US President George W Bush has vetoed a plan to dramatically expand children's health insurance. In the US there is a program that provides health insurance for children whose families earn too much to quality for Medicaid, but can not afford their own private coverage.

George Bush has vetoed legislation that would fund and expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a highly successful program that makes sure poor children can receive medical care when they are sick. Senate Democrats passed the SCHIP legislation by a vote of 69-39, but the 265-159 vote in the House, while decisive, fell just short of a veto-proof majority. Democrats have vowed to fight the veto, and are expected to vote again on the legislation next week.

Congressional leaders on Tuesday said that they will attempt to override new standards for State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) enrollment that aim to limit coverage to the lowest-income children -- the "latest volley in the national battle over the future" of the program, the Boston Globe reports (Dembner, Boston Globe, 8/22).