Ask Congressman Taylor to Please Support Our Children

SCHIP is a joint federal state program to provide health insurance for the uninsured children of working parents who are too poor to purchase private coverage but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid. It’s been around since 1997 and is a proven success. (See Issue Brief by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.)

The bipartisan bill to continue and expand SCHIP passed Congress, but was unfortunately vetoed by President Bush. A impressive coalition is now working furiously to override that veto. Unfortunately Mississippi’s two Senators voted against SCHIP. Fortunately, we don’t need them, because the bill passed the Senate by a veto proof majority (67).

The battle for the override is in the House of Representatives. All of Mississippi’s Representatives, except Benny Thompson, voted against SCHIP. Personally, I think Representatives Pickering and Wicker are hopeless cases. They’re going to follow President Bush and Governor Barbour, no matter what the effects on Mississippians. Congressman Taylor is another story. He votes for his constituents. We must educate him about the needs of the children of Mississippi.

Mississippi ranks last in so many health categories. We have the largest percentage of children in poverty, and we rank the highest in infant mortality. We can’t change this overnight, but we can, at the very least, provide health coverage for our children. The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program is coordinating the SCHIP campaign in Mississippi. Go to their website for Action Alert, Talking Points, and Myths & Facts.

According to news reports, some Mississippi Members of Congress felt like our state was being shortchanged by the formula. However, this was corrected in the final bipartisan bill passed by Congress. This is likely just a smokescreen put up by the Barbour administration, who opposes the bill because it includes an increase in cigarette taxes. After all, his former lobbying firm represents the Tobacco Industry (and he may still be benefiting), and his nephews’ lobbying firm in Jackson also represents tobacco interests. The Governor who threw 60,000 Mississippi seniors off Medicaid isn’t going to be overly concerned about 100,000 uninsured Mississippi children.

However, Congressman Taylor will be concerned. Please contact him and ask him to please vote to override the President’s veto of the SCHIP bill. Click here to email him or to find his local phone numbers.

UPDATE: Hattiesburg American urges override. This should help.