Health Care, Hillary - and You!
In This Edition
- A CRITICAL WEEK FOR HEALTH CARE
- HILLARY ON MEET THE PRESS: FROM HEALTH CARE AT HOME TO CHALLENGES AROUND THE WORLD
- YES, WASHINGTON CAN ACT:
- A COMMITTEE VOTE FOR SONIA SOTOMAYOR
- A WELCOME RESPONSE TO HATE CRIMES
- THE LAST WORD
A CRITICAL WEEK FOR HEALTH CARE
With Congress ready to go on recess next week, what's happening with health care reform? Here's our check list of issues to watch:
Action in the House and Senate: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now says he does not expect a Senate vote this week. The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee has approved a strong bill along partisan lines; still to act is the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Max Baucus, who is working for a bipartisan bill.
In the House, two committees have voted out strong health care reform bills, again on partisan lines: Health, Education and Labor; and Ways and Means. Here the action is in Energy and Commerce, chaired by Congressman Henry Waxman. If this committee votes this week, House action is likely before the recess.
Areas of disagreement: Among the biggest areas of disagreement is – surprise – how to pay for the bill. Then there is the question of whether there will be a public option, that can serve as a standard of competition for insurance companies. And now a new one:
Will women's health be included? A group of anti-choice legislators are calling for restrictions in health reform legislation that would actually reduce care for millions of women by denying them access to reproductive health services now included in their health insurance.
"Anti-choice groups are trying to hijack health care reform" said Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, "jeopardizing women's health for their own political agenda."
What are you doing about it? Do your Senators and Congressperson know how important these questions are to you? Have you called or written – or set a date to see them during the recess?
And if anyone asks you what's the hurry:
44,230 people are losing their health care coverage every week.
HILLARY ON MEET THE PRESS: FROM HEALTH CARE AT HOME TO CHALLENGES AROUND THE WORLD
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared on Meet the Press on Sunday morning, addressing issues from Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea to the need for health care reform here at home "America is back" Hillary said, speaking of her travels – more than one hundred thousand miles so far – meeting with diplomats and world leaders, with student town halls at universities, and widely watched television programs.
Stronger relations with other nations is good for America's security: "China has been extremely positive" in dealing with North Korea, Hillary said. She talked about the value of having Special Envoys to deal with major hotspots, like the Afghanistan-Pakistan region; and her concern with recent events in Iran: "I have been really moved by the cries for freedom…the Iranian people deserve better"
And about her fractured elbow? Getting better all the time - although all that handshaking can be tough!
For the text of Hillary's around-the-world interview on Meet the Press, click here.
For an interactive guide to Hillary's travels around the world, click here.
YES, WASHINGTON CAN ACT:
Sometimes we need to be reminded that even in these difficult times, Congress can make progress on important issues. Here are two worth noting:
A COMMITTEE VOTE FOR SONIA SOTOMAYOR
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote to report out the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 28. Support for this highly qualified nominee continues to grow: five Republicans have already announced they will vote for her, including one – Lindsay Graham – who is on the Judiciary Committee.
(Yes, the committee could have voted sooner; but last week our friend Jeff Sessions called for one week's delay to enable him to "study the record." Those of us who watched the hearings and listened to Senator Sessions' questions can certainly understand his need to keep studying.)
A WELCOME RESPONSE TO HATE CRIMES
The Defense Appropriations bill passed by the Senate last week included an important addition: expansion of federal hate crimes to include those committed because of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Named the Mathew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act in honor of the young gay man murdered in Wyoming, the bill passed the House earlier this year as stand alone legislation. While the Senate included several unwelcome amendments (thank you, once again, Jeff Sessions!) civil rights leaders expect that the House-Senate conference committee will drop those amendments, and this long awaited bill could come to the President for signature this fall.
Click here for a video of Matthew Shepards' mother, speaking on the importance of this legislation.
THE LAST WORD:
In today's world, we need not only the professional diplomats who serve in our foreign services and represent our country to one another. We need the citizen diplomats who realize that there is no escape. We are in this together.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the Delhi University Town Hall, July 20, 2009
Sincerely,
Ann F. Lewis