On Thursday, Grand Rapids area Representative Vern Ehlers voted against a revised version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation vetoed by President George W. Bush last month. Initially, Ehlers opposed Bush's veto and voted in support of an earlier attempt to override the veto. However, Ehlers was the only Republican to change his vote, arguing that Democrats failed to get enough input from Republicans on the new version of the legislation. In the revised legislation, Democrats maintained their goal of insuring an additional ten million children while limiting program eligibility to 300% of the poverty line, restricting access for illegal immigrants, and trimming coverage for adults with no children. The bill passed the House by a vote of 265-142 but is twenty-five votes short of the 290 to override a promised veto.
