Date: 2007-10-10
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

There are different ways to talk about this issue. As a mom. I like to talk about it from the standpoint when I talk to other parents that there is pretty much nothing more basic. no more guttural reaction that a parent has than wanting to keep their child healthy. Everywhere I go when I talk to people. this is the most basic thing. It is as simple and as black and white and as big a nobrainer as most people have ever come across. A lot of the issues we deal with up here are complex. They are not black and white necessarily. There is a lot of gray. There is no gray on whether or not. if we can cover 10 million kids. we should. There is no gray for most folks. If that is the case. and I am certain that is the case in my liberal Democratic district. as opposed to conservative Republican districts or moderate Democrat/moderate Republican districts. I dont think there is any tinge of partisanship on the basic instinct that parents want to make sure they provide health care for their kids. But if that is not the priorities that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle share. what is? Well. I think a glance at this chart will demonstrate what their priorities are. This chart details 37 days in Iraq and what that would pay for if we were comparing it to what we could pay for to cover childrens health care. One day in Iraq costs $330 million in funds that we appropriate. That would cover. over the 5 years that this childrens health insurance program would authorize. 270.222 children. One week of paying for the war in .Iraq costs $2.3 billion. which would cover 1.891.551 kids over the 5 years of this program. A month of the war in Iraq. which we are now in the sixth year. I believe. costs $10 billion. and that would cover 8.196.721 kids over the 5 years that we would authorize this program. . And finally. over 37 days. which would be about 41/2 months worth of paying for Iraq in the 5year program. $12.2 billion. it costs us for 37 days in Iraq. that would cover the 10 million kids this program would cover. So 10 million kids times 5. They have repeatedly voted to blindly follow President Bush. blindly follow President Bush on the war in Iraq. and now. except for 45 brave Republicans who understand that children come first. blindly follow him over a cliff and vote for $12.2 billion over 37 days in a given month and a week for the war in Iraq. and to continue it even though Americans want us to withdraw and refocus our efforts on homeland security here. And on top of that. choose to spend that money on a hopeless war as opposed to funding health care for 10 million kids. Who is for children and who is just kidding? I think the numbers demonstrate that it is clear. They have an opportunity to right the wrong that the Presidents veto pen established last week. Next Thursday they can vote to override it. and the American people have been speaking and need to continue to speak to their Members who voted wrong on this bill. We need 15 more Republicans. We are this close. 15 Republicans. Grow some courage. see the wizard. toughen that spine or grow one. Vote to override the Presidents veto and 10 million children get health care coverage.