Elizabeth Dole was against expanding the State Children Health Insurance Program before she was for it.

Dole endangered the health of 123,000 North Carolina children when she voted six times this year against fully funding the program.

Last week, she was among 28 senators who sent a letter asking Senate leadership to expand SCHIP.

“Elizabeth Dole is playing election year politics with the health of our children,” said NCDP Chair Jerry Meek.

“When Dole had the chance, in fact six chances, to provide quality access to health care for children, she did nothing,” Meek said. “She chose to stand by President Bush’s failed policies rather than stand up for North Carolina children and families.”

Dole voted against children’s health care six times this year. Since the beginning of 2007, Dole has vote against reauthorizing and expanding the Children’s Healthcare program six times [Families USA Report; Vote 307, 8/2/07; Vote 352, 9/27/07; Vote 353, 9/27/07; Vote 401, 10/31/07; Vote 402, 11/1/07; Vote 403, 11/1/07]

Dole Voted to Deny 123,000 North Carolina Children Health Care. North Carolina currently has 271,000 uninsured children. The legislation would increase funding to North Carolina by approximately $185.7 million, covering roughly 123,000 more children. [Families USA Report; CRS and CMS data]

Dole Voted To Endanger Children’s Health. Children enrolled in SCHIP are three times as likely to have a usual source of care as uninsured children. SCHIP reduces the number of children with an unmet health care need because children enrolled in SCHIP are one and a half times more likely to receive well-child care, see a doctor during the year, and get dental care than are uninsured children. [Families USA Report]

GOP Senators Say Bush’s Problems With Children’s Health Bill Are Overstated and “Factually Incorrect.” As one columnist pointed out, “even conservative Senate Republicans such as Utah's Orrin Hatch and Iowa's Charles Grassley have complained that Bush's concerns are, to put it politely, overstated.” Grassley also described the President’s charges that the bill goes too far and covers children from wealthier families as “factually incorrect,” while Hatch added, “We're talking about kids who basically don't have coverage… I think the president's had some pretty bad advice on this.” [Los Angeles Times, 9/26/07; New York Times, 9/26/07; Washington Post, 9/21/07]

NC Editorial: Elizabeth Dole “Wrong” To Vote Against Bill. Last week, the Charlotte Observer wrote that Dole is “wrong” to vote against SCHIP. They wrote, “President Bush threatens to veto the bill, calling it a move toward socialized health care. Even other Republicans are debunking that notion…. The president is wrong. And so are North Carolina Sens. Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole, who voted against adequate funding this summer. They should support this bipartisan legislation. As the state's senior senator, we expect Sen. Dole to show leadership on this issue.” [Charlotte Observer, 9/27/07]

NC Editorial: “Extend SCHIP Coverage.” Last week, the Herald-Sun editorial board wrote, “SCHIP is an important program that should be extended to cover more children… The expansion of SCHIP is favored by, among others, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society. Letting the program expire at the end of this month would be a horrible outcome.” [Herald-Sun, 9/23/07]