Thursday, August 23, 2007

Poll: Voters Say Reauthorize, Expand SCHIP

A new poll by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that Americans overwhelmingly support the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides states with federal funds to design health insurance programs for vulnerable children.

Nearly nine in 10 voters (86%) say they support reauthorizing SCHIP, and a clear majority (63%) say they support expanding SCHIP's budget by an additional $35 billion over five years.


Poll results show:
An overwhelming majority of voters support reauthorizing SCHIP for another five years (86% support).

Voters support reauthorization regardless of political party, with 77 percent of Republicans, 86 percent of Independents and 93 percent of Democrats supporting reauthorization.

More than three out of four voters support reauthorization, even when told that the Congressional Budget Office says it will cost $39 billion over five years to maintain the program in its current state (77% support).

Even when these costs are explained, support for reauthorization remains strong across voters from different political parties (Republicans -- 64% support; Independents -- 78% support; Democrats -- 86% support).

Nearly two out of three voters say they support expanding SCHIP to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children at an additional cost of $35 billion over five years (63% support).

This expansion of SCHIP is even supported by a majority of self-identified 'conservatives.' (Conservatives -- 53% support; Moderates -- 67% support; Liberals -- 73% support)

Nearly two out of three voters say they disagree with President Bush's decision to veto legislation passed by Congress to expand SCHIP (64% disagree).
Unlike Bush and most Republicans, a majority of Americans have their priorities straight. The health of our children is priceless.

4 comments:

Larry said...

The question is are the needs of poor children larger in the minds of those politicians who could change this, or is their own pocketbooks what matters to them.

Bush has already shown his answer, and I'm afraid to see the answer of Pandering Pelosi and Runaround Reid!

Anonymous said...

Larry... I'm not so sure on that. Has Congress really had a chance to weigh in on this one. The new rule from Bu$hCo were obviously timed to circumvent Congress. Why would they bother if they felt that the congressional leadership was already in their pocket on this one?

Kathy said...

Larry, I have to question what you said about Pelosi and Reid too. The new standards passed down by Bush occurred last week while Congress was on vacation. It is true that six Republicans flip-flopped and sided with Bush - after originally being in favor of expanding SCHIP - but the house and senate still managed to pass the program.

Bush is mean, pure and simple. How else to explain putting money and ideology ahead of childrens' health?

CEW said...

Voters support health care for kids and states are trying to accomplish that, but the Bush Admin. is obstructing, again...read the following NYT piece from 8/20:

White House Acts to Limit Health Plan for Children

NY and CA want to increase the threshold for participation to 350%- 400% of poverty level and this is where the Bush Admin is balking.

What this tells me is that working families with children and middle class families lack health insurance. This state activity points to real need.