Rep. Heller again at center of child health care debate

By Lisa Mascaro · January 23, 2008 · 9:29 AM

By Lisa Mascaro

WASHINGTON -- Republican Rep. Dean Heller must be feeling pretty confident about his chance for re-election in fall.

No Democratic candidate has stepped forward to challenge him yet, though there had been talk that Democrat Jill Derby would consider a rematch once her duties as state party chairwoman quieted down after the Nevada caucus. (Word is, she has had polling done.) Nor does there appear to be an attack coming from the right as he faced during the 2006 Republican primary.

He has worked to shore up his conservative credentials -- most notably in his continued opposition to expanding a popular childrens health care program.

Today the House will vote once again try to override President Bush’s veto of the children’s health care bill, a popular proposal supported by most Americans. The legislation would allow more children from working class families to be covered, paid for by raising the cigarette tax to $1 a pack. It was passed in fall with Republican support.

But the House is 13 votes shy of an override, and Heller is again being pressured to reconsider, at a time when family financial worries are rising n the face of a flagging economy.

“Will he finally abandon Bush and stand up for the thousands of middle class Nevada families struggling to provide healthcare for their children in these tough economic times?” asks Americans United for Change, an advocacy group.

Heller wouldn’t budge when the first veto attempt was made in fall. He had said the bill creates an unnecessary tax, would cause families to abandon private insurance plans and still contains loopholes that would allow illegal immigrants to be covered. Republican leadership calls today’s vote political game-playing, and says the proposal detracts from children most at risk.

The bill has been a marquee issue for Democrats, and won that will surely play a role in the 2008 congressional campaigns.

Whether it is a winning strategy for Heller is a question that will be answered only if Derby, or some surprise entrant, chooses to run against him in November.