On Wednesday, he repeated his threat to veto the bill on ideological grounds.

President Bush: “I believe government cannot provide affordable healthcare. I believe it would cause — it would cause the quality of care to diminish. I believe there would be lines and rationing over time. If Congress continues to insist upon expanding healthcare through the S-CHIP program — which, by the way, would entail a huge tax increase for the American people — I’ll veto the bill.”

Many consider renewal of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program the most important health legislation taken up by Congress this year.