House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday asked Republicans to vote to override President Bush's veto of SCHIP legislation, adding that her goal in the several hours before the vote is to "dispel myths and misconceptions" about the bill, The Hill reports. "We're still in the fight," Pelosi said (Kaplan, The Hill, 10/17).

Bush earlier this month vetoed legislation that would have provided an additional $35 billion in funding for the program over the next five years and increased total SCHIP spending to $60 billion. The additional funding would have been paid for by a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the tobacco tax. An override vote in the House is scheduled for Thursday (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/17).

At least five of the eight House Democrats who initially voted against the bill said they will vote to override the veto, including Reps. Kathy Castor (Fla.), Dan Boren (Okla.), Baron Hill (Ind.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.) and Bob Etheridge (N.C.), according to McClatchy Newspapers. Reps. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) and Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) said they will not change their vote (Abdullah, McClatchy Newspapers, 10/17). In addition, two other Democrats who were absent or voted present will vote to override the veto (AP/Baltimore Sun, 10/18). The House needs 12 to 15 more votes to override the veto (Panaritis, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/18).

No Republican who voted against the bill "has publicly acknowledged a change in position," although Republicans "who have decided to change their vote might have decided not to announce it ahead of time to avoid angering party leaders," according to CQ Today. However, it is "not yet clear how Democrats will proceed after the expected failure of an override," CQ Today reports. (Wayne, CQ Today, 10/17).

Bush Administration
Bush on Wednesday said that he will use his veto of the SCHIP bill to weigh in on the future of the program and has assigned HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, National Economic Council Director Al Hubbard and White House Budget Director Jim Nussle to negotiate with Congress, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (Freking, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 10/18).

Bush said he is "confident we can work out our differences" to reach a "common ground" on SCHIP. Neither Bush "nor his three emissaries offered any changes to the administration's standing position that eligibility" for SCHIP must not be increased, but instead "reiterated that the president is willing to add more money to help those who are eligible for the program but" not enrolled, according to CongressDaily (Koffler, CongressDaily…