DeLauro, a New Haven Democrat, played emcee at a mid-morning news conference on Monday outside the Columbus Avenue center. As a steady stream of individuals, parents with children, and adult children accompanying elders entered and left the premises -- which serves mostly low-income patients -- hospital directors, state officials, labor leaders and others laid out the urgent need to cover more -- not fewer -- of the 394,000 state residents who are uninsured.

Bascially, the Bush administration plans have the potential to derail the state's ambitious new plans.

Husky A is the state's Medicaid program for low-income families. Husky B is an expansion of that program under S-CHIP to cover children whose families make up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($20,650 for a family of four in 2007), but don't qualify for HUSKY A. Connecticut is the only state with such a high income eligibility level.

As several speakers pointed out, 86 percent of families covered by S-CHIP funds are working families. "This is a working person's issue," said Lori Pelletier, secretary-treasurer of the state AFL-CIO. "The idea that a parent would go to work and have to worry about the fact that their child is at home not feeling well, and there's nothing they can do....well, this safety net -- this S-CHIP -- gives ease to that parent."

Michael Starkowski (pictured), Connectciut commissioner of social services, said 16,000 kids are currently covered under HUSKY B, and 37,000 more uninsured children are eligible. The state wants to cover more kids through school-based outreach and by enrolling babies of low-income families as soon as they're born, before they leave the hospital, so continued funding is essential. But, he said, "At a time when we're looking at a million dollars worth of outreach and a whole slew of initiatives to bring kids in, the federal government's looking at potentially not reauthorizing the money."

Congress is pushing to double S-CHIP funding from $25 billion to $50 billion, and to allow states more flexibility to add adults and to cover families at higher income levels. But President Bush has threatened to veto the measure, saying, "I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room" (as quoted in this New York Times column).

If the funding is not increased, Starkowski said, he hopes Connecticut will at least be able to maintain coverage for those currently enrolled in Husky A and B. "But any non-reauthorization or reduction will have significant impact not only on the kids, but on the revenue that comes in to the state." For example, the Bush administration is talking about not reimbursing above 200 percent of the federal poverty level. If that happens, he says, "Out of 16,000 kids, 5,000 to 6,000 kids in the state would probably be ineligible, and that's not a good scenario for the families of Connecticut."

Marty Gavin, president and CEO of the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, said, "I believe, as someone who grew up in the insurance industry, that S-CHIP is a solid, cost-effective program." Click here to hear more of his thoughts, beginning with the importance of preventive care.

Michael Apkon (pictured), vice president and executive director of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, said he'd been prepared "to talk about the burden of caring for a growing number of uninsured or underinsured children. But as a parent, and a pediatrician, I see this not as a financial problem, but a moral one. All children deserve access to high quality health care. That access is not available without covering this vulnerable population with adequate health insurance." He said HUSKY B, funded by S-CHIP, provides that coverage.

The "human element" in the news conference was supposed to have been Jessica Abarca, a small business owner who could afford only catastrophic health insurance coverage until she was able to sign up for HUSKY B. Her second child is due next week, and at the last minute she was unable to attend, so Sue Greeno of the Community Health Center, where Abarca is getting pre-natal care, described her situation. It includes the fact that all the members of her husband's large extended family in Costa Rica are able to get all the health care they need. Click here to listen.

DeLauro said she hopes the House will vote on the measure before breaking for a recess in early August.

Meanwhile, spending on the war in Iraq remains very healthy. Since the war began, U.S. taxpayers have contributed $444 billion to the cause -- $216 million of it from New Haveners.