Chambliss Vote Against Children's Health Insurance Show He's
Part of the Problem In Washington
Cardwell Asks, “What Has He Done to Improve Our Healthcare System?”
( Atlanta , 6 August 2007 ) Dale Cardwell, Democratic candidate for the United States Senate, today cited Senator Saxby Chambliss's vote against the bipartisan bill to expand children's healthcare programs as an example of why Chambliss is part of the problem in today's Washington .
The bill re-authorized and expanded “SCHIP,” the federal-state partnership that provides health insurance for children, a program that includes Georgia's PeachCare plan and provides health insurance to 274,000 Georgia children. It passed with a bi-partisan majority that is large enough to override President Bush's threatened veto. Late last Thursday, Chambliss was one of only 31 Senators to oppose the measure.
“Saxby Chambliss said this bill was flawed, but he's been in Washington for 13 years, and we are no closer to solving our health care crisis than when he got there,” said Cardwell. “If this bill was not something he could support, what has he done during his years in Congress to fight for a change that would make health care more affordable and available to all Americans?”
According to Political Money Line, a website sponsored by Congressional Quarterly that tracks campaign contributions to Members of Congress, Chambliss has taken over $2.4 million in special interest PAC contributions during his campaigns for the U.S. Senate, and an additional $1.4 million from them during his campaigns for the U.S. House. According to the same website, over $750,000 of those funds have come from PACs in the insurance/financial sector and the health care industry.
In addition to Chambliss's campaign finance ties to the industries who have a financial interest in maintaining the status quo in American health care, Chambliss's chief aide is the former chief lobbyist for one of Georgia 's largest health insurance companies. Charlie Harman, Chambliss's Chief of Staff, came to the Senate office earlier this year from his position as Public Affairs Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia.
“Between the hundreds of thousands of dollars he's taken from special interests who are fighting against health care reform, to his new top aide coming straight through the DC revolving door from his job as a lobbyist for the health insurance industry, we know why Senator Chambliss is fighting to maintain the status quo in American health care,” Cardwell said. “We need innovative solutions to solve our health care crisis, and Washington business as usual from Senator Chambliss is not going to get us there,” Cardwell continued.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=
110&session=1&vote=00307
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http://www.georgiatrend.com/politics/03_07_roundup.shtml |
