Speech #1100108412

I do so because the Presidents objections to government health insurance for low income children are outrageous. That said. I still believe. the bills failure to provide coverage for legal immigrants is reprehensible. All children deserve health care coverage. Health care is a right. not a privilege. The denial of a lifesaving service based on an arbitrary length of citizenship is simply wrong. It is the responsibility of Congress to address the main difficulties that prevent legal immigrant children from gaining access to health care. This bill does exactly the opposite. Thus I felt compelled to vote against the bill after the Senate negotiators refused to provide health benefits to legal immigrant children. Negotiating away health care for 400.000600.000 children as a political compromise is not acceptable. The President has vetoed the bill because he calls it a step toward socialized medicine.