U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg on Wednesday voted against House Democrats’ bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP, saying it’s based on an “extremist political ideology” to expand government-run health care.

Rehberg, a Republican and Montana’s only U.S. House member, said he supports SCHIP, but cannot support the Democrats’ bill.

“They (Democrats) are pushing forward an agenda of eliminating affordable, reliable health insurance from private providers and shifting to an inefficient, costly, government-run health care plan,” he said in a statement late Wednesday.

The House bill, which passed Wednesday on a 225-204 vote, would increase SCHIP spending by $10 billion a year and add 6 million kids to the program, including thousands more in Montana.

SCHIP, which is funded in part by the state, provides free health insurance to children of low- and middle-income families who don’t qualify for any other public program. It covers about 14,000 kids in Montana now.

The U.S. Senate prepared to vote late Thursday on a less-expensive expansion of SCHIP. Rehberg indicated he may support the Senate version, but wanted to wait to see the details.

The House and Senate likely will craft a compromise proposal to expand the popular health insurance plan, in the face of a threatened veto by President Bush.

The House version funds the SCHIP expansion by increasing tobacco taxes and cutting $194 billion from the “Medicare Advantage” program, which are government payments to private insurance companies selling additional coverage plans for senior citizens on Medicare.

The federal government generally reimburses insurance companies for those payments. Congressional budget officials have said the government is overpaying private companies for the costs.

Rehberg said using the Medicare money to fund the SCHIP expansion is pitting senior citizens against kids in a battle for health care, and that 16,000 Montanans get coverage through Medicare Advantage.

A Montana spokeswoman for AARP, the consumer group representing people 50 and over, said the group is “disappointed” with Rehberg’s vote. The measure actually strengthens Medicare programs for low-income seniors and reduces “excess payments” to private Medicare Advantage plans, said Pat Callbeck-Harper.

“When CHIP reauthorization and Medicare legislation return to the floor for final approval, we hope he will reverse his vote against such a critical bill,” she said.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also blasted Rehberg’s vote, saying he “put George Bush and Republican leadership ahead of health care for 6 million American children.”

Rehberg said he opposed the Democrats’ bill because it allows states to extend SCHIP coverage to adults and non-U.S. citizens, and has no income limits on who can get the coverage, leaving those limits up to the states.

He pointed out that thousands of Montana children are eligible for SCHIP but not yet enrolled.

“Before we begin expanding the program, we should encourage those who haven’t already taken advantage of it to do so,” Rehberg said.

The Montana Legislature this year increased the income ceiling for SCHIP eligibility from 150 percent to 175 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $30,000 for a family of three.

State health officials said Thursday they’ve added 1,300 kids since the eligibility change began July 1 and that another 1,700 may be eligible. The state has been publicizing the new income limits and encouraging people to apply.