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DEL.ICIO.USBroun and SCHIP: Another walk on the maverick side?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This week, U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal announced his sponsorship of a stop-gap measure to allow the continued funding of the federal-state children’s health insurance program.
It’s not an uncommon tactic in Washington. Democrats in Congress want to expand the program. The White House doesn’t. If two opposing sides can’t come to terms on the program, this kind of legislation would keep the program — called PeachCare in Georgia — going until a resolution is reached.
Deal’s suggestion would keep SCHIP funding at its current level for 18 months — until there’s a new resident in the White House.
Georgia has seven Republican members of Congress. Six, including Deal, have endorsed the measure.
U.S. Rep. Paul Broun has not — prompting rumors to fly that the Athens physician was ready to take another walk on the maverick side and oppose the entire concept of government-subsidized health insurance for children of the working poor.
Broun has bucked Republican consensus before — within a few hours of taking office in July, in fact. He voted in favor of legislation to bar federal prosecution of those who use marijuana for medicinal purposes in the 12 states that permit it.
So we called his office. And his spokesman said it was premature to say whether Broun was for — or against — his colleague’s SCHIP legislation. “Congressman Broun has not yet looked at the specifics of the legislation,” said John Kennedy, Broun’s director of communications.
Kennedy said his boss, who faces opposition next year in both a Republican primary and the general election, will make a decision early next week.
Comments
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By keyth
September 21, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this
Paul Broun is acting more like a conservative democrat that a republican with his early stances on legislation. He might well become a democrat just like his father was.
By Allen
September 22, 2007 7:18 AM | Link to this
Broun’s actions will be sure to make him a favorite in the medical industry’s political action Committee community!
By matt
September 24, 2007 4:17 PM | Link to this
I live hundreds of miles from GA, but I watch Rep. Broun closely. He has a libertarian streak, and my instincts (and hopes) say he’ll be reelected.