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Letter: Ensign has priorities out of whack

Friday, Aug. 3, 2007 | 7:29 a.m.

Once again Sen. John Ensign is in lock step with President Bush by opposing the expansion of health care for children, stating that the cost was too high. Although Sen. Ensign has no problem spending $72 billion a year supporting the hopeless war in Iraq, he does not feel that spending $7 billion a year to insure almost 4 million additional children without health care is good for America.

It is embarrassing that 20 percent of the population of the world's richest country is without health care coverage. It is loathsome that children make up a large portion of that 20 percent. A recent UNICEF study showed that the United States ranked 20th out of 21 countries in a survey of child welfare among wealthy nations.

Are these statistics that Americans should be proud of? The fact that we are the only industrialized country on the planet that does not provide equal health care for all its citizens is embarrassing. According to the World Health Organization, the United States ranks 37th in health care performance among industrialized nations and we rank 35th in infant mortality.

Sen. Ensign, try to imagine what life would be like without health care for your children and do the right thing for some less fortunate children who will need to see a doctor next year.

Phil Ventura, Las Vegas

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