DFA Members Stand Up for SCHIP!

Written by: Ilya Sheyman on Aug 23, 2007 7:59 PM EDT

George Bush did it again. He sided with insurance and drug company profits over the health and well-being of our nation’s Children. Last Friday night, the Bush administration released a letter to state health officials that effectively eliminated health insurance coverage for millions of American kids. This underhanded one-size-fits-all cutback limits Vermont's ability to cover uninsured kids and cripples any chance of reasonable expansion.

The past 48 hrs, outraged DFA activists across the country have been taking action to stop these changes and put an end to George Bush's anti-children campaign. Thousands called their Governor and demanded them to call President Bush and oppose these changes.

Here's a small sample of the many reports we've received:

"Brett at the Governor's office told me that they had taken perhaps thousands of calls on this topic, and that he would pass along my concerns. Doyle is pretty solid when it comes to children's issues."

Governor Lynch responded directly to Democracy for New Hampshire;

"Gov. Lynch is deeply committed to expanding children's health insurance coverage in New Hampshire. He has repeatedly said that be believes the creation of New Hampshire's Healthy Kids Children's Health Insurance Program one of the best things the state has every done...

...The latest proposal (referenced in the DFA) letter, would potentially jeopardize insurance for 2,000 children already enrolled.

While Governor Lynch always welcomes your calls and comments, know that he has been active in pushing President Bush and Congress to act to fund the Children's Health Insurance."

More fantastic reports from across the country below the fold.

Gloria in Pennsylvania:

The secretary said that the governor is very much opposed to the president's stand on health insurance for uninsured children and FOR the CHIPS program. She also said that they were getting lots of calls, took my name and registered my opinion.

Grant in North Carolina

The person I spoke to said that he had already called the White Hose to oppose the rules extension.

Jeanne in CT:

they're running a list of everyone calling in. The person who took the call implied that the Governor was on our side, and will use the list as political capital.

David in TN:

Spoke to Bill in the Governor's office. He made a note of my request that Gov. Bredesen telephone the White House and noted that he had received a number of such calls.

Thomas in WA:

I called right at 8 a.m. The woman I spoke to said she would add my name to the "long list" of people who phoned yesterday.

Rivko in Arizona:

I was told that many many other calls had come in the same topic. Later in the afternoon I heard on the news that she condemned Bush's action!!

After hundreds of calls, we saw immediate results when Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano blasted the President's changes

"To me, the people of the United States, the people of Arizona are saying we want to figure out how to get more children into health care and health insurance, not fewer," said Napolitano, at a press briefing. "And yet the only health care issue we hear coming out of the White House is how do you keep cutting kids on health care." 

Thanks for all your calls! This is a very important time. Congress is poised to send an extensive expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Plan to Bush's desk next month, and Bush has already threatened to veto it. We amped up the pressure now on a rules change they didn't even think we'd notice, and sent Bush and Republicans in Congress a clear message that the health of America's children always comes first.

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