Your tax dollars paying for the medical bills of anchor babies.

The President's Veto Has Huge Impact On Valley Families
KFSN By Dale Yurong

10/03/2007 - California is one of eight states suing the Bush administration, claiming the Bush proposal means 800 California kids will lose their insurance every day.

Local pastors made several trips to Washington DC to lobby for passage of the bill. Now they worry about what will happen to thousands of uninsured children in the valley.

Thousands of valley families find themselves stuck in middle. They earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private coverage.

The healthy families program helps fill a void. But it's part of the coverage plan that would be eliminated. Pastor Marcia Brennan, Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, says "I've heard more often than not, when their child is sick they just don't go in or they try home remedies. They just really do not have any viable alternatives."

Fresno Pastors Bill Knezovich and Marcia Brennan made several trips to Washington DC to lobby for continued funding of the children's insurance program which affects half of their congregation.

Pastor Knezovich, Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, says "When I have to look at children's faces, their parent's faces and know that they're covered right now but potentially they won't be it almost brings tears to my eyes."

Knezovich says he will continue to fight and hopes some kind of a compromise can be reached. Brennan says the health of children depend on it. "Here in the valley we could lose coverage for about 53,000 children," says Brennan.

Governor Schwarzenegger also issued a statement on the President's veto saying the legislation "Would have ensured that children who deserve it most have a healthy start in life."

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