President George W. Bush's veto of a plan to expand a popular children's health care program and pay for it by raising tobacco taxes will stay as the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday failed to overturn the presidential veto.

Bush won a major legislative challenge but Democrats are likely to use his victory against Republicans in the 2008 elections.

"The president is deluding himself if he doesn't think this veto will hurt millions of children," said Rep. Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat.

Democrats, who control Congress, vowed to continue pushing for the expanded program, which provides health coverage to children of families unable to afford insurance but who earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid health care program for the poor.

Bush said the legislation, which would raise funding for the program to $60 billion over five years from the current $25 billion level, goes too far and was a major step toward government-controlled health care.

Currently about 6.6 million children are covered by the program, which enjoys broad support among health groups and state governors.

"In a time when health care is at the top of the national agenda, a small group of lawmakers have actually voted to add to the 47 million Americans living without health insurance," Bill Novelli, chief executive of AARP, said. "No child deserves that."