On Wednesday, Aug. 1, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP). I would like to applaud the members of the House who voted in favor of the bill. Unfortunately Rep. Roy Blunt was not one of them. 

What kind of a message is Rep. Blunt sending to Missouri families by voting against funding health care for children, when he has no trouble finding billions of dollars to fund a disastrous war with Iraq? It is a matter of values, plain and simple. 

Let's look at the facts. The SCHIP program provided health coverage for 6 million kids in 2006. Under the new bill, an additional 5 million children will be eligible for coverage, for a total of 11 million kids. 121,000 children in Missouri lack health insurance today, ironically in part because Rep. Blunt's son, Gov. Matt Blunt, has stuck to family tradition and cut 1,903 in Greene County from Medicaid since 2005.