KHI NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 4
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have stalled negotiations over reauthorization of the State Children”s Health Insurance Program.
Both the House and Senate have passed legislation that would expand SCHIP
by nearly $50 billion in the House
(HR 3162)
and by about $35 billion in the Senate
(HR 976)
. Spending increases for the program, which currently costs about $25 billion a year, would be paid for in large part with increased tobacco taxes, which are included as spending offset provisions in each of the measures.
But the House bill includes extensive Medicare changes not in the Senate bill and the Senate version includes a larger tobacco tax increase. Congress must renew or extend the program by Sept. 30 and Democrats had been aiming to quickly settle differences in the two bills.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., tried Tuesday to appoint conferees on the bills by unanimous consent. But according to Congressional Quarterly reports, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., objected, delaying the conference committee. Senate Republicans say they want assurances the final bill will more closely resemble the Senate legislation in scope and spending.
Reid had said earlier he hoped to have the bill approved in both chambers before Congress leaves for its Columbus Day break. It is now unclear if that will be possible.
President Bush has pledged to veto either of the SCHIP measures saying they are too costly and go beyond the program”s original purpose of insuring children from lower-income families.
In Kansas, SCHIP costs about $63.2 million a year and covers 35,000 children whose families make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private health insurance.