WASHINGTON — The Democratic-controlled House failed on Thursday to override President Bush’s veto of a politically popular children’s health bill, and the White House instantly called for compromise talks on a replacement.
“As long as the bottom line is that 10 million children are covered. That’s non-negotiable,” responded Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She pledged that new legislation would be ready within two weeks, and within hours, key lawmakers met to consider changes in the vetoed measure.
The maneuvering followed a 273-156 vote that left supporters 13 short of the two-thirds majority needed to prevail in a bruising veto struggle between congressional Democrats and a politically weakened Republican president.
Democrats cited polls that showed overwhelming support for a health care expansion and they predicted some Republicans would pay a heavy price at the polls for sticking with Bush.
While the outcome was not in doubt, tempers flared when Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., brought the Iraq war into the debate.
“You don’t have money to fund the war or children,” he told Republicans. “But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement.”
Republicans condemned Stark’s remark.
At a cost of $35 billion over five years, the vetoed measure would have added nearly 4 million uninsured children to the insurance program. It provides coverage for those who are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but whose families cannot afford private health care.
“You either stand with our children or you stand against them,” said Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, a member of the Democratic leadership. “There is no in between.”
Critics said that the bill was a step toward socialized medicine, that too many adults benefited and it would allow the children of illegal immigrants to gain coverage.
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