Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi today watched her political gambit on children’s health insurance fail as the House voted to uphold the president’s veto on the Democrat’s bitterly partisan children’s health insurance plan. U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) issued the following statement today in support of the President’s veto:

“I voted to create the federal children’s health insurance program in 1997 and am a long time supporter of covering kids of the working poor,” said Brady.  “Unfortunately, this partisan bill is only half-paid for, it allows abuses in the program to continue and it doesn’t cover poor kids first.”

“I urge our Democrat leaders to quit playing political games with our children and sit down with the President and Republican members of Congress to work out a reasonable, fiscally responsible program that both parties can support. Our kids’ health is too important to play Washington politics with.”

The federal CHIP bill was created in 1997 by a Republican Congress and Democrat President Bill Clinton. It has always enjoyed bi-partisan support.