While both Democrats and Republicans say they support SCHIP (the State Children's Health Insurance Program), most Democrats and many Republicans want to expand it to include about 10 million children. The president and supporters in his party say the expansion is too broad and would cover adults or illegal immigrants and not only poor children but also those from middle-income families, criticisms Democrats and some Republicans dismiss.

AARP CEO Bill Novelli called the House vote "disgraceful." He said that at "a time when health care is at the top of the national agenda, a small group of lawmakers have actually voted to add to the 47 million Americans living without health insurance. No child deserves that."

The White House said that Bush wants to find "common ground" with Congress to reauthorize SCHIP, putting poor children first.

A compromise does not seem to be imminent, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said another bill would be readied in the next two weeks to send to the president. She would not say if the bill would be the same or different, or what differences she was considering.

"When we announce the bill, you'll be the first to know," she told reporters.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, one of the most prominent Republican supporters of the SCHIP expansion and the author of compromise SCHIP legislation that passed in the Senate, took a practical tack. He said after the vote that the House bill would have to be modified to "do one of two things; either get a presidential signature or enough votes in the House of Representatives."

With its 273-156 vote, the House fell 13 shy of the two-thirds majority vote necessary to override. But supporters corralled eight more votes than the first time the House voted for the bill and said they were making progress in attaining a veto-proof majority. The showdown came in the House because the Senate had already approved, on Sept. 27, the expansion of SCHIP by 68 votes, a two-thirds majority.

Congress had also approved a measure to keep SCHIP functioning through the middle of November at current funding levels. Without any action, the program would have expired on Sept. 30. The extension gives Congress and the president more time to try to work out a compromise. If they don't reach an agreement, the program could be extended again.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., put politics on the line in calling for an override of the veto.

"I would remind our Republican colleagues that (next November) President Bush is going to be at his ranch in Texas; he will not be with you at the polls," he said. "If you can't be with us today, try to think of yourself in November and maybe we can work out something."

Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., called on Democrats to compromise. "Do you want the politics or do you want the policy?" he asked.

Public polls have shown that a majority of Americans not only favor the program, they want it expanded. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted Oct. 12-14 showed 61 percent favoring expansion, with 35 against it. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.