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Democrats fail to beat Bush veto | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The Democratic-led US House of Representatives has failed in a bid to overturn a presidential veto on an expanded child health insurance plan. | |
The House voted 273 to 156 in favour of the bill, short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. | |
The vetoed bill proposed higher tobacco taxes to provide an extra $35bn (£17bn) to insure some 10 million children. | The vetoed bill proposed higher tobacco taxes to provide an extra $35bn (£17bn) to insure some 10 million children. |
Mr Bush argued it took the programme beyond its original purpose of insuring children from low-income families. | |
The State Children's Health Insurance Programme (SCHIP) currently subsidises health care for some 6.6 million people, most of them children. | The State Children's Health Insurance Programme (SCHIP) currently subsidises health care for some 6.6 million people, most of them children. |
It is directed at families who earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid programme for the poor but cannot afford private health insurance cover. | It is directed at families who earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid programme for the poor but cannot afford private health insurance cover. |
Democrats 'hopeful' | Democrats 'hopeful' |
Although Thursday's vote in the House was close, House Democrats failed to persuade enough of their Republican counterparts to back the bill for the veto to be overturned. | |
Eighteen Republican senators joined Democrats earlier this month in passing the bipartisan legislation by a 67-29 vote. | |
Mr Bush said he had used his veto - only the fourth of his presidency - to ensure he had a hand in shaping the bill. | Mr Bush said he had used his veto - only the fourth of his presidency - to ensure he had a hand in shaping the bill. |
"Sometimes the legislative branch wants to go on without the president, pass pieces of legislation and the president can then use the veto to make sure he's a part of the process," he said. | "Sometimes the legislative branch wants to go on without the president, pass pieces of legislation and the president can then use the veto to make sure he's a part of the process," he said. |
Cigarette tax | Cigarette tax |
Mr Bush has assigned three top advisers, including Mike Leavitt, the US health and human services secretary, to try to negotiate a new deal with Congress. | |
He has said he would be willing to approve a $5bn increase, bringing total spending over five years to $30bn. | He has said he would be willing to approve a $5bn increase, bringing total spending over five years to $30bn. |
He argues that expanding its coverage further would encourage people currently covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage - and that the proposal is too costly. | He argues that expanding its coverage further would encourage people currently covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage - and that the proposal is too costly. |
Supporters of the bill say the proposed $35bn expansion, paid for by increasing federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 a pack, would help give health coverage to an additional four million children. | Supporters of the bill say the proposed $35bn expansion, paid for by increasing federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 a pack, would help give health coverage to an additional four million children. |
Mr Bush has previously used his veto twice to block legislation that would have eased restrictions on federally funded stem-cell research and once to halt a bill linking war funding to a timetable for withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq. | Mr Bush has previously used his veto twice to block legislation that would have eased restrictions on federally funded stem-cell research and once to halt a bill linking war funding to a timetable for withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq. |