Herseth Sandlin responds to criticism on health care for children

Bush comments called 'unreasonable'

By The Associated Press | Tuesday, September 25, 2007

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SIOUX FALLS - President Bush was off base when he accused Democrats of "putting health care coverage for poor children at risk" and playing politics on proposed changes to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, says Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sand-lin, D-S.D.

"That's a really unreasonable statement," Herseth Sandlin said of Bush's comment on Thursday.

SCHIP is set to expire at the end of the month. Congressional Democrats have said they want a $35 billion spending increase, and the president threatened to veto it.

Democrats in both chambers, along with some Republicans, have been in ongoing meetings to figure out the best way forward in light of the 60 votes needed in the Senate "to call the administration's bluff on that veto threat," Herseth Sandlin said.

"The next step forward is for those conferees to make a decision here ... so that we can get the conference report passed by both chambers next week and sent to the president's desk before it expires on Sept. 30," she said Thursday.

On Friday, the conferees issued details of the planned expansion of the children's health insurance program.

The House plans to vote Tuesday on the measure, which would add $35 billion over five years to the program.

It would be financed by raising the federal cigarette tax to $1 per pack, a 61-cent          increase.

Bush had urged lawmakers to send him a simple extension of the program.