THE ISSUE: James Clyburn’s re-election as majority whip

OUR OPINION: Congressman’s most influential role is in House

Sixth District Congressman James Clyburn has been re-elected as the third-ranking member in the U.S. House of Representatives. As majority whip, Clyburn will play a key role in deciding what legislation gets priority and building support for passage. It’s a powerful position and one for which he is well-suited.

The Associated Press and others have listed the South Carolinian among those being considered by President-elect Barack Obama for the post of secretary of Housing and Urban Development. As much as the congressman, who has knowledge of the issues there and significant administrative experience in South Carolina government, is a logical candidate, his constituents and South Carolinians can hope Clyburn continues to say “thanks but no thanks.”

Clyburn’s position in the House is too strong to give up for a spot in the Obama cabinet. In fact, 132,000 South Carolina children can hope the congressman remains in the House.

That is the number that the organization Families USA says lacks health insurance: one of nine kids in the Palmetto State, 12.2 percent.

The organization’s report, based on new Census Bureau data, shows the number of uninsured children continues to grow here. The most recent data are for the three-year period 2005-07 and therefore do not reflect the worsening economic situation in 2008.

The Families USA report notes that nearly 58 percent of South Carolina’s uninsured children come from low-income families (families with incomes below twice the poverty level, or $35,200 for a family of three in 2008) who are likely eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.

Congress voted to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which would have expanded health coverage throughout the nation to approximately 4 million uninsured children. Although Congress passed the legislation with bipartisan support, the legislation failed when President Bush vetoed it.

The CHIP program is now scheduled to expire on March 31, 2009. As a result, CHIP reauthorization will be one of the earliest policy issues facing the next Congress and president.

Which is where Clyburn comes in.

As much as he and others point to the economy as a top priority in January, Clyburn does not hesitate on the issue of health insurance for children.

Responding to a question about what can be done simultaneously with fixing the economy, Clyburn said on Meet The Press a week ago: “The first thing we’ve got to do in ... January is to pass ... State Children’s Health Insurance Program. That ought to be the first thing. That ought to be the entree to universal access to health care.”

Saying CHIPS is not a “divisive program,” Clyburn added: “Just because the president vetoed it doesn’t mean that there’s not massive support for it. We passed this thing with a big vote. I really believe that we have got to do this. And I don’t believe there needs to be a massive overhaul of the health care problem in order to do it. We ought to do that incrementally, starting off with the children, going to people with fixed on – fixed incomes, and then take a look at these community-based health care programs that are universally accepted. And that would not call for a massive overhaul. I don’t think you really need a massive overhaul.”

That is James Clyburn talking like the national leader he is. He is ready to see Congress move beyond the partisanship and toward better government.

As he said of being re-elected majority whip: “We face serious crises in many critical areas – health care, housing, jobs, finance, education and the economy. As we take on these future challenges, we must move beyond regionalism, govern from the center and continue our quest towards a more perfect union.”

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