House Rep. Stark on SCHIP veto: Bush, GOP prefer funding illegal war over health care for children
Raw Story, MA Nick Langewis and David Edwards
During today’s House debates over legislation to expand the SCHIP program, vetoed by President Bush, California Democratic Rep. Pete Stark lodges an indictment against the Bush Administration, and his colleagues in the opposition, sharing his perception that there is a higher priority given to money to wage war and “blow things up” than that given to health care for American children in need.
The following video is from C-SPAN, broadcast on October 18, 2007. Below the video is a full transcript of Rep. Stark’s speech.
First of all, I’m just amazed that they can’t figure out– the Republicans are worried that we can’t pay for insuring an additional ten million children. They sure don’t care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you gonna get that money? You gonna tell us lies, like you’re telling us today? Is that how you’re going to fund the war? You don’t have the money to fund the war or children, but you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people, if we could get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President’s amusement.
This bill would provide health care for ten million children and, unlike the President’s own kids, these children can’t see a doctor or receive necessary care. [more]