Change vote, for the sake of children

She was for it before she was against it. My representative, Judy Biggert, was one of 16 U.S. House Republicans, including Illinois' Mark Kirk, who originally supported the Senate version of the bipartisan children's health care (SCHIP) bill recently passed by Congress.

The compromise hammered out in the House closely mirrors the Senate version, but Ms. Biggert voted against it. She was quoted as saying, "It would push Americans one step closer to socialized medicine."

This despite support from 70 percent of all Americans, according to a recent poll, as well as the health insurance industry, the AARP, the American Medical Association, governors from both parties and numerous children's health advocates.

What happened? The "socialized medicine" tag is a fallacious argument. The SCHIP bill is a state block grant program that protects our children while still being served through private health care providers.

If this measure takes us down the slippery slide toward socialism, what then of other our other "socialized" programs? Would she then recommend we abolish Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, VA services, police and fire protection, libraries or our public schools? Can't these public programs and institutions be better served through the private marketplace?

Fortunately I and most voters in DuPage County will not have to take advantage of this health care package for our 10 million uninsured or underinsured children. The majority of us already have private health care plans funded through our employers, unlike Biggert's own "socialized" government-funded plan.

Regardless of the negative "socialized" tag, isn't this program that was originally enacted by Republicans in our children's best interests?

I strongly implore Ms. Biggert to change her vote when President Bush's veto sends it back to the House. We owe it to our children.

Chris Wallgren Downers Grove