Kids' Health Veto Override Fails

Bush pleased with defeat of 'misguided legislation'

By Sam Gale Rosen, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 18, 2007 2:16 PM CDT

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Kids' Health Veto Override Fails — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., center, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Md., left, and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., are pictured at a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007, after the House failed to override President Bush's veto of the spending increase for... (Associated Press)

A House vote today failed to override President Bush's veto of a bill that could have provided health insurance to 10 million children. The measure fell 13 votes short of the needed two-thirds majority, with 273 voting for the bill, including 44 Republicans. Democratics say the fight isn't over. "There will be no compromise on 10 million children's health care," said Rahm Emanuel.

The veto of the State Children's Health Care Program, or SCHIP, is only the fourth of Bush's presidency, CNN reports. Opponents say the bill is too expensive—in a statement, Bush called it "misguided legislation." House Democrats refused to abandon the measure even when it became clear that they didn't have the votes for an override. (More veto stories.)

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