Over nine million children lack health insurance, and these numbers are not expected to go down. This lack of coverage has resulted in more than one tragedy. Many feel that children should not be suffering as a result of their parents’ inability to aqcuire coverage. In 1997 Sen. Ted Kennedy (D), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R), and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton spearheaded S-CHIP, a joint federal-state effort to subsidize health coverage for over six million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private coverage.

So why then, are there so many children still without health care? In 2007 Congress voted to expand S-CHIP to include another 3.5 million children, but the bill was vetoed by President Bush. The current candidates are divided on the issue of how to expand health care for children. For example, Barack Obama supported expansion of S-CHIP; John McCain opposed it. S-CHIP will come up again for reauthorization in early 2009.  What are your thoughts on solving the problem of uninsured children in our country?