Kids Getting Health Care, Republic Doomed

SCHIP expansion passed the Senate. I guess there were some slight differences in the bill, so the House will have to re-pass this version, which shouldn't be a problem.

The Democratic-controlled Congress moved a step closer to handing President Barack Obama an early health care victory Thursday as the Senate passed a bill extending government-sponsored health insurance coverage to about 4 million uninsured children.

The bill, which was approved 66-32, authorizes an additional $32.8 billion over the next 4 1/2 years for the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

This is a start on health care reform. It's still fulfilling only part of the promise of the 2004 Kerry campaign, but it's a start. Getting 4 million kids health insurance is not trivial. Hopefully we can build on this and get a comprehensive solution that is the only way to bring down costs. Henry Waxman is optimistic.

Barack Obama has said he wants to pursue major health care reform this year. Two key committee chairmen in the Senate, Max Baucus and Ted Kennedy, have said they want to pursue health care this year. But what about the House? [...]

A few minutes ago, Congressman Henry Waxman made his feelings known -- and did so with no ambiguity. Speaking at the annual Health Action conference, sponsored by the health care advocacy group FamiliesUSA, Waxman announced, "This is our time.... We need to get this job accomplished this year and get a bill to the president."

Waxman is not in the House leadership, of course. But he is very close with Speaker Pelosi and, no less important, he is chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee -- the committee that will likely take the lead on writing and then pushing health reform legislation.

Let's see it, you mad munchkin, you.