Congress Aims To OK Expansion of Kids’ Insurance Early in ’09

Democratic congressional leaders plan to approve several bills early in the 111th Congress that received "considerable bipartisan support" this year but were blocked by Republican lawmakers or the Bush administration, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Although an economic stimulus bill -- potentially including additional funding for state Medicaid programs -- is the highest priority, Democrats also will aim for "low-hanging fruit," such as an expansion of SCHIP and a repeal of President Bush's ban on embryonic stem cell research, according to the Journal.

While these smaller measures could be inserted into other bills likely to be proposed, such as a comprehensive health care plan, "passing them as stand-alone measures could earn bigger headlines and political benefits," the Journal reports (Bendavid, Wall Street Journal, 12/3).