SCHIP Resurrected

The House will vote this afternoon on an expansion of SCHIP, the program that provides health insurance to children from lower income households. The Senate is also expected to act in the coming days.

Recall that the last Congress twice sent similar legislation to President Bush, only to have it vetoed. The aim this time is to have both the House and the Senate pass the measure and have it on President Obama's desk soon after he takes office.

Sponsors of the bill say that the $35 billion expansion will cover an additional 4 million kids, bringing the total to 11 million. It is paid with a 61 cents per pack tax on cigarettes. More

Every administration spends money. The question is what are you willing to spend money on. The last 8 years we've spent trillions on the systematic murder of men, women and children in countries across the globe. I applaud any effort to again place our priorities inward and positively so. The health and welfare of our country is paramount and what better to spend our tax dollars, specifically cigarette tax dollars, on than health coverage for children.