On SCHIP: It's John Boehner vs. the Ohio Republican Party

modernesquire — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:37:05 -0700

There's a story that has yet to be told on the whole SCHIP debate brewing in Congress right now, and I cannot believe that the state media has yet to report on it. Where is ORP Chairman Bob Bennett, House Speaker Jon Husted, and Senate President Harris on U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner's effort to toe the White House line in denying affordable health care coverage to Ohio's children? We know that Ohio's Governor Ted Strickland and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown have come out in favor of the overly bipartisan bill to expand SCHIP to families to 300 percent above the federal poverty line, but where's the Ohio Republican Party and it's leadership in the General Assembly on this issue?

Let's not forget that back in February, the Ohio Republican Party ran a press release promoting House Speaker Husted's agenda for the General Assembly which included, among other things, to increase SCHIP eligibility to 300 percent above the federal poverty guidelines.

As Speaker Husted put it:

“The future of Ohio will be shaped by the success or failure in accomplishing our legislative priorities,” Husted said. “Education, higher education and cutting taxes are all issues Ohioans have identified as top priorities and we’re responding – working to reform school funding and higher education, cutting taxes for people across the state and helping the children most in need. In doing so, we are answering the call of our constituencies and continuing to work to make Ohio a great place to live, learn, invest and earn.” (emphasis added.)

As we know, the Ohio General Assembly passed an operating budget (with only a single no vote in one of the chambers) which did just that. The bipartisan accord to expand health insurance to more of Ohio's children earned both the Republican leadership in the General Assembly and the Democratic Governor high praise in virtually every paper in the state for getting meaningful legislation done, and in a matter that put principle over partisanship.

Fast forward to today, and now we have the House Minority Leader in Congress, John Boehner, actively working to scuttle the federal legislation necessary now to make that bipartisan agreement become a reality. Not only that, but John Boehner is supporting the President's veto threat over bipartisan legislation in Congress to expand SCHIP to include children from families making up to 300 percent above the federal poverty line, just as Ohio General Assembly and Governor Strickland vowed to do.

In February, the Ohio Speaker of the House called the changes to SCHIP contemplated in Congress a top priority to help children most in need. Now, where is he? Why isn't he or President Harris out lobbying John Boehner to support the legislation to make what the General Assembly passed by nearly a unanimous vote in both chambers funded?

We know that Speaker Husted and President Harris had no qualms about spending over $100k in taxpayer money to hire private lawyers to defend their legislation from a gubernatorial veto, so why can't they be bothered to pick up the phone or a pen and contact House Minority Leader Boehner? Where's the sense of the General Assembly resolution to Ohio's Congressional delegation that this federal legislation is necessary and in the public interest of Ohio's children? After all, if they can pass a resolution regarding Iraqi refugees, shouldn't they find the time to fight federally for the right to enact the legislation they've already passed and called a top priority for Ohio?

Where is Speaker Husted and President Harris? Ohio's children are waiting...

Buckeye State Blog - On SCHIP: It's John Boehner vs. the Ohio Republican Party - Comments

On SCHIP: It's John Boehner vs. the Ohio Republican Party