Scorecard: AFSCME 2007 House Scorecard

Org. position: Aye

Description:

"The House passed the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 (H.R. 3162), which would authorize $86 billion over five years for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to maintain coverage for almost 7 million children, reach another 5.1 million who currently lack coverage and make significant improvements to Medicare, such as increasing access to low-income assistance programs and providing more equitable payments for private Medicare Advantage plans."

(Original scorecard available at: http://www.afscme.org/legislation-politics/19812.cfm)

Scorecard: American Conservative Union 2007 House Scorecard

Org. position: Nay

Description:

"The House passed a major expansion of the State Children’s health Insurance Program (SCHIP), authorizing $86 billion over five years and increasing subsidies. The measure prohibited the Department of Health and Human Services from requiring that poor children be covered before other groups. The costs of the expansion were to be paid from increased tobacco taxes. ACU opposed this massive expansion of welfare programs."

(Original scorecard available at: http://www.acuratings.org/)

Scorecard: Family Research Council 2007-2008 House Scorecard

Org. position: Aye

Description:

"Sponsored by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007, or the CHAMP bill (H.R. 3162), reauthorizes and expands the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The CHAMP bill would undermine state health coverage for unborn children, allow states to cover family planning services for individuals not currently eligible for Medicaid services, mandate that states fund family planning services as part of their Medicaid benchmark programs and undermine the Title V state abstinence education program."

(Original scorecard available at http://www.frcaction.org/get.cfm?i=VR08I01

Scorecard: U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2007 House Scorecard

Org. position: Nay

Description:

"On August 1, 2007, the House passed H.R. 3162, the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007, by a vote of 225-204. The Chamber strongly opposed this legislation because it would have raised the federal excise tax on tobacco and made signifi cant cuts to Medicare Advantage plans to fund this important public program. Prejudicing a narrow sector of the economy to fund a broad-based entitlement program hurts consumers, businesses, and regions in the United States whose economic well-being relies upon tobacco-based agricultural and industrial activities. Additionally, cutting Medicare Advantage plans acts as a double blow to the employer priorities of reducing health care costs through market competition and promoting superior health care for all Americans. Multiple iterations of this legislation were considered by the House and Senate, but the tobacco tax and cuts to Medicare Advantage were considered throughout. The legislation was vetoed by the president, and attempts to override the veto were unsuccessful."

(Original scorecard available at http://www.uschamber.com/issues/legislators/07htv_house.htm