We knew it would. Just like the DREAM Act will be back, so is the S-CHIP expansion.

Democrats huddled behind closed doors in the Capitol basement Wednesday for the unveiling of another children’s health bill they believe will win enough votes to override a White House veto.

Last week, Democrats were 13 votes short of overriding President Bush’s veto of the $35 billion expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill, which would extend health benefits to 10 million uninsured children.

Michelle posts an email from Minority Whip Roy Blunt:

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after House Democrats announced they plan to push through controversial SCHIP legislation tomorrow while a number of members from southern California are back in their districts responding to the wildfires:

“The scope, scale and severity of the fires raging in southern California are of a magnitude few of us have ever seen. What’s important right now is that members from the area be given the chance to return to their districts to aid their constituents in any way they can – whether through casework, disaster relief efforts, or simply lending a hand to a neighbor in need.

“Unfortunately, the speaker announced plans today to hold an important, and contentious, vote on SCHIP while these members are confronting serious issues at home – disenfranchising, in effect, a large segment of the most populous state in the union, and throwing into doubt the integrity of the vote.

“In light of these circumstances, I would urge the speaker to reconsider her strategy and delay the vote on her SCHIP bill until a time when the interests of millions of Americans in southern California can be accurately represented. Maybe in that time Democrats will also actually consider making a copy of the bill available to Republicans.”

Hat tip reader Debbie.