House Democrats announced plans to vote on a new State-Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) bill Thursday, October 25, 2007. SCHIP light is designed to pry a few GOP votes from President Bush – eliminates “illegal” immigrant children from coverage (they’ve never been covered by Federal funds, but some state programs cover “illegal” children), reduces the maximum family income (from 80,000 to 60,000) and transitions adults now covered under SCHIP to other programs in one year (as compared to two in the vetoed version). The New York Times report is here and the Washington Post’s here

Update: The House passed its new version of S-CHIP last night The vote was 265 to 142. The AP (via Newsday) explains "The 265 votes cast for the measure came up seven shy of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. In addition, 14 Republicans who voted to sustain Bush's original veto were absent." Will seven of those 14 who dodged the vote abandon their sinking, stinking leader, or go down with the ship? The NY Times has a good graphic of the roll call here NY's "Randy" Kuhl and Tom Reynolds voted with Bush as did three New Jersey Republicans: Rodney Frelinghusen, Scott Garrett and Jim Saxton.

President Bush’s White House threatens further vetoes because it wants to spend less on insuring children and more on the war.

President Bush waited until he had vetoed a relatively inexpensive children’s health insurance bill before asking for tens of billions of dollars more for his misadventure in Iraq. The cynicism of that maneuver is only slightly less shameful than the president’s distorted priorities. Despite a pretense of fiscal prudence, Mr. Bush keeps throwing money at his war, regardless of the cost in blood, treasure or children’s health care.

If the New York Times get the connection between S-CHIP and the war, so should the rest of us. March Saturday against the Iraq war. For a good, quick, easy to read analysis of Mr. Bush's pro-war spending priorities (which could exceed $2.4 trillion )by the Economic Policy Institute click here . Would a powerful pro-march, anti-war Video by Robert Greenwald make it easier for you to march? Click here