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Giving Hillary Credit for SCHIP
Adam Clymer: On balance, I would say of course Kennedy and Hatch deserve most of the credit, but Hillary helped by making sure the Administration stuck with the $24 billion in [the Senate-House] conference. She didn't write the legislation but she played a significant role in getting it passed.
Other accounts at the time the legislation was passed and since give Clinton substantial credit. The pro-Republican Washington Times newspaper credited (or perhaps more accurately, blamed) Hillary Clinton for the program in a 1997 article. The paper said it had obtained documents from 1993 showing that the White House "plotted" to push a "Kids First" insurance program if Mrs. Clinton's universal health care proposal failed.
Washington Times, Aug. 6, 1997: The plan signed into law yesterday by Mr. Clinton and pushed by the first lady is a duplicate of the 4-year-old health care task force idea, except that it is paid for by a 15-cent tax on cigarettes.
One of the co-authors of the plan, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, credited Mrs. Clinton for her "invaluable help, both in the fashioning and the shaping of the program."
Years later, when Clinton was first running for the Senate, Kennedy's aide Littlefield was still giving her credit. The New York Times quoted him as saying, ''She was a one-woman army inside the White House to get this done.'' He said that when President Clinton himself was showing reluctance to back the new legislation out of fear it would upset a budget deal with Republicans, "We went to Mrs. Clinton and said, 'You've got to get the president to come around on this thing,' " and she did.
More Than Just Legislating
Moreover, Hillary Clinton took a major role in translating the new law into action. The program leaves to the states the job of setting up coverage and getting children enrolled, a task that continues to be a struggle to this day. In February 1999, after 47 states had set up SCHIP programs, the Clintons launched a drive to "Insure Kids Now." Hillary took the lead, speaking first before her husband in an East Room event at the White House.
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Member Comments
Posted By: nana01 @ 04/17/2008 12:02:38 PM
Comment: I think Hillary Clinton has done a wonderful job getting insurance for these children because we are sending aid to other countries when we need help right here in our own country America. Lets help America first before we start handing money to other countries. We also need to provide insurance to Adults here in America that work and have no insurance and can't afford to go to the doctor because of the expense is so high and the medications are so expenses and when they only make $7.00 hr. you can't afford it. I have a sister in Indiana who is severly ill right now and can't go to the doctor and the free clinic won't help her because the told her she makes $11.00 to much on the year. Now I think that is a down right shame for our country to treat our people like that, When I know that you people in the higher government don't care because you make big money and you have insurance and you could care less what happens to our people and whether they get care for or not. But you sure do make sure money get sent to Africa and Iraq etc. Look at our people here that is living in pure hell holes and are starving to death and you know one is out there helping them. I give Hillary credit. Credit needs to be given where Credit is Due. Now lets See about doing something about giving some insurance for the Adults who are at least trying to help themselves and even if they don't have any money . There are alot of people out there in America that our loosing their jobs daily. We need to help our economy Now and Stop helping others at this time. Lets get our country back in shape first.
C. Owens
Riverview, FL
Posted By: Boogie22 @ 04/04/2008 2:16:35 PM
Comment: In response to Iceman52. Obama won Texas and IL.
Posted By: SCLucie @ 04/03/2008 12:24:28 AM
Comment: RussElba: I thought I was the only one in the country who would say Brooks Jackson was full of baloney or question the source. If Fackcheck.org is an independent, unbiased resource, why in the world are they printing this in Newsweek? Someone needs to be fact-checking FactCheck.org. Hillary Clinton did not bring health care to millions of American children. I really believe that she wished that she had - but she didn't. And I think it says a lot that everyone else involved with the SCHIPS program has had the generosity to give credit to anyone involved - except Hillary Clinton - who mentions no one except herself.