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Subject:
Save health care funding for all children -
contact Congress today!
Date: September 24, 2007
ISSUE:
President is threatening to veto SCHIP funding for children's
health care
ACTION: Contact Congress today!
As you know
from earlier emails, SCHIP ("Ess-chip") provides health
care coverage to millions of our nation's children. It pays for
PRIVATE health insurance on a sliding scale depending on family
incomes. Although SCHIP has always had strong bi-partisan support,
the President declares he will veto any SCHIP funding, claiming
that it is 'socialized medicine' and just a ruse to obtain single-payer,
universal health care. Despite our lack of horror at this prospect,
even if it were true, the fact remains that SCHIP has offered
health insurance coverage without which hundreds of thousands
of children could obtain no health care at all. SCHIP covers both
the poor and lower-middle-income families by providing their children
with essential health care coverage.
It is essential
that SCHIP be funded. To do this, however, we MUST have a veto-proof
vote. We need 2/3 of each house to vote for this bill.
The time for
action is NOW! Congress is preparing to vote on a much-anticipated
SCHIP package starting this Tuesday, September 25th! This package
will be a compromise between the House's and Senate's proposed
SCHIP expansions, most likely extending much needed health coverage
to at least 4 million currently uninsured children across America.
Congress CAN and MUST override any such veto, and take a stand
for America's children.
Call 1-800-861-5343
to be connected to your member of Congress. Call TONIGHT and leave
word; if you cannot be connected, write an email today to let
your Congress person know you are expecting him or her to support
this measure:
http://www.capwiz.com/cachurches/state/main/?state=CA&view=congress#4
Here is what
to say: Talking Points:
Over the past
10 years the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP,
has helped reduce the number of uninsured children in America,
but more than 9 million children are still uninsured.
Funding for
SCHIP expires at the end of the month and Congress will cast a
final vote this week with the potential to reauthorize and improve
this crucial program. President Bush has already made his position
clear, having pledged to veto any SCHIP bill which would increase
funding to cover more children. Tell congress to stand up for
children when the president won't.
Be sure to
tell your elected official the following:
Your name
and where you live.
That you are
a voter.
That expanding
children's health coverage is the only moral thing to do and critical
to ensuring that all children in America are afforded the opportunity
to survive and thrive.
That you are
counting on him or her to support the reauthorization and expansion
of SCHIP.
Further information
about the Healthy Child Campaign can be found at: www.childrensdefense.org/healthychild
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