Chris Dodd for President

Senator Chris Dodd today released the following statement regarding President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, his seventh veto in seven years.

"Having spent my life bringing people together to improve the health and well-being of children and families, I find President Bush's veto of the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program shameful. It puts hundreds of thousands of children at risk of losing coverage that governors and leaders across the nation have worked hard to secure on a
bipartisan basis.

"The SCHIP program is virtually the only success story in health care for working families since universal health care failed in 1994, providing coverage to 6.6 million children. The bill passed overwhelmingly by the Senate and the House doesn't cover parents, it doesn't cover undocumented workers. What it does do is get kids covered - from kids in extreme poverty
to those in homes where parents work two jobs. What a sad state of affairs when the President of the United States cannot bring people together to provide health care to children from working families.

"I'll keep fighting to make sure SCHIP gets renewed - to bring people together on a bipartisan basis to solve big problems as I have throughout my career. But if ever there were a time for a President who could get results for change—results that make families stronger and more secure—this veto makes clear: it's today."

For more info on the SCHIP veto, read FireDogLake, Shakesville, and Brilliant at Breakfast.

There is only one month left before the New Hampshire Presidential Primary on January 8, 2008.

Here are eight reasons to vote for Dodd in 08 on the 8th:

1) Ending the War in Iraq - Chris Dodd believes the time for giving President Bush blank checks is over and that we set a firm deadline tied to funding to begin safely redeploying U.S. combat troops out of Iraq, beginning immediately and completed within one year.

2) Restoring the Constitution - Chris Dodd will restore our Constitution on his first day during his first hour in the Oval Office. He would restore habeas corpus, close Guantanamo Bay, and require the US to live up to the Geneva Conventions.

3) Health Care - As President, Chris Dodd will offer high-quality universal health care to every American regardless of their job status, previous medical conditions or ability to pay. Dodd's plan ensures that all Americans will have quality, affordable health coverage by creating a health insurance marketplace called Universal HealthMart that is based on, and parallel to, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. Insurance purchased in Universal HealthMart will follow individuals, not jobs ensuring that no one will lose their health care by changing jobs or moving to a different part of the country. Finally, the Dodd Health Care plan will phase in universal, affordable coverage to all Americans over the course of four years.

4) Global Warming - From a Corporate Carbon Tax that makes polluters pay to his call for historic fuel efficiency standards that break America's dependence on Middle East oil by 2015, Chris Dodd is the only candidate in the field with a plan to make America the world leader on climate change and bring energy costs down for families and businesses.

The ONE campaign launched their "On the Record" video comparison site today. You can watch fifteen Presidential candidates, Democrats and Republicans, answer questions about what they will do to fight poverty worldwide. Below are Senator Dodd's responses:

On his legacy to the world poor:

On Africa's health care infrastructure crisis:

Dodd talks about the ONE campaign and its members:

Each video is few minutes long and are incredibly interesting. One of the things that always amazes me about Chris Dodd is his breadth of knowledge and long record of results on more issues than you can imagine. The issues that have received prominent discussion during this presidential campaign -- the war in Iraq, health care, the economy, restoring the Constitution -- are in no way the limit of the issues our next President will have to confront. If you haven't heard Chris Dodd talk about the work he's done and will do to fight poverty and illness worldwide, watch these videos.

Chris Dodd today released the following statement regarding the House's failed vote to override President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

"Today's vote in the House to uphold the President's shameful veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is yet another reminder of the consequences of disastrous priorities on the part of this White House. With the resources it takes to execute just over three months of the Iraq War, we could fully fund the expansion of health care for needy children that Bush vetoed."

Dodd supporter and legendary musician Paul Simon is leading in the fight to make sure working American families can have affordable health care. Today Simon makes a public call for a veto override on SCHIP in the Huffington Post:

I am asking those of you who supported the veto to reexamine your conscience, to find compassion in your heart for our most vulnerable and sweetest citizens -- our children. I am asking you to change your vote. If you do, I believe it will be one of the proudest days of your life.

Earlier this month Senator Dodd said this following President Bush's veto of children's health care:

"This President's priorities are unconscionable. With the resources it takes to execute just over 3 months of the Iraq War, we could fully fund the expansion of health care for needy children that Bush vetoed. Indeed, today's veto is another reminder that this war is not only adversely affecting our security but also adversely affecting our other top priorities, and it's time for Congress to do what it must do to end it."

There is wide, bipartisan support for SCHIP. It's beyond sad that the President and a small number in the Republican Party are blocking this important program from helping America's needy children.