The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill that would expand health insurance to millions of low-income American children. The 68-to-31 vote follows House approval one day before. The margin would be enough to override a threatened presidential veto from the White House. President Bush says he’s against the bill because it would it would increase the government’s role in healthcare. The Senate version would boost spending on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program — S-CHIP — by $35 billion over five years. The cigarette tax would be raised to one dollar a pack. The Senate funding falls short of the $50 billion approved by the House. Senators rejected an amendment that would match the House increase by raising taxes on Americans making more than $1 million a year.
