When a program to expand health coverage for children comes to the House floor this week, Democrats will face a stiff challenge posed by a campaign promise: paying for it.

The bill (HR 3162) that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was approved last week by two panels but falls about $70 billion to $90 billion short of offsets over 10 years, which Democrats must deliver to move the legislation forward.

At issue is the "pay as you go" rule, also known as PAYGO, both chambers adopted earlier this year that requires any new mandatory spending or tax cuts to be fully offset. Democrats have touted the rule as the foundation of their pledge to govern in a fiscally responsible way, and so far they have been following their campaign promise...

"It's a slippery slope," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the nonpartisan group, The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

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