary, override Bush’s promised veto.

I urge you to contact your representative and senators. Insist that they support the legislation to expand and preserve SCHIP. And remember how they vote when you vote in next year’s election.