October 18, 2007

Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada made the following statement today after the House failed to override President Bush’s veto of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007:

“Each Republican who voted to uphold President Bush’s heartless veto should be embarrassed that he chose to stand in the way of improving the lives of millions of America’s poorest children.  While we appreciate those who voted to override his veto, there unfortunately remain too many who are all too willing to rubberstamp President Bush’s shameful policies and succumb to his misinformation campaign.

“CHIP is a critical program that the vast majority of the American people rightly support.  As long as this President denies American children the health care they need when they get sick, Democrats will continue to fight to do right by those who need our help the most.  As we move forward, I share the commitment of my partners in this compromise that we must not abandon any of the uninsured children we would have covered with the bipartisan legislation already passed by Congress.”