Fred Thompson Stands With President Bush, Not Iowa's Kids
October 2, 2007
Washington, DC--As Fred Thompson campaigns in Iowa today, Iowa voters will want to know why he is standing stubbornly behind President Bush's threat to veto health care coverage for 10 million low income children, including 32,000 of Iowa's kids. [http://www.governor.iowa.gov/news/2007/09/28_1.php]
Thompson panned the current State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), saying "It's gotten totally out of whack." However, the successful SCHIP program enjoys the broad bipartisan support of Congress, 43 governors and the American people. According to recent polls, 86 percent of the American people support reauthorizing S-CHIP, with seven in ten saying they support the Democratic plan to expand SCHIP by $35 billion over five years. [Robert Wood Johnson Foundation release, 8/23/07; Washington Post, 10/2/07]
"We have a moral obligation to care for our nation's children. If Fred Thompson were President, he would deny millions of children the opportunity to see a doctor, to receive preventative care and to live healthier and happier lives," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "On issue after issue, Thompson and the other Republican presidential hopefuls have offered more of the same failed leadership we've seen from President Bush and his Republican allies. America's children can't afford four more years of a president who will deny them health care."
FRED THOMPSON…
Thompson Panned the Current SCHIP Bill As Insuring Too Many People. Fred Thompson expressed his extreme opposition to the current legislation that "would expand health care for children." Thompson said that the new State Children's Health Insurance Program "was an attempt at 'Hillary-care by another name…It's gotten totally out of whack.'" Thompson also said that the bill "would go far beyond covering poor children and cover those who did not need government-run insurance." [Nashville Business Journal, 9/27/07]
Thompson Was One of 2 Senators To Oppose Ensuring A Portion of the Budget Be Spent On Insuring Children In Poverty. Sen. Thompson was one of only 2 senators to oppose an amendment that would ensure that $16 billion of the budget would be spent over five years to provide health insurance for up to five million low-income children. [Senate Vote #75, 5/21/97]
Thompson Voted Against Providing Health Insurance To Low Income Children. Thompson voted against increasing the tobacco tax to provide more money to help insure low and moderate income children. [Senate Vote #76, 5/21/1997]
Thompson Voted Against Expanding Children's Health Insurance Program. Thompson was one of only 19 senators to oppose revising the Social Security Act and providing $8 billion to states to health insurance coverage for low-income children. [Senate Vote #135, 6/26/97]
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