Reps. Valentine, Accavitti, Angerer, Bauer, Bennett, Bieda, Brandenburg, Brown, Byrnes, Byrum, Clack, Condino, Constan, Coulouris, Cushingberry, Dean, Farrah, Hammel, Hammon, Hood, Hopgood, Robert Jones, Kathleen Law, LeBlanc, Lemmons, Mayes, McDowell, Melton, Polidori, Sak, Scott, Spade, Tobocman, Vagnozzi, Young, Warren, Wojno and Leland offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 201.

            A resolution to memorialize the United States Congress to override the President's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

            Whereas, Since 1997, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has provided health insurance for children under age 19 from low income families who are not eligible for Medicaid.  The program allocated over $40 billion for SCHIP through 2007 to states that provided matching funds to plan a SCHIP program, to expand their Medicaid program, or to implement a combined program relying on Medicaid and separate private plans; and

            Whereas, The compromise SCHIP bill passed by Congress was vetoed by President Bush.  This bipartisan measure would have reauthorized the program and added $35 billion over the next five years to cover 10 million children, including the 6.6 million currently covered and 4 million additional uninsured children; and

            Whereas, The number of uninsured children declined by 26.6%, resulting in nearly 79,000 more children having health care coverage than ten years ago.  MI Child has operated in conjunction with the Medicaid program to provide a much-needed safety net for Michigan's children; and

            Whereas, An override of this veto is crucial to providing access to health care for millions of children. Expansion of this successful program is long overdue and strongly supported by the American people. Politics and misplaced priorities should not supersede a bipartisan solution to protect the health and lives of our most vulnerable citizens – innocent children; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the United States Congress to override the President's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP); and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.