Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) shouldn't have been surprised. After all, the president told him he was going to veto the children's health insurance reauthorization (SCHIP) even before the bill had been finalized.
One of The Decider's official reasons for the veto ink he relished squirting at flabbergasted legislators.... Congress was trying to "federalize health care," even though it is a state-run program.
Another of his reasons for sticking his veto pen in the heart of health insurance for needy children.... he didn't "want the federal government making decisions for doctors and customers" even though the vetoed bill authorizes no such decisions. The program enrolls children in private health insurance.
Completing a perfect triple of untruths about SCHIP, The Decider hurled "This program expands coverage, federal coverage, to families earning $83,000 a year. That doesn't sound poor to me." The limit is actually three times the federal poverty limit, or about $60,000 a year for a family of four, most would go to families earning substantially less.
Here's the problem.... The Decider can't present a rational argument because he can't frame his thoughts around complicated issues and merely spews Cheney and staff-ghosted opinions. Even GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT) believed Bush had been given bad advice by his staff.
As Eugene Robinson points out in "Bush's Veto Lies,".... Hatch didn't take the next step and draw what seems the obvious conclusion: "Either Bush didn't understand the bill he vetoed or he's just being petulent".... upset because Congress didn't adopt The Decider's pet idea to tackle the health insurance issue through (drum roll) tax breaks.
Congress was not amused by this unworkable idea and moved ahead on the bipartisan bill reauthorizing an expanded SCHIP program on their own.... so Bush stamped his feet, and wielded his veto pen.
Congress. Do your duty. Override this childishly mean veto.
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