But the new tactic didn't have any more success than previous attempts.

House Democrats fell about 20 votes short of overriding President Bush's veto on the CHIP expansion. Today's vote was the second override attempt in a drawn-out political battle over the program that covers about 6 million children who come from poor families but who are not eligible for Medicaid.

Like most of the House, Utah's delegation is split along partisan lines. GOP Reps. Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon have continuously opposed CHIP expansion, while Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson has supported the proposal.

Democrats want to bolster CHIP enrollment to 10 million children, increasing tobacco taxes to pay for the $35 billion cost. Most congressional Republicans have sided with Bush.

Cannon blasted the bill as leading down "a path of government administered health care."

"If this approach prevails, Americans should get used to the words 'I'm from the government and I am here to check your temperature,'" Cannon said.