If you are SICK of the debate in Washington over SCHIP (State Children Health Insurance Program) you’re not alone. In addition to the debate of “who” to cover under SCHIP is the debate of “how” to provide funding, with some members of Congress suggesting a cigarette tax to fund the expansion of SCHIP.

I can see the headlines now: For the Health of Our Children, Please Smoke!

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) in a RealClearPolitics opinion piece expressed his frustration over Washington’s inability to COMPROMISE.

“Even as the House of Representatives has sustained President Bush’s veto, congressional Democrats and their supporters on the outside vow to pass the same bill again and force a repeat performance,” said DeMint.

Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) has proposed a compromise that is anchored in the common ground that both Republicans and Democrats share—quality health care for all—adults and children alike.

Rather than expand the government-run SCHIP program to cover middle-income children in homes making more than $80,000 a year, Martinez’s plan reauthorizes SCHIP to ensure poor children continue to receive health care.

The plan tackles the problem of the uninsured by providing a tax credit to middle class families for their children’s health insurance. This would allow families to purchase health plans for their kids that they choose, rather than being handed a one-size-fits-all Washington-run plan. Another benefit of this approach is that unlike the Democrat’s SCHIP proposal, Martinez’s plan would not force children off private insurance and onto government plans. By turning patients into shoppers more choice and competition would be injected into the health care market resulting in more competitive prices for health care premiums.

Another important component of Martinez’s plan is an outreach program designed to ensure that all eligible poor children receive SCHIP coverage. Current estimates project that as many as 1.5 million poor children are not receiving coverage under SCHIP for the simple reason that their parents are unaware the program exists.

DeMint urges honest debate. “It’s time for this Congress to put politics aside and for once actually act in the best interest of our children.”

It’s not too late to invest in America’s future—your children and mine. Contract your Senators and Representatives. Let your voice be heard.