News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Russ Levsen, 202-225-2801

HERSETH SANDLIN VOTES TO OVERRIDE SCHIP VETO

October 18, 2007, Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin today voted to override President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization, passed by Congress last month. While the program enjoys broad bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, as well as among the American people, the President has refused to sign it into law, and the House today fell short of overriding his veto.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin said, “It’s unfortunate that the President and some in Congress continue to reject this valuable and necessary children’s health care program. We should never put political games ahead of the wellbeing of our nation’s children. Covering more kids with adequate health insurance is just the right thing to do, and I will continue working to meet that goal.”

While estimates vary, in South Dakota alone the funding provided through the SCHIP reauthorization that passed Congress could have provided health insurance for more than 8,000 children who would otherwise be uninsured.

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Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was one of only 15 members appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.