Response to October 4 Letter to the Editor, Laurel Leader

It's Bush, not Hoyer, whose S-CHIP position is shameful

The letter from Jason W. Papanikolas ("Shame on Rep. Hoyer for his stance on S- CHIP legislation," Oct. 4) is an example of just how shameless some people on the far right are and the depths to which they will go.

Our congressman, Steny Hoyer, who has fought for the rights of the poor and middle-class and defended the powerless for many years in the U. S. Congress, is accused by Mr. Papanikolas of "using children as a human shield" and is called "a real terrorist" for supporting the S-CHIP legislation that will add health care coverage to four million children who currently have no coverage whatsoever.

Not only that, the S-CHIP legislation that the president vetoed, had overwhelming support in the United States Senate (67 -29) and the House (265-159). Congress worked for over a year to put together legislation that everyone could accept. Now with President Bush's veto, unless Congress can override it, millions of the children of the working poor and lower middle class will have no health care coverage.

It is simply unacceptable to accuse Steny Hoyer of using a child as a "human shield." That kind of outrageous language goes far beyond anything that even those who oppose this bill should accept. I suppose Mr. Papanikolas had no problem when President Bush trotted out dozens of "Snowflake Children" when he vetoed the stem-cell research bill that would have funded much- needed research that could save millions. Is Bush a "terrorist" for using children in that press conference to announce his veto of the stem-cell research bill, Mr. Papanikolas?

The S-CHIP legislation has no "serious, but correctable flaws" as Mr. Papanikolas argues, but the president's reasoning for vetoing the bill does. The president keeps mentioning in his stump speeches that the bill would cover families that make up to $83,000, but the bill actually makes it harder for states to extend coverage to children in high-income families. In reality, the vast majority of children covered come from families of the working poor and lower middle class who have no health insurance coverage at all.

Mr. Bush's war in Iraq has already cost the United States over $450 billion, according to recent estimates. The additional funding for S-CHIP will cost $35 billion over five years, and is funded by an increase in the federal cigarette tax.
Mr. Bush's veto does not make him a terrorist, but it does show he is an out of touch, ill-informed president who has little compassion for the least powerful in our society.

Eric Crossley
Laurel