Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) today voted to override the President’s veto of legislation to renew and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). 

“I disagreed with the President’s veto of SCHIP and cast my vote to overturn it. The SCHIP bill provides needed health insurance for 4 million more low-income children – without cutting Medicare – and fixes a long-standing funding inequity that unfairly punishes Washington State. I strongly supported this version of SCHIP from the very beginning of this debate, cosponsoring it in the House, and I was disappointed that the President opposed a measure that provides for the health care needs of children without harming care for seniors.”  

Despite the Congressman’s support, the veto override measure fell just short of the two-thirds majority vote needed to renew the program, by a vote of 273-156.

“I am dismayed that both parties allowed an issue as important as children’s health insurance to devolve into such a bitter, partisan battle,” said Reichert. “We cannot allow children’s health care to languish while shameful attacks continue to be waged for purely political purposes. It is disappointing that we could not obtain the votes necessary to override the President’s veto. But rather than dwelling on this defeat, we must immediately move forward to negotiate a compromise that ensures those children most in need of health care can receive it. I intend to remain actively involved in the SCHIP debate.” 

The measure vetoed by the President was nearly identical to an amendment and an alternate bill that Reichert cosponsored during House consideration of SCHIP.  The original House measure (H.R. 3162) would have renewed the SCHIP program by cutting nearly $200 billion from seniors’ Medicare benefits, and did not include a full fix to a funding inequity that prevents Washington State from receiving its fair share of federal SCHIP dollars. Reichert opposed this original bill because it would have forced 133,000 seniors in Washington State to lose their Medicare health plans and cut critical health services, without rectifying this long-standing inequity.

In September, the House brought amended SCHIP legislation to the floor that mirrored the version that Reichert and the Senate supported. Reichert voted in favor of the bill, which was vetoed by the President in September.