Congress can return SCHIP to its original focus on uninsuredlow-income children by setting a firm cap on eligibility that applies to both SCHIP and Medicaid and by restoring fiscaldiscipline. Blindly expanding SCHIP up the income scale wouldeclipse the potential of more desirable alternatives, especiallyrefundable health care tax credits, which have already attracted abipartisan and philosophical consensus.
American leaders have emphasized the need to improve performance inscience, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Instead of focusing on federal solutions and increasing federalspending policymakers and the private sector should refocusattention on systemic education reforms at the state, local, andschool levels to dramatically increase the number of students whosucceed in STEM fields at school and in the workforce.