Bush will veto bill that insures children
When the White House has really bad news to deliver, they roll out Tony Fratto to deliver it. Not that the Bush administration has any good news to deliver as of late.
Here's a good example. Yesterday, Mr. Fratto let America know that the President will veto a bipartisan bill coming out of the Senate that would add about 4.1 million children to the rolls of the insured. Why? Because the bill calls for increasing the federal cigarette tax from 39 cents a pack to a dollar. From a New York Times article:
Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, said: "The president's senior advisers will certainly recommend a veto of this proposal. And there is no question that the president would veto it." ... "The proposal would dramatically expand the Children's Health Insurance Program, adding nonpoor children to the program, and more than doubling the level of spending," Mr. Fratto said. "This will have the effect of encouraging many to drop private coverage, to go on the government-subsidized program." ... Mr. Fratto, the White House spokesman, said, "Tax increases are neither necessary nor advisable to fund the program appropriately."
I'm not sure, but I think that's what they call "compassionate conservatism." Right?
Advertisement
