As a father and a grandfather, I believe that no child should go without health care. Two out of every three uninsured children in the U.S. are eligible for health care coverage, but remain uninsured. This is an outrage.

Unfortunately, by vetoing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization bill, President Bush has ensured that this outrage will continue for some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Lack of health insurance is a serious and growing problem for West Virginia. Our state has the highest rate of people suffering from preventable chronic diseases in the nation, costing our economy more than $8 billion a year in lost productivity. According to FamiliesUSA, 20,300 children in West Virginia would gain health insurance under the SCHIP reauthorization.

To address this problem, Congress came together in bipartisan fashion to revamp our children's health insurance system. As a result, we crafted legislation that invests an additional $35 billion over five years to strengthen SCHIP's financing and provide health care to 10 million uninsured children.

Calling it a "step toward government-run health care," the President claims he vetoed the bill because it expands the program to cover high-income families. Contrary to the President's assertion, it does exactly the opposite.

Our legislation was specifically designed to target only the lowest-income uninsured American children for health care coverage and DOES NOT expand SCHIP's current eligibility guidelines.

The bill DOES ensure that 6 million children who currently participate in the program continue to receive health care coverage. It also extends coverage to nearly 4 million uninsured children who are already eligible but not enrolled in the program.

The SCHIP reauthorization includes provisions to increase children's access to dental and mental health benefits; give states incentives to lower the rate of uninsured low income children; improve outreach and methods of identifying eligible children; establish a new initiative to improve the quality of care; and expand prenatal care coverage for pregnant women.

To say this bill has bipartisan support is an understatement. The bill is supported by 68 Senators, including 18 Republicans; 43 Governors, including 16 Republicans; more than 270 organizations, representing millions of Americans on both sides of the aisle; and according to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, 72 percent of the American people.

For more than a decade, SCHIP has provided access to quality, affordable health care to millions of children across the country. Despite the program's clear record of success and broad bipartisan support, the President issued a veto.

This is a sad time for America. It is the responsibility of the President to work with Congress to protect the health of our children. Instead, President Bush has turned his back on Congress and millions of American children.

Providing affordable and accessible health care to the people of West Virginia has been one of my top priorities. I am proud to have helped pass legislation that will provide health care coverage to the millions of American children who need it most. Unfortunately, in vetoing the State Children's Health Insurance Program's reauthorization bill, President Bush showed the nation that he does not share these same priorities.

In the days ahead, the Congressional leadership will build upon the broad, bipartisan coalition in both houses of Congress, Governors, organizations, and the American public that has come together in support of this bill. Together, we will work to override the President's veto and protect the health of America's children.