We spend $3 billion a week on the Iraq War…in three months that adds up to $36 billion. For $35 billion we could have extended health care coverage to almost ten million uninsured children- including 130,000 in New Jersey- from working and low-income families for five years.

Yet President Bush vetoed the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program – CHIP. This program is government at its’ finest; providing affordable health care for the kids of working parents who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid yet can’t afford the skyrocketing cost of private health insurance.

But this isn’t just about compassion. It’s really just common sense. Because every dollar we spend insuring these children saves us many times that providing them routine care from hospital emergency rooms.

When Bush calls SCHIP “socialized medicine,” he isn’t just being doctrinaire. He and his Republican allies in the Congress are really spouting the company line of their friends in the HMO and insurance industries.

Senator Menendez and I have been fighting to protect and expand this program for months. We’ve been out front, in part because so many New Jersey families depend upon this program. The high cost of living in New Jersey makes it particularly important that we offer this coverage to as many families as possible.

We’ve defeated multiple attacks by some of the most conservative Senators. We brought Democrats and Republicans together to stand up to this assault and protect New Jersey’s, and America’s children.

We have the votes to override President Bush’s veto in the Senate. But the House does not yet have the votes, in part because there are Republican Congressmen from New Jersey who will not stand up to President Bush.

Please sign my petition to put pressure on every Member of Congress to do what is right- even if President Bush refuses to put children ahead of the Iraq War.