A Bill That Everyone Can Love -- or Else

Yesterday's House debate gave strong support to this view, as Democrats came to the floor prepared to tear-jerk, heart-rend and display a sizable collection of human shields.

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) spoke of his daughter's cancer and an uninsured boy with leukemia. Hoyer spoke of his grandchildren and of an uninsured Maryland boy who died when an abscessed tooth caused a brain infection. Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) brought his 16-month-old son to the floor for the vote.

Republicans objected to this technique. "This bill uses these children as pawns," protested Rep. Pete Sessions (Tex.). But pawns have their place: Sessions felt it necessary to add that "I am not here to oppose the idea of SCHIP."

And Democrats were not about to let down their human shields.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Tex.) said Republicans were "cheatin' children" suffering from "painful earaches, strep throat, a cavity."

"As a father of two sons," added Rep. Chet Edwards (Tex.), "I hope every member will ask himself or herself this one question: How would I vote if this bill meant the difference between my own children having health care or not?"

Of course, members of Congress make too much money for their own children to need SCHIP. This made it necessary to borrow a child. House Democrats called up the advocacy group Families USA, which supplied Gemma Frost and her mother, Bonnie, survivors of a car accident that left Gemma and her brother, Graeme, with brain injuries.

"Gemma, we want you to be healthy and happy and successful," Hoyer told the girl. "That's why we're doing this."

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) took his turn. "The problem, I think, for President Bush is that he doesn't personalize what's going on here," Pallone said. "You are here today, and when we can actually give examples of how people are helped by SCHIP, then I don't know how anybody can say that they don't want to sign a bill."

The event wore on. Gemma, not quite 4 feet tall, yawned and leaned against her mother. And who could blame her? It's hard work being a shield.