U.S. Congressman David Scott : 13th District Of Georgia

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What we are hearing from people around the District:

Each week, my office receives hundreds of letters, calls, faxes, and e-mail from residents across the Thirteenth District.

In this section, I will post a sampling of the current feedback from constituents across the 11 different counties of the Thirteenth District on the latest topics in the news. You will also find my responses to these comments and see where I stand on the issues at the forefront of people's minds around the district.

Please follow the link below to send me an e-mail and indicate in your message if it is permissible to reprint your message, and whether we may use your name.

Email Congressman Scott

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

Jonesboro writes:

I ask you to please vote to override President Bush's veto of the above plan. I have nieces who have PeachCare and they would not have had insurance otherwise. Please don't stop their insurance. If we can spend another 190 billion dollars on the war in Iraq, a great deal of which goes to Blackwater and other contractors, we can spend a few billion dollars to insure our children here at home. It is time for our Congress to do what is right for the citizens of this great country and stop putting special interests first. Thank you. Please vote to override the veto.

Marietta writes:

As a single mother, I have been able to benefit from the PeachCare program for my daughter. It scares me to know that our president has just vetoed the state children’s health insurance plan!!! Is our children’s health coming at a price tag that is just too much for our government? For me to add my daughter to my insurance at work will cost me an additional 120 dollars per pay period and that is something I just could not afford to pay. When I saw the news that Bush was planning to veto, I was so upset! We cannot let this happen. As a taxpayer, I beg you please do not let this go without a fight. There is no way we can keep ignoring the issues that are happening within our own country. I know too many people who live paycheck to paycheck like me and I don’t know what I would do if my daughter would have to go without insurance. Please help!

Congressman Scott Responds:

I want to thank you for contacting me in support of providing health care coverage to low-income children in our state.

Since 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has been an effective and successful federal-state partnership to provide health coverage to the children of working families across the United States. Georgia’s PeachCare for Kids program serves nearly 275,000 children who are not eligible for Medicaid but live in households with total incomes equal to or lower than 235% of the federal poverty line. Unfortunately, in early December, Georgia SCHIP Commissioner Dr. Rhonda Medows informed me that a state budget shortfall would jeopardize coverage for children enrolled in PeachCare if the state did not receive $131 million in additional funding by May 2007.

Even as the 109th Congress concluded, I began the fight in Congress to ensure there would be enough funding to cover SCHIP kids in Georgia and the thirteen other states that faced similar budget shortfalls. Thankfully, we resolved this program by passing an emergency supplemental appropriations measure providing nearly $400 million for a short-term SCHIP fix nationally. However, our work was not complete in May, as it was imperative for Congress to reauthorize this program before its expiration in October. In light of the success of PeachCare and the popularity of program in all states among Democrats and Republicans alike, I worked with many of my colleagues to support an expansion of SCHIP by $35 billion over 5 years. This funding would enroll an additional four million American children, including 170,000 uninsured Georgia children.

Regrettably, President Bush has irresponsibly chosen to veto this measure. Although he touts support for a reauthorization of $5 billion over 5 years, in reality his proposal would result in 840,000 children losing their SCHIP coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Because of rising health care costs, $5 billion for SCHIP cannot cover the costs of simply maintaining the current SCHIP enrollment of 6 million children. What President Bush vetoed was the product of bi-partisanship and compromise in the House and Senate. While I am disappointed by his careless decision, it once again underscores how detached he is from the public he leads.

In light of the program’s expiration on September 30, Congress has provided $5 billion in order to extend the program through November 16. Please know, this fight is far from over. As your representative, I will continue to advocate for an expansion of SCHIP so that one day, all low-income children in our state will have the coverage they need and deserve.