Thread: Senate Nears Vote on Kids' Health Bill

Associated Press
Senate Nears Vote on Kids' Health Bill
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS 08.02.07, 5:05 PM ET


WASHINGTON - The Senate moved slowly Thursday toward passage of legislation to add 3 million lower-income children to a popular health insurance program, in bipartisan defiance of President Bush's threatened veto.

Democrats pressed to complete the measure in time for the Friday start of their monthlong summer break, a prime opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of their new majority.

House Democratic leaders on Wednesday pushed through a more ambitious and expensive version of the health insurance legislation.

Senate passage would give Democrats, who were aiming for a a veto-proof vote, a chance to draw a stark distinction between their priorities and Bush's on a potent issue that resonates with voters.

Republicans are "going to face a choice with children's health: Are they going to turn their backs on three and a half million children in this country that don't have health care?" said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., the chairman of his party's campaign committee.

Bush has proposed spending $5 billion to extend the program. he says the Senate's $35 billion expansion would balloon the decade-old program beyond its original mission of covering working poor children, and inappropriately would move it toward government-run health care.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program expires Sept. 30.

Once passed, the Senate bill will have to be reconciled with the House-passed $50 billion expansion, which was paid for partly by cutting government payments to Medicare health maintenance organizations.

Both bills include hefty tax increases on tobacco products to pay for the spending increase.

The health program is designed to subsidize the cost of insurance for children whose families earn too much to participate in Medicaid, but not enough to afford private health insurance.

Through federal waivers, the program has expanded in many states to include middle-income children and adults. That has led Republicans to argue that it has become a backdoor way to extend government-provided health care to an increasing number of people.

National polls show overwhelming majorities of voters support expanding the children's health program and are more likely to support candidates who back it.


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http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/ ... 83102.html

Senate OKs Bill to Add 3 Million Kids to Health Insurance Program
Thursday , August 02, 2007


The Senate passed legislation Thursday to add 3 million lower-income children to a popular health insurance program in bipartisan defiance of President Bush's threatened veto.

The 68-31 vote, one day after the House passed a more ambitious and expensive version over bitter Republican opposition, handed Democrats a solid achievement to trumpet as they leave Washington for a summer break.

It also gave Democrats, who secured a veto-proof margin, a chance to draw a stark distinction between their priorities and Bush's on an issue that resonates with voters.

"For the life of me, I can't understand why the president would want to veto this legislation," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the Finance Committee chairman. "It's moderate it's bipartisan, it helps low-income kids. ... It's just the right thing to do for the country."

Bush has proposed spending $5 billion to extend the program. He says the Senate's $35 billion expansion would balloon the decade-old program beyond its original mission of covering working poor children and would move more people toward government-run health care.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program expires Sept. 30.

The Senate measure now must be reconciled with the House-passed $50 billion expansion, which was paid for partly by cutting government payments to Medicare health maintenance organizations.

Both bills include hefty tax increases on tobacco products to pay for the spending increase.

The health program is designed to subsidize the cost of insurance for children whose families earn too much to participate in Medicaid, but not enough to afford private health insurance.

Through federal waivers, the program has expanded in many states to include middle-income children and adults. That has led Republicans to argue that it has become a backdoor way to extend government-provided health care to an increasing number of people.

National polls show overwhelming majorities of voters support expanding the children's health program and are more likely to support candidates who back it.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly ... 45,00.html

Is the above report just wrong? They tabled the Bunning Amendment.

What does this bill have to do with Children's Healthcare?

Dixie

Tonight, the Senate passed HR976 with a vote of 68-31.

H.R.976
Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax relief for small businesses, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 2/9/2007) Cosponsors (72)
Related Bills: H.RES.161
Latest Major Action: 8/1/2007 Senate floor actions. Status: Cloture motion on the bill presented in Senate.
House Reports: 110-14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY AS OF:
2/16/2007--Passed House amended. (There are 2 other summaries)

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on February 15, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 - (Sec. 1) Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to small business.

(Sec. 2) Extends the work opportunity tax credit through 2008. Makes individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who have their principal place of abode within an empowerment zone, enterprise community, or renewal community eligible for such credit (designated community residents). Revises the definition of "vocational rehabilitation referral" under such credit to include an individual work plan developed and implemented by an employment network pursuant to certain requirements under the Social Security Act. Expands the eligibility of disabled veterans for such credit. Increases the amount of veteran wages eligible for such credit from $6,000 to $12,000.

(Sec. 3) Increases to $125,000 the amount of small business assets eligible for expensing. Indexes such amount for inflation after 2007. Extends such expensing allowance through 2010.

(Sec. 4) Allows employers to claim a business tax credit for social security taxes paid with respect to employee cash tips without regard to any increase in the federal minimum wage rate.

(Sec. 5) Allows a full credit against alternative minimum tax liability for the work opportunity tax credit and the tax credit for social security taxes paid with respect to employee cash tips.

(Sec. 6) Establishes a qualified joint venture as a tax entity. Defines "qualified joint venture" as a trade or business conducted solely by a husband and wife who file a joint tax return for the taxable year and materially participate in the trade or business. Exempts such qualified joint venture from treatment as a partnership.

(Sec. 7) Denies preferential tax rates for the capital gains and dividend income of certain dependents of taxpayers.

(Sec. Allows the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) an additional four months to notify taxpayers of tax deficiencies before the suspension period for interest and penalties on underpayments of tax takes effect.

(Sec. 9) Amends the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 to increase in the third quarter of 2012 the estimated tax rate for corporations with assets of not less than $1 billion.

I am confused too Dixie.I looked late last night to see todays schedule and the Childrens health bill was not listed.I looked again tonight and it is not listed ???

Of course they may not have thought the house would pass it today or were they being sneaky ???

They did cut some spending compared to the house so I am wondering what they removed to get the republicans to vote for it. ??

USP,

If they passed it today, they did it as this amendment.

Senate Amendment S2530 For Bill HR976

TEXT OF AMENDMENT AS SUBMITTED: CR S10434-10456


http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/R?r ... 001:S10435

8/2/2007:
Considered by Senate.
8/2/2007:
Point of order raised in Senate with respect to amendment SA 2530.
8/2/2007:
Motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to amendment SA 2530 agreed in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 67 - 32. Record Vote Number: 306.
8/2/2007:
Amendment SA 2530 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/r ... vote=00306
Vote Summary

Question: On the Motion (Motion to Waive CBA on Baucus Amdt. No. 2530 )
Vote Number: 306 Vote Date: August 2, 2007, 10:00 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2530 to H.R. 976 (Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 )
Statement of Purpose: In the nature of a substitute.
Vote Counts: YEAs 67
NAYs 32
Not Voting 1

Thanks Dixie,I have been digging around too and reading as much as my eyeballs will take concerning this lncredulous bill !!!

I guess I will wait until the final version emerges to make any comment except to say I will be praying our Dictator will Veto it..........

I need to say I am not against poor citizen's children being helped,in fact,I think they should
be cared for but this bill goes WAY beyond that !!!!!!!!!!

I'm very angry about this.

I searched Thomas and this is what it returns.

There are 4 versions of Bill Number H.R.976 for the 110th Congress
1 . Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)[H.R.976.IH]
2 . Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 (Reported in House)[H.R.976.RH]
3 . Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.R.976.EH]
4 . Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 (Placed on Calendar in Senate)[H.R.976.PCS]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I also searched Thomas for Health, Children, Insurance

Not once was bill HR976 Returned. Why is that? Why was it not disclosed?

I went to the Senate Vote Record(An after the vote document) http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/r ... _110_1.htm where I found a link to HR 976 and I clicked it. It takes me to Thomas and this record.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR00976:

H.R.976
Title: A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 2/9/2007) Cosponsors (72)
Related Bills: H.RES.161
Latest Major Action: 8/2/2007 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 68 - 31. Record Vote Number: 307.
House Reports: 110-14