There's one republican congressman who thinks an expanded health care coverage plan for kids should be passed.
Wisconsin Congressman Tom Petri (R-Fond du Lac) thinks SCHIP is a good program that's needed to cover low income kids. He says some of the critics, including the White House, are wrong about some things.
For one, he says it doesn't cover families making up to eighty-three thousand dollars unless there's a special federal waiver. And language that requires every low income child to be covered first will make those waivers difficult to come by.
Petri says it also does not cover abortions and as written illegal immigrants would not be eligible. But the Wisconsin Republican thinks it does need more money to fund coverage for the thousands of low-income children who are eligible but haven't signed up.
Petri also thinks covering kids will keep everyone's insurance premiums down because it will help low income families pay for care without having to go to hospital emergency rooms where care is expensive and often goes unpaid. Petri says those costs are usually passed on to those who can pay.
Congressman Petri doesn't think a veto override is likely but a new compromise bill he says is possible.