Bush veto of kids' health bill puts pressure on House GOP

President Bush has used his veto pen sparingly: His first, issued last year, blocked federal research using embryonic stem cells. His second in May killed a war spending bill that set a timetable for troop withdrawals from Iraq. In June, he vetoed the stem cell bill a second time.
But Bush's fourth veto Wednesday - rejecting legislation to expand a children's health insurance program to cover 4 million more kids - could prove the most controversial and costly to members of his Republican Party running for election next fall.

House and Senate Republicans are divided over the measure. Polls show the public favors expanding the program to help kids from low-income families who are not poor enough to qualify for government health care, but still lack health insurance. The legislation is backed by 43 governors - including California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - who say the program isn't keeping pace with the swelling ranks of uninsured children.

In California, the legislation would provide 607,000 more children with insurance in addition to the 1.1 million who already benefit from the program.

The timing of the veto sets up an unenviable comparison for the White House. The president just sent a request to Congress for $189 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan next year. By contrast, the expanded children's health program would cost $60 billion over five years.

"While he continues to demand billions to fund his flawed war policies, he is telling the most vulnerable segment of our society that there just isn't enough money for them to have adequate health care," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek.

The expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which now covers about 6.6 million children - would cost $35 billion over five years and would be paid by raising the tax on cigarettes by 61 cents, to $1 a pack. Bush had proposed a $5 billion increase for the program, paid for out of general revenue.

The bill passed the Senate 68-31, including support from 18 Republicans, enough to override Bush's veto. The bill passed the House 265-159 with support from 45 Republicans, but Democrats still lack 15 votes to reach the two-thirds needed to overcome Bush's opposition.

All the members of the Bay Area's House delegation voted in favor of the bill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats will hold a vote on overriding the veto in two weeks to allow time for the party and outside groups to pressure House Republicans. She warned GOP lawmakers their votes would be a top issue in House elections next fall.

"They're hearing from their churches, they're hearing from the community activists who are involved in working with children," Pelosi, D-San Francisco, said. "It's going to be a hard vote for Republicans to take. I know, no matter how they vote, many of them are very, very uncomfortable about having to make this choice."

Republicans complained that Democrats are delaying the vote simply to get as much political mileage as they can out of the issue.....