CODEY & ROBERTS LEAD BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO URGE OVERRIDE OF BUSH’S SCHIP VETO

CODEY & ROBERTS LEAD BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO URGE OVERRIDE OF BUSH’S SCHIP VETO

 

(TRENTON) – In a bipartisan show of support, Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. today were joined by 82 members of the New Jersey Legislature in calling upon New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to override President Bush’s veto of legislation to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

With the date for a Congressional override vote drawing near, Codey and Roberts sent a letter today, stressing that this united show of support is a clear message to Congress that they should follow suit and put the interests of children ahead of parochial, partisan politics.  Legislators emphasized that an override threatens to hurt children who need health care benefits while creating a revenue hole of more than $88 million in the state budget by the end of next year.

“The cruel reach of this presidential veto will be felt by children up and down our state in every county, district and community,” legislators urged in their letter.  “The futures of these children may forever be hindered by a lack of access to preventative treatment and medical care in the here and now.  Given the magnitude of the situation, it is incumbent upon us to put aside political ideologies in an effort to protect New Jersey children who need health care."

--Letter attached—

 

October 16, 2007

Dear Congressman:

President Bush’s recent veto of legislation to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program seriously undermines New Jersey’s efforts to reduce the number of state residents who don’t have health insurance.

 The veto jeopardizes our successful Family Care program, which currently serves 124,000 children and 80,000 parents.  Furthermore, the President’s veto creates a gaping $88 million hole in the state budget by the end of next year without the federal share of our expanded Family Care program.

The cruel reach of this presidential veto will be felt by children up and down our state in every county, district and community.  There are an estimated 254,000 uninsured children in New Jersey, according to a report released last month by the Families USA national consumer advocacy group.  The futures of these children may forever be hindered by a lack of access to preventative treatment and medical care in the here and now.

Given the magnitude of the situation, it is incumbent upon us to put aside political ideologies in an effort to protect New Jersey children who need health care.  To that end, it is absolutely imperative that the members of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation ignore the pull of partisan politics and ban together to override the President’s veto.

We hope you will heed our message and consider the impact that your vote will have on millions of children throughout the country when Congress reconvenes to take up the matter. 

Very truly yours,

Senate President Richard J. Codey     

Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr.

SENATE 

Senator John H. Adler

Senator Diane Allen

Senator Nicholas Asselta

Senator Wayne R. Bryant

Senator Anthony R. Bucco

Senator Barbara Buono

Senator Gerald Cardinale

Senator Andrew R. Ciesla

Senator Joseph Coniglio

Senator Nia H. Gill

Senator John A. Girgenti

Senator Peter A. Inverso

Senator Ellen Karcher

Senator Thomas Kean, Jr.

Senator Bernard F. Kenny, Jr. 

Senator Leonard Lance

Senator Raymond Lesniak

Senator Fred H. Madden

Senator James J. McCullough

Senator Joseph A. Palaia

Senator Ronald L. Rice

Senator Nicholas Sacco

Senator Paul A. Sarlo

Senator Nicholas Scutari

Senator Robert W. Singer

Senator Bob Smith

Senator Stephen Sweeney

Senator Shirley K. Turner

Senator Joseph F. Vitale

Senator Loretta Weinberg

ASSEMBLY 

Assemblyman Nelson T. Albano

Assemblyman Peter Barnes

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick

Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli

Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo

Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula

Assemblyman Neil M. Cohen

Assemblyman Herb Conaway, M.D.

Assemblyman Jack Conners

Assemblyman Chistopher J. Connors

Assemblywoman Nilsa I. Cruz-Perez

Assemblyman Joseph Cryan

Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer

Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan

Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan

Assemblyman Charles T. Epps, Jr.

Assemblyman Douglas Fisher

Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin

Assemblyman Robert M. Gordon

Assemblyman Jerry Green

Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein

Assemblyman Louis Greenwald

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora

Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson

Assemblyman Pamela R. Lampitt

Assemblyman Louis M. Manzo

Assemblyman David R. Mayer

Assemblyman John F. McKeon

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty

Assemblyman Eric Munoz

Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver

Assemblyman Michael J. Panter

Assemblyman William D. Payne

Assemblywoman Nellie Pou

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto

Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley

Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf

Assemblyman Frederick Scalera

Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer

Assemblyman Brian P. Stack

Assemblyman Craig A. Stanley

Assemblywoman Linda Stender

Assemblywoman Oadline D. Truitt

Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle

Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk

Assemblyman Joseph Vas

Assemblyman Silverio A. Vega

Assemblywoman Joan Voss

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman

Assemblyman Jim Whelan

Assemblyman John Wisniewski

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