Thursday, November 08, 2007

Fed health officials deployed in anti-SCHIP effort

Although our federal government continues to spend untold billions on the war in Iraq, it has no problem involving officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services in the White House's political initiative against expanding healthcare for children.

If the White House and Congressional Republicans want to make this argument, fine, but should HHS officials (see the news release below) be taking an active role in this debate?

Media Advisory

November 8, 2007                                                                               Contact: Dave Abdoo

                                                                                                                    617-565-1912

                                                                                                                     617-839-6620

Given the chance to vote on a plan to raise taxes to put children of middle-income families on a government health insurance program, Oregon’s voters registered a resounding NO. Right now, Congress is trying to do the same with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

A Wall Street Journal editorial today takes a closer look.

Schip Wreck

The Wall Street Journal

November 8, 2007; Page A22

“Oregon reproduced the current Schip fracas in D.C. on the state level -- and the referendum took a major shellacking, with voters siding three to two against. Oregon's expansion was almost identical to the one backed by Congressional Democrats…

“…voters didn't want to pass a state tax increase to finance a health-care expansion that Congress might soon pass, along with buckets of federal dollars. But most likely, voters understood that a tax increase on cigarettes is still a tax increase, and a highly regressive one at that.

“There are political lessons here, in case anyone in Washington is paying attention. Voters are rightly concerned about health care and would like everyone to have insurance, but they realize that government programs are very expensive. Americans also don't seem to want to pay for health-care reforms directly through higher taxes. That accounts for the reliance by politicians on the easier sell of tobacco taxes, and it also explains why Congress has disguised the real cost of its Schip contraption with a $30 billion budget gimmick.”

To schedule an interview to discuss SCHIP with New England HHS Regional Director Brian Golden, please contact David Abdoo at 617-565-1912 or 617-839-6620.

Read the entire editorial online at http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010835.

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