WASHINGTON — Republicans appear to have overplayed their hand when blocking the expansion of a children’s health care program last year.
They face the likelihood that Democrats in the coming weeks will pass a bill that they dislike even more.
With more Democrats in Congress and President Barack Obama in the White House, GOP lawmakers don’t have the numbers or a veto threat to do anything about it.
The Senate planned to begin debate as early as Monday on a bill that would increase spending on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program by $31.5 billion over the next 4 1/2 years.
Congress approved a similar bill in late 2007 that former President George W. Bush vetoed. The House fell about 15 votes shy of overriding the veto.
The current legislation contains changes.
It is friendlier to states that want to cover children in families with incomes exceeding three times the federal poverty level — $63,600 for a family of four.
Also, the bill calls for covering children of legal immigrants now barred from government-sponsored insurance until they have been in the country at least five years.
The two provisions have angered Senate Republicans, including some who disagreed with Bush and worked with Democrats on expanding the program in 2007. Democrats have countered that 90 percent of the bill to be debated in the week ahead is based on legislation that previously had broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and House.
SCHIP was designed to provide health coverage to families with incomes too high to quality for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Federal money for the program expires March 31.
