In 2007, Hatch doubled down on his mistake, proposing the Children’s Health Care Quality Act, which would have expanded SCHIP’s mandate. President Bush vetoed the bill twice, and Hatch bemoaned the “bad advice” he says Bush took. President Obama has drastically expanded SCHIP. The cost of the program over the next four years will more than double, to approximately $65 billion. Hatch insists that he never meant for the program to expand so dramatically, but a conservative would have known the risk for dangerous growth inherent in any entitlement program.

