Today was a sad day for thousands of uninsured children in Oregon and millions across the country. The U.S. House of Representatives failed to override President Bush’s veto of the bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Program Act of 2007.

We commend Oregon Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Darlene Hooley, and David Wu for standing alongside the nation’s most vulnerable children.

We are disappointed that Representative Greg Walden voted against the override. The children in his district deserved better. For their sake, we hope that in the future he will reconsider his opposition.

Oregonians demand health care for their children. Every day, more children join the ranks of the uninsured – a shocking reality that Representative Walden and the White House simply can’t will away.

The Oregon Center for Public Policy is a non-partisan research institute that does in-depth research and analysis on budget, tax, and economic issues. The Center’s goal is to improve decision making and generate more opportunities for all Oregonians.