    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 39 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
    [Pages 1241-1242]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    The President's Radio Address

    September 22, 2007

        Good morning. In just 8 days, the State Children's Health Insurance
    Program--or SCHIP--is set to expire. This important program helps
    children whose families cannot afford private health insurance, but who
    do not qualify for Medicaid to get the coverage they need. I strongly
    supported SCHIP as a Governor and have strongly supported it as
    President. My 2008 budget proposed to increase SCHIP funding by $5
    billion over 5 years, a 20-percent increase over current funding.

        Instead of working with my administration to enact this funding
    increase for children's health, Democrats in Congress have decided to
    pass a bill they know will be vetoed. One of their leaders has even said
    such a veto would be ``a political victory.'' As if this weren't
    irresponsible enough, Congress is waiting until the SCHIP program is
    just about to expire before passing a final bill. In other words,
    Members of Congress are risking health coverage for poor children purely
    to make a political point.

        The proposal congressional leaders are pushing would raise taxes on
    working Americans and would raise spending by $35 to $50 billion. Their
    proposal would result in taking a program meant to help poor children
    and turning it into one that covers children in some households with
    incomes of up to $83,000 a year. And their proposal would move millions
    of children who now have private health insurance into Government-run
    health care. Our goal should be to move children who have no health
    insurance to private coverage, not to move children who already have
    private health insurance to Government coverage.

        My administration remains committed to working with Congress to pass
    a responsible SCHIP bill. In the meantime, I called this week for
    Congress to make sure health insurance for poor children does not lapse.
    If they fail to do so, more than a million children could lose health
    coverage. Health coverage for these children should not be held hostage
    while political ads are being made and new polls are being taken.
    Congress must pass a clean, temporary extension of the current SCHIP
    program that I can sign by September 30th, the date the program expires.

        In addition to extending the SCHIP program, Congress needs to focus
    on passing fundamental spending bills, especially the annual funding
    bill for the Department of Defense. Congress must also pass additional
    funding for our troops fighting the war on terror. We need these bills
    so we can get our men and women in uniform essential equipment, like
    additional armored fighting vehicles that are resistant to mines and
    ambushes.

        The American people expect their elected leaders in Washington to
    work together by passing responsible bills in a timely manner. I am
    confident that with good will on both sides, Democrats and Republicans
    can do this. We can meet our obligations to help poor children get
    health coverage. We can meet our responsibilities to the men and women
    keeping our Nation safe. And we can do our duty to spend the taxpayers'
    money wisely.

        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on September 21 in the
    Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on September
    22. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on September 21 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address.

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