Washington (eCanadaNow) - President George W. Bush has vetoed for the second time this year an expansion of the health insurance program for poor children.

The health insurance program for poor children is federally funded, but state run and has received its second veto on Wednesday from Bush.  He stated to Congress that the bill "moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction."

He stated that "Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation, too."

The bill would have expanded the Children's Health Insurance Program for states by $35 billion over the next five years.

Bush originally vetoed the child health insurance expansion bill back on October 3rd, stating that it would force families to leave the private insurance market.

The program covers 6 million poor children currently, whose parents do not earn enough to qualify for Medicaid.  The program was to be extended by 4 million more with this expansion.  Democrats stated they could pay for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.

A January 23rd vote has been called to override the veto.