Children's Health Care: Facts still matter

Do facts matter to the Bush administration? We're not sure, but the reality of a failing health care system cries out for greater federal help, especially for children.

For the first time in the Bush presidency, the nation's poverty rate dipped. That's certainly a plus. Washington state can be doubly pleased by a report that the number of children in poverty here declined faster than it did nationally, to 10.5 percent.

But there is a huge dark cloud in other Census Bureau news: Even in a strong economy, the number of Americans without health insurance rose to a record 47 million in 2006. The number of uninsured children jumped faster, hitting 8.7 million.

We hope the news will shake President Bush out of his nasty fight with senators of both parties over a proposed expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The nation should be unified in expanding coverage for the young, not divided by a president using a veto threat to position insurance companies for future fights over systemic reform.

Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, noted recent opinion surveys that overwhelmingly support greater funding for SCHIP. "We can do better, and the public is clearly insisting that we do," she said.

With nearly 10 million more Americans uninsured than in 2000, Keehan said, "in a supposedly strong economy, millions of people are still struggling for life's basic necessities, including health care." Better care for kids comes first.