Senator McCaskill accuses President Bush of trotting out a "bogyman" to justify his veto of the children’s health insurance bill. The president says the bill is a step toward nationalized health care. McCaskill says it’s not and nationalized health care, or "socialized medicine" as some call it, is not something she would advocate.
She says she favors changing health care to make sure people can get healthcare when they need it. She says the system needs to be one that allows competition, which she thinks is diminishing.
McCaskill says the healthcare system is full of inconsistencies–and the S-CHIP bill will help reduce them. She notes that the chairman of one of the nation’s biggest health insurance companies retired last year with almost one-billion dollars in a retirement package—while thousands of people can’t afford health insurance.
Senate leaders think there are enough votes in that chamber for an override. House leaders think that chamber is still short a few.