Statement from NH Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley on Sununu's SCHIP Vote

Concord - "John E. Sununu's vote yesterday on the State Children's Health Insurance Plan is nothing more than an election year conversion," said Ray Buckley. "Unfortunately for New Hampshire's children, every year is not an election year and Sununu is not fooling anyone."

BACKGROUND

Sununu Voted for Watered Down GOP Alternative to Bipartisan SCHIP Extension. In August, Sununu voted for a watered down alternative to the SCHIP reauthorization. The alternative pushed by the GOP leadership that Sununu voted for would have eliminated coverage for 3.2 million kids that were covered under the bipartisan proposal. The Republican alternative also changed reimbursement rules putting the coverage of thousands of children who currently receive health insurance under SCHIP in danger. [Vote 291, 8/1/07; CQ, 8/1/07; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 8/1/07]

Sununu Voted Against Budget That Would have Increased Funding for Children's Health Insurance, Veterans Healthcare and Education and Balanced the Budget by 2012. In 2007, Sununu opposed the FY 2008 budget resolution that, among other things, included increased funding for veteran's healthcare, children's health insurance, education, and extended $180 billion in middle class tax cuts. [Senate Budget Committee, 3/20/07; Conrad Floor Statement, 3/23/07; AP, 3/22/07; Vote 114, 3/23/07]

Sununu Voted Against Prioritizing Children's Healthcare Over Tax Cuts for Richest Americans. In November 2005, Sununu voted to kill an amendment to the Tax Reconciliation Bill that would have prioritized children's healthcare over high-income tax cuts. The amendment would have expressed the sense of the Senate, that the 15 percent dividend and capital gains tax cuts should not be extended until the federal government provided funding to state and local governments to enroll children in the State Children's Health Insurance Program. [Vote 337, 11/17/05]

Sununu Opposed Responsible FY08 Budget Resolution that Contained SCHIP Extension. In March 2007, Sununu voted against the initial version of the Fiscal Year 2008 budget resolution. The Senate Democrats' plan provided up to $50 billion for the reauthorization of SCHIP, far exceeding the $2 billion proposed by the Bush Administration. The money maintained coverage for millions of children already enrolled in the program and expanded health insurance to six million children eligible for SCHIP but not yet enrolled in the program. [Vote 114, 3/23/07; Senate Budget Committee, 3/20/07]