Hillary Is Full Of SCHIP

Hillary Clinton, who has frequently described herself on the campaign trail as playing a pivotal role in forging a children's health insurance plan, had little to do with crafting the landmark legislation or ushering it through Congress, according to several lawmakers, staffers, and healthcare advocates involved in the issue. Clinton describes the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, as an initiative "I helped to start."

Addressing Iowa voters in November, Clinton said, "in 1997, I joined forces with members of
Congress and we passed the State Children's Health Insurance Program." Clinton regularly cites the number of children in each state who are covered by the program, and mothers of sick children have appeared at Clinton campaign rallies to thank her.

But the Clinton White House, while supportive of the idea of expanding children's health, fought the first SCHIP effort, spearheaded by Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Orrin G. Hatch SCHIP was indeed adopted, in a second attempt,
that same year. Several current and former lawmakers and staff said Hillary Clinton had no role in helping to write the congressional legislation, which grew out of a similar program approved in Massachusetts in 1996.

So does Billary deserve credit for SCHIP?

"I don't recall any signs of Mrs. Clinton's engagement," McDonough said. "I'm sure she
was behind the scenes, engaged in lobbying, but it is demonstrably not the case" that she was driving the effort, he said. Kennedy sought out Hatch, and the two worked on the bill together, offering it as an amendment to a budget resolution. But President Clinton - much to the surprise and anger of Kennedy - lobbied Democratic lawmakers to oppose the Hatch-Kennedy amendment the SCHIP program was approved later in the year, a feat Sperling said would not have been possible without the White House negotiating with GOP leaders. And lawmakers in both parties acknowledge that administration support was needed and appreciated. But they said the effort was largely driven by Hatch, Kennedy, and others in Congress.

NOT Bill or Hillary Clinton. PERIOD.

Many members of Congress said they believe Hillary Clinton has a deep and sincere commitment to children's health issues. She has sponsored numerous bills and amendments dealing with a plethora of healthcare matters.

But privately, some lawmakers and staff members are fuming over what they see as Clinton's exaggeration of her role in developing SCHIP, including her campaign ads claiming she "helped create" the program.

http://www.boston. com/news/ nation/articles/ 2008/03/14/ clinton_role_ in health_program_ disputed/