The Rev. Chuck Currie

Pink Glove Dance

 

From the folks at Portland's Providence St. Vincent Hospital.

Republicans Promise "Holy War" To Defeat Senate Health Care Reform Bill

The Senate may vote as soon as Saturday on health care reform.  The New York Times reports:  

WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in the Senate on Wednesday unveiled their proposal for overhauling the health care system, outlining legislation that they said would cover most of the uninsured while reducing the federal budget deficit. 

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said at a news conference that the legislation, embodying President Obama’s signature domestic initiative, would impose new regulations on insurers, extend coverage to 31 million people who currently do not have any and add new benefits to Medicare. 

Mr. Reid said the bill, despite a price tag of $848 billion over 10 years, would reduce projected budget deficits by $130 billion over a decade because the costs would be more than offset by new taxes and fees and by reductions in the growth of Medicare.

Now is the time to contact you senators.

Republicans have vowed to fight the legislation at every turn, saying it represents a dangerous expansion in the role of government that would increase taxes and insurance costs for millions of people. “It’s going to be a holy war,” said Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah. 

Though broadly similar to the House bill, Mr. Reid’s proposal differs in important ways. It would, for example, increase the Medicare payroll tax on high-income people and impose a new excise tax on high-cost “Cadillac health plans” offered by employers to their employees. 

Mr. Reid’s bill would not go as far as the House bill in limiting access to abortion. And while he would require most Americans to obtain health insurance, he would impose less stringent penalties on people who did not comply.

As you'll remember, the House passed their historic version of health care reform on November 7, 2009.

The Senate is different from the House in many ways.  On Saturday, Democrats will need 60 votes to prevent a filibuster.  Then more debate will take place over the next several weeks before a final vote is taken.  But if 60 senators fail to move the debate forward meaningful health care reform will die.  

Congress needs to hear from you!

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Religious Leaders Pray For Joe Lieberman

Religious leaders are praying that Joe Lieberman's heart softens.  The LA Times reports:

...an interfaith group of clergy is lobbying him to drop his plans to filibuster any healthcare bill that contains a public option. Their strategy: prayers.

During a Sunday night vigil, a crowd walked from Stamford High School, Lieberman's alma mater, to his condo building across the street. According to the Stamford Advocate's Devon Lash, residents went out on their balconies to listen to rabbis, ministers, priests and imams speak from behind a sidewalk pulpit.

"We are praying for the senator to change his heart and his mind," said the Rev. Tommie Jackson, of Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Stamford. 

Then Monday, a multi-denominational group of clergy sent a letter to Lieberman asking him to abandon his filibuster threats. "A lot of groups who have historically supported [Lieberman] are praying for him to come back home," Rabbi Ron Fish, leader of the Concerned Clergy Of Connecticut.

Click here for the full story.

BREAKING NEWS: HOUSE PASSES AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

This evening the U.S. House of Representatives passed the historic Affordable Health Care for America Act.  I offer this podcast reflection on an evening when the House has taken a huge step forward in addressing one of America's most fundamental moral problems - the lack of health care for millions of our people.

The audio podcast of my remarks can be downloaded here:

 Download RevCCurrieAffordableHealhCareforAmericaAct

(some browsers - like Firefox or Google Chrome - will allow you to simply click on the link and listen...otherwise click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here. 

Below the fold you can find a written transcript of my remarks:

Who Are The Opponents Of Health Care Reform?

Who are the opponents of health care reform?  People like Andrew Beacham, who at a protest today said that reform would start a new "civil war" and called President Obama a "tyrant" at a protest led by Republican congressman. The New York Times reports: 

Mr. Beacham, his hair in a ponytail, said in an interview that he believed Mr. Obama was a fascist because, he asserted, the bill would force Americans to pay for abortions and for government-provided health care. Reminded that Americans have long contributed to and benefited from Medicare and Medicaid, Mr. Beacham replied, “I would favor getting rid of both of them, and Social Security, too. They’re all going broke anyway.” 

A freelance producer of film documentaries, Mr. Beacham said he did not have health insurance. “When I need health care, I pay for it out of pocket,” he said, adding that he did not fear the possibility that an accident or illness would leave him with unaffordable bills. “I’m a Christian, so I’m not afraid of death,” he said. 

The young man said he was one of about a dozen members of an anti-abortion group called Insurrecta Nex, which he described as a local chapter of followers of the militantly anti-abortion leader Randall Terry. 

Among the other protesters were followers of anti-government activist Lyndon LaRouche, who circulated a magazine with a retouched picture of Mr. Obama in a Hitler-like mustache on the cover, and members of the Tea Party Patriots, a recently formed group of opponents to the health care bill, some of them carrying bright yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flags.

Republican leaders sure are keeping odd company these days.

Bechman's views, however, are far outside mainstream Christian thought.

But at least the GOP is consistent.  They oppose health care today just liked they opposed Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  Imagine what America would be like today without these vital programs.  

Let me offer up again the reasons I shared with Portlanders about why so many in the faith community support health care reform from remarks I gave at a rally this September:

The audio podcast of my remarks can be downloaded here:

Download CCPDXHealthCareRally082909

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here. 

The vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act is just hours away.  It isn't too late to call your members of Congress to tell them to support this historic legislation.  You can reach your member through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.  The vote will be close.

Open Letter from Religious Leaders to Members of Congress Supporting Inclusion of Abortion Services in Health Care Reform

As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I support this important letter to Congress.

Open Letter from Religious Leaders to
Members of Congress Supporting
Inclusion of Abortion Services in Health Care Reform

Dear Members of Congress,

As religious leaders, we support public policies that are just and compassionate and prioritize the needs of those who are poor and marginalized in our society. Therefore we are opposed to attempts - many made in the name of religion and morality - to exclude abortion services from health care reform. While our reasons for supporting the inclusion of abortion services in health care are diverse, they are grounded in the teachings of our faith traditions and our commitment to social justice.

The majority of faith groups in America have affirmed that abortion is a decision of conscience that should be safeguarded by government. Further, these faith traditions affirm that health care services, including abortion, must be available to all, regardless of income. If coverage for abortion is eliminated from health care reform, the poor and communities of color will bear the consequences. Already, a low-income woman is four times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy and five times as likely to have an unintended birth as her higher income counterpart. Lack of access to abortion services perpetuates inequality and compromises the future of women, their families and their communities.

In this religiously pluralistic nation, our health care system should be inclusive and respectful of diverse religious beliefs and decisions regarding childbearing. One in three American women has an abortion by age 45, making it one of the most common medical procedures in the nation. Ignoring this truth belies the rhetoric of comprehensive, accessible health care.

A health care system that serves all persons with dignity and equality will include comprehensive reproductive health services. We call on Congress to preserve the current standard of reproductive health care and ensure that millions of uninsured and underinsured women will have access to these services. 
Thank you for your consideration.

Rev. Dr. Carlton W. Veazey [National Baptist Convention USA]
President and CEO, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Washington DC

Jessica Abrahams
American Jewish Congress 
Chair
Commission on Women's Empowerment
New York NY

Louis Altman
President
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Northbrook IL

Katharine Archibald
Executive Director
American Ethical Union
New York, NY

Rev. Verne Arens*
Sr. Pastor, Little River United Church of Christ, 
Annandale VA

Rev. Darline Balm-Demmel
United Methodist Church
Cedar Falls IA

Rabbi Lia Bass
Congregation Etz Hayim
Arlington VA

Darcy Baxter
Seminarian, Unitarian Universalist
San Francisco CA

Rabbi Linda Bertenthal 
Managing Congregational Representative
Union for Reform Judaism
Encino CA

Colleen Bowers, RN 
PARO – Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options
Council of Governors, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Baltimore MD

Rev. Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock
Director
Faith Voices for the Common Good
Oakland CA

Rev. Sandra Brown
Lutheran Women's Caucus 
Philadelphia PA

Reverend Nikolaos G. Brown
Lead Pastor And Founder
Alpha & Omega Worship Center
South River NJ

Rev. Cynthia S. Bumb
Pastor
Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ
St. Louis MO

Linda Lu Burciaga
President
Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation
Boston MA

Rev. Cheryl L. Burke
Associate Conference Minister 
Michigan Conference
United Church of Christ
East Lansing MI

Rev. Steve Clapp [Church of the Brethren]
President
Christian Community, Inc.
Fort Wayne IN

Rev. Jim Conn, 
United Methodist Church, California-Pacific Conference
Pasadena CA

M. Bonnie Cousens
Executive Director
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Farmington Hills MI

Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale
General Minister & President
Christian Association at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia PA

Adeline deCastro
Co-Chair 
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns 
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville, KY

The Rev. Ann Van Dervoort
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Franklin TN

Rev.,Dr. John R. deVelder, D.Min.,
Director, Pastoral Care Department
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
New Brunswick NJ

Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus
President
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Homewood IL

Rev. Dr. Terence Ellen
Executive Director
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice of the 
Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia Region
Pikesville MD

Jan Eller
Administrator
Womaen's Caucus of the Church of the Brethren
Portland OR

Julie Erickson
Director of Public Policy
Presbytery of Baltimore
41 State Circle
Annapolis MD

Felicity Figueroa
Outreach Chair
Irvine United Congregational Church 
Irvine CA

Ann Goldman
Executive Director
Women's League for Conservative Judaism
New York NY

F. William Gray
Co-Chair 
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns 
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville, KY

The Reverend Debra W. Haffner
Executive Director
Religious Institute
Westport CT

Amy Harlib
Humanitarian Activist
New York NY

Martha Hatt
Congregational Elder 
Disciples of Christ 
Enid OK

Rev. Dr. David M. Hindman*
Director/Campus Minister 
Wesley Foundation at The College of William and Mary
Williamsburg VA

Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D.
Co-director
WATER - Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual 
Silver Spring MD

Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs, BCC
Managing Editor, PlainViews, an e-newsletter
for chaplains and other spiritual care providers
New York NY

Rabbi Steven Jacobs
Founder, Progressive Faith Foundation
Board of Directors, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Los Angeles CA

Rabbi Miriam Jerris
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Farmington Hills MI

Harvey Joyner
Pastor
First Congregational Christian United Church of Christ
Chesterfield VA

Rev. Kathryn Johnson
Executive Director
Methodist Federation for Social Action 
Washington DC

Frances Kissling
Visiting scholar 
Center for Bioethics 
University of Pennsylvania
Washington DC

Carolyn Kunin
Director
Department on Programming and Advocacy
Women of Reform Judaism
New York NY

Rev. Peter Laarman
Executive Director
Progressive Christians Uniting
Los Angeles CA

Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker Langston
Director
Disciples Justice Action Network (Disciples of Christ)
Annapolis MD

Rev. Ann Larson
Pastor 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Essex Junction, VT

Deborah M. Lauter 
Director Civil Rights 
Anti-Defamation League
Washington DC

Rev. Dr. Bill Levering 
Senior Pastor
First Reformed Church
Schenectady NY

Rabbi David C. Levy* 
Temple Shalom
Succasunna NJ

Shelley Lindauer
Executive Director
Women of Reform Judaism
New York NY

H. Scott Matheney
Chaplain and Dean of Religious Life 
Elmhurst College 
Chicago IL

Rev. Timothy McDonald, III
First Iconium Baptist Church
Atlanta GA

Rev. Deborah Mero
Unitarian Universalist Minister
Co-Convener Religious Leadership Council
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
West Chester PA

Ms. Valerie A. Metzler
"Messenger" representative
Sunday School teacher and Choir member
28th Street Church of the Brethren 
Altoona PA

The Rev. Suzanne Meyer
Minister 
Unitarian Church 
Cheyenne WY

Rev Barbara Eaton Molfese
RCRC Religious Leadership Council
Lafayette CO

Rev. Peter Morales
President
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Boston MA

Rabbi Shoshana Nyer
Associate Rabbi/Educator
Temple B'nai Shalom
Woman's Rabbinic Network Representative to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Council of Governors
Fairfax Station VA,

Jon O'Brien
President
Catholics for Choice 
Washington DC

Rev. Aaron R. Payson
Unitarian Universalist Minister 
Board of Directors, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Worcester MA

Dr. Alton B. Pollard, III
Dean
Howard University School of Divinity*
Washington DC

Rev. Lois Powell
Justice & Witness Ministries
United Church of Christ
Cleveland OH

The Rev. Don Prange
St. James United Church of Christ
Lovettsville VA

Donna Quinn
Co-Director
National Coalition of American Nuns
Chicago, IL

The Very Reverend Dr. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale
President and Dean 
Episcopal Divinity School 
Cambridge MA

Nancy Ratzan 
President
National Council of Jewish Women 
Miami FL

Jerri Rodewald 
Co-Chair 
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns 
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville, KY

Rev. Dr. Pete Sabey, MFT
Principal Therapist
Interfaith Counseling Service, Davis and Claremont
Claremont CA

Christine Sacino, Esq.
Catholic and Masters in Theological Studies student 
Jesuit School of Theology 
Berkeley CA

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld
Executive Vice President
The Rabbinical Assembly
New York NY

Rosanne M. Selfon
President
Women of Reform Judaism 
New York NY

David A. Smith
Professor of Sociology
University of California, Irvine
Irvine United Congregational Church
Chair, Advocates for Peace and Justice Ministry 
Irvine CA

Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
Cleveland OH

Rev. Pamala Thomas
Reverend and Transpersonal Counselor - Gateway to Light
Santa Monica CA

Loribeth Weinstein
Executive Director
Jewish Women International 
Washington DC

Ms Tena Willemsma
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America 
Winchester VA

Mary Jo Wittry
President
American Ethical Union
New York, NY

Nancy Hunt Wirth 
President
Disciples for Choice
Tulsa OK

Rabbi Jeffrey A. Wohlberg
President
The Rabbinical Assembly
New York NY

Rabbi Shawn Zevit
Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam
Congregational Consultant
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Jenkintown PA

*for identification purposes only

Call Congress at (202) 224-3121: Tell House Members To Vote For The Affordable Health Care for America Act

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote this Saturday on the Affordable Health Care for America Act - our nation's first real chance to move toward universal health care.

But the outcome is uncertain.  Members of the House need to be contacted immediately. You can reach your member through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Today the health care reform bill was endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and AARP.

Opponents of refrom are calling on protestors to "scare" House members into voting against the legislation, according to Politico. 

Watch this video from the Republican protest against health care held today at the Capitol:

 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Congress needs to hear from you!

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Credo Action: Joe Lieberman Must Go!

Joe Lieberman has announced that he will not vote to stop the filibuster of any for a health care bill that contains the public option. He justifies this position by saying that a government-run health insurance option will cost taxpayers and increase the National Debt even though the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts $100 billion in savings thanks to the public option. He further claims that his position is what is best for his constituents, even though polling in Connecticut shows that among likely voters 68 percent favor a public option, while only 21 percent oppose it.

Now is the time for Senate Democratic leadership -- Senators Reid, Schumer, and Durbin -- to stop making excuses for Joe Lieberman. Harry Reid has shown great leadership in writing a health care bill that includes the public option. But Joe Lieberman is not "with us" on everything but the war. Joe Lieberman's position is against Senate Democrats, against his constituents in Connecticut and against the will of the American public.

Actions must have consequences. Any senator who filibusters the public option does not deserve a chairmanship and should be removed from his or her post.

Click here to sign the petition.

People Of Faith Should Support Health Care Reform

We stand closer to passing meaningful health care reform than at any other time in our nation's history.  Both the House and Senate are ready to vote on bills that - while not perfect - would represent real change.  Tens of millions of Americans would benefit and the accomplishment would stand alongside the great achievements of the New Deal and the Great Society.  

That's why today I wrote U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) to congratulate him on his role in moving this legislation forward.

Some progressives will find fault with the House and Senate versions of reform and will argue, for example, that we need a single payer system or nothing at all.  Truth be told, I wanted a single payer system myself (as President Obama had advocated for in the past) but the political reality is that the reforms backed by the president today stand the best chance of advancing the cause of universal health care and if we miss this chance it may be a generation or longer before we have another.  We cannot fail.

In the Christian tradition, we are called to heal the sick.  I urge all people of faith - regardless of politics - to join in common cause with people across America in the coming weeks and months to get the House and Senate bills passed so that sometime soon, perhaps even before Christmas, the president of the United States has a strong reform package on his desk that provides hope to millions of our brothers and sisters.   

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

President Declares Support For Reid-Backed Public Option

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made it official today and announced that he would move a health care reform bill to the senate floor that includes a public option - with an opt-out for those states that decide through a legislative process that they wish not to participate.  The Washington Post reports:  

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) announced Monday that he will seek to bring a health-care bill to the Senate floor that includes a government insurance plan, a major reversal from just two weeks ago, when Reid was leaning against the idea. 

He also called for the bill to include a version of the so-called public option with an clause that would allow states to decide by 2014 not to participate in the government plan. 

"The best way to move forward is a public option with the opt-out provision for states," Reid told reporters, adding that he "clearly" believes that such a bill would have "the support of my caucus."

The White House offered a strong statement of support (via Politico):

“The President congratulates Senator Reid and Chairmen Baucus and Dodd for their hard work on health insurance reform. Thanks to their efforts, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to solving this decades-old problem. And while much work remains, the President is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He’s also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition."

This is not the clear cut victory progressives have hoped for but it is a step forward - a huge step forward - and I believe fully that we wouldn't have come this far and changed the majority leader's mind if it hadn't been for the strong advocacy efforts of progressives everywhere.  

Religious leaders from across the country have been particularly active and there efforts should be noted.

There is still a lot of work to do.  Both the House and Senate need to pass bills (the House bill should include a stronger public option and that gives us even more political leverage).  So don't stop working now.  Write your Senate and House members - even if you've done it before - and tell them to send a bill to the president's desk that includes a public option.

NYT: "Senate Majority Leader Reid Leaning Toward ‘Public Option’ for Insurance"

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appears to be moving toward including a public option as part of the senate's health care reform package.  The New York Times reports:

After more than a week of deliberations, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is leaning toward including a government-run insurance plan in a health care bill he will soon take to the Senate floor, Democratic senators said Thursday. 

Mr. Reid’s intentions, which are subject to change, reflect a calculated gamble that all members of his party would vote for the public insurance plan if it included some mechanism for states to opt out. 

Mr. Reid and other Senate Democratic leaders were headed to the White House late Thursday afternoon for a hastily called meeting, where Mr. Reid was expected to ask President Obama to help secure the needed votes.

A clear majority of Americans support the public option and religious leaders from across America have been calling on Congressional leaders to include the option in the final bill that gets sent to the president.

The United Church of Christ, with over 1.1 million Americans across the United States, including Oregon, has called for reform that includes: 

 - Coverage for all people 

 - Access regardless of ability to pay 

 - A full set of comprehensive benefits 

 - A choice of physicians and other providers 

- Elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities 

- Waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without age limits 

 - A robust public health insurance option

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Politico: Speaker Pelosi Working Hard For Strong Public Option

With poll numbers showing strong support for a public option in health care reform the Speaker of the U.S. House seems to be holding firm in her support.  Politico reports:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to be moving forward with the more liberal version of House health care bill that would peg optional government-run coverage to Medicare, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The speaker is set to unveil her final version of the House bill in a member meeting Tuesday night. Moderate and conservative Democrats, particularly those from rural states, are expected to object vehemently, so the decision won't be final until she convinces enough of her rank-and-file to support it.

"There's no question that the robust public option always scores better," Pelosi told reporters after she emerged from a two-hour leadership meeting Tuesday afternoon. "It has enormous savings. There are other considerations, and that's what we'll be talking to our members about." 

According to preliminary numbers, the final bill would cost around $870 billion over the next 10 years - coming in under President Barack Obama's $900 billion target - and cover 96 percent of those Americans who qualify for coverage. The plan wouldn't add to the deficit over its first decade, but it's less clear about the second 10 years.

The legislation still raises the bulk of the funds through a surtax on individuals who make more than $500,000-a-year and families who bring in more than a $1 million annually.

Senate leaders are still working with the White House on their final bill.

You can contact Speaker Pelosi and show your support for a strong public option here.  Senate Majority Leader Reid can be contacted here.  Make sure your voice is heard.

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Photo credit: http://speaker.house.gov

Support Grows For Public Option In Health Care Reform

Support for a public option as part of national health care reform is growing, according to a new poll:

As Democratic congressional leaders and White House officials work to shape health care bills that will go to the House and Senate floors, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and now wins clear majority support from the public.... 

On the issue that has been a flash point in the national debate, 57 percent of all Americans now favor a public insurance option, while 40 percent are opposed. Support has risen since mid-August, when a bare majority, 52 percent, said they favored it. (In a June Post-ABC poll, support had been at 62 percent.

The United Church of Christ, with over 1.1 million Americans across the United States, including Oregon, has called for reform that includes: 

 - Coverage for all people 

 - Access regardless of ability to pay 

 - A full set of comprehensive benefits 

 - A choice of physicians and other providers 

- Elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities 

- Waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without age limits 

 - A robust public health insurance option

Send a message today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid letting him know that only a strong public option will meet President Obama's health care goals and provide the coverage all Americans need.

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Report: Obama Working For Public Option

Encouaging news from The LA Times:

Despite months of outward ambivalence about creating a government health insurance plan, the Obama White House has launched a behind-the-scenes campaign to get divided Senate Democrats to take up some version of the idea for a final vote in the coming weeks.

President Obama has cited a preference for the so-called public option. But faced with intense criticism over the summer, he strategically expressed openness to health cooperatives and other ways to offer consumers potentially more affordable alternatives to private health plans.

In the last week, however, senior administration officials have been holding private meetings almost daily at the Capitol with senior Democratic staff to discuss ways to include a version of the public plan in the healthcare bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring to the Senate floor this month, according to senior Democratic congressional aides.

Among those regularly in the meetings are Obama's top healthcare advisor, Nancy-Ann DeParle; aides to Reid; and staff from the Senate Finance and Health committees, both of which developed healthcare bills.

The measure that goes to the floor will be an amalgam of the two committees' bills, put together by Reid and key Democrats. The health committee bill contains a national government plan; the finance committee version does not.

Obama has also been reaching out personally to rank-and-file Senate Democrats, telephoning more than a dozen in the last week to press for action.

Keep up those calls to the White House and Congress.

h/t Live Pulse

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Wyden, Merkley Should Vote Against Baucus Proposal; Support Real Health Care Reform

The votes today by the Senate Finance Committee to reject a public option as part of health care reform go against public opinion and against the best interests of Americans. 47 million of our fellow citizens go without health insurance and millions more have inadequate coverage. The Baucus proposal under consideration by the Finance Committee does not go far enough to earn the title of “reform.” Senator Ron Wyden is to be congratulated for his committee votes today in favor of the public option but I urge both Senator Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, my home state senators, to vote against any proposal on the senate floor that does not include a strong public option. The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has already adopted a superior reform bill that includes a public option. Proposals under consideration by the U.S. House also include a public option.

The United Church of Christ, with over 1.1 million Americans across the United States, including Oregon, has called for reform that includes: 

 - Coverage for all people 

 - Access regardless of ability to pay 

 - A full set of comprehensive benefits 

 - A choice of physicians and other providers 

- Elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities 

- Waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without age limits 

 - A robust public health insurance option

In the Christian tradition, we are called to heal the sick and is with that spirit that I join my voice to the overwhelming chorus of religious voices calling out for reform. America needs universal health care reform with a strong public option to move us closer to being a peaceable community.

Contact Ron Wyden, Senate Finance Committee Members And Save Health Care Reform

The Senate Finance Commitee is set to vote on the public option tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 28th).  This will be a critical vote and all the committee members need to be contacted now.  Members include:

MAX BAUCUS, MT 
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV 
KENT CONRAD, ND 
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM 
JOHN F. KERRY, MA 
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR
RON WYDEN, OR 
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY 
DEBBIE STABENOW, MI 
MARIA CANTWELL, WA
BILL NELSON, FL
ROBERT MENENDEZ, NJ

THOMAS CARPER, DE

CHUCK GRASSLEY, IA
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME
JON KYL, AZ
JIM BUNNING, KY
MIKE CRAPO, ID 
PAT ROBERTS, KS 
JOHN ENSIGN, NV
MIKE ENZI, WY

JOHN CORNYN, TX  

MoveOn.org sent out this action alert today to Oregon suppoters of the public option:

Tomorrow, Senator Ron Wyden will be voting on the public health insurance option—can you call his office right away?

Here's what's happening:

The Senate Finance Committee, of which Sen. Wyden is a member, is debating an awful health care bill that doesn't include the public option—the key to expanding coverage and bringing down costs.

Progressives have offered amendments that would add the public option to the bill, and the committee will begin voting on them tomorrow. Meanwhile, conservatives are pushing a bogus "trigger" amendment that would kill the public option through indefinite delay.

So we've got to show Sen. Wyden that his constituents are demanding real health care reform with a strong public health insurance option that's available immediately. Tell him to vote "yes" on the public option amendments, and "no" on the trigger.

Here's where to call:

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244

I both called Senator Wyden's office and faxed him this letter.

Please call your members of Congress NOW even if you have done it before. 

Time is running short. 

Nationwide faith call-in today for health care: Tuesday, Sept 15

Toll-free number:  1-888-797-8717

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and the Oregon Interfaith Health Justice Campaign are joining with people of faith across the nation by calling our on legislators to support health care reform.  Now is the time to let your members of congress know your belief that health care that covers everyone is a moral imperative.

The time is NOW!
We have never been so close to making health care reform happen in the U.S. But what that reform will look like depends on who has the ear of our elected leaders. If we want a health care system that reflects our faith-inspired values, it will be up to us to communicate those values.

Tips for a successful phone call:
-Dial the toll-free number 1-888-797-8717.
- Once you are connected with the Capitol Switchboard, ask for the offices of your Senators or Representative by name.
-Once you are connected with the office, ask to speak with the health care staffer.
-Tell them your name, what congregation you are from including the city and state.
-Tell them that enacting health reform this year is a moral imperative.
-If you know they are a strong supporter of health care reform thank them for their support.
-Feel free to tell them about why you see health reform as a moral imperative and what you hope to see included in health reform legislation.

This toll-free number was made possible with support from the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries and the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church in collaboration with Faithful Reform in Health Care.

[If we are so successful that you get repeated busy signals, don't worry... your dialed attempt will be counted! Just send an email with the same message instead: Senators   Representative]

FOX News & Republicans Rally Conservatives On The Mall

Wack job conservatives - led by FOX News' Glenn Beck and a Republican-run PAC - are rallying on the National Mall today to protest, well, everything.  They're armed with Confederate flags and this sign:

 

Via Politico.

Are hate and fear all the Republicans have left to offer America?

What I Liked About The President's Health Care Address To Congress

Tonight the president made a spirited argument before Congress on the need for health care reform.  Perhaps his best and most important line in the speech came near the middle:

...I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans can’t find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice.

That choice, the president stated, should come in the form of a public option.

...an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange.  Let me be clear – it would only be an option for those who don’t have insurance.  No one would be forced to choose it, and it would not impact those of you who already have insurance.  In fact, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates, we believe that less than 5% of Americans would sign up.
 
Despite all this, the insurance companies and their allies don’t like this idea.  They argue that these private companies can’t fairly compete with the government.  And they’d be right if taxpayers were subsidizing this public insurance option.  But they won’t be.  I have insisted that like any private insurance company, the public insurance option would have to be self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects.  But by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits, excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers.  It would also keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better, the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities.
 
It’s worth noting that a strong majority of Americans still favor a public insurance option of the sort I’ve proposed tonight. 

This was the president's strongest argument yet for health care reform. 

As I have said before, health care reform is a moral issue.  Religious leaders have been saying that for a generation.  To leave tens of millions of Americans without health insurance in the midst of such wealth is, simply put, a sin.  President Obama rightly invoked Senator Kennedy's memory and words tonight to make that moral case.

Only a strong public option, however, will help us reach the goal of universal care.  There may be different ways to shape the public option but I agree with Progressive House democrats who have said they will vote against any bill that does not include a strong public option simply for the reason that without one the insurance companies will never cover all of our people. 

Sadly, most Republicans seem opposed to any kind of meaningful reform.  Perhaps the oddest moment of the speech came when U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) actually heckled the president.  The Republican response offered by Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) was filled with, you've just got to say it, lies that would make Sarah Palin proud.

Another strong moment came near the end of the address when the president declared:

I understand how difficult this health care debate has been.  I know that many in this country are deeply skeptical that government is looking out for them.  I understand that the politically safe move would be to kick the can further down the road – to defer reform one more year, or one more election, or one more term. 
 
But that’s not what the moment calls for.  That’s not what we came here to do.  We did not come to fear the future.  We came here to shape it.  I still believe we can act even when it’s hard.  I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress.  I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history’s test.

I believe that as well and I hope the president and the Congress can deliver real reform.

Related:  Listen to the audio podcast of my remarks at the early September Health Care rally here in Portland, Oregon:

Download CCPDXHealthCareRally082909

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here.   

Photos and Remarks From The Portland Health Care Can't Wait! Rally

Portlanders packed downtown's Terry Schrunk Plaza this morning for the "Health Care Can't Wait!" rally.

 

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger spoke first and then introduced the rest of the speakers - which included nurses, business owners and labor leaders.

 

It was a great honor for me to be there representing Ecumenical Ministires of Oregon.

 

(Thanks to Carrie Aguilar for this last photo)

The audio podcast of my remarks can be downloaded here:

Download CCPDXHealthCareRally082909

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here. 

Health Care Can't Wait! Rally In Portland This Saturday

This Saturday – August 29^th from 10 am until 11 am – there will be a major health care rally in downtown Portland.  As you know, Congress will return soon from their August recess to consider health care reform.  Opponents of reform have been well funded and organized…spending tens of millions to defeat reform…but 47 million of our fellow citizens still have no health insurance and that number grows every day.  This is a moral issue that all people of faith should be concerned with.

 

The “Health Care Can’t Wait” rally will take place at:

 

Terry Schrunk Plaza (Portland, OR)

SW 3rd Ave

Between Jefferson St & Madison St

Portland, OR 97204

 

That’s right in front of the Green-Wyatt Federal Building.

 

At the request of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, I have been invited to speak at the rally as a representative of Oregon’s faith community.

 

It should be a beautiful August morning in Portland.  Please take the time out of your busy summer schedule to show your support for health care reform.   

 

If you live outside the Portland area and would like to attend an event closer to you visit:

http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org/ 

 

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Catch Me Tonight On Blog Talk Radio

Catch me tonight on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/EadyMedia talking about health care and faith.  8 pm Pacific. 

Update:  You can now download the show or listen to it on demand at:

http://tobtr.com/s/624877 

Tell President Obama To Stand Firm On A Public Option

Where does President Obama stand now on including a public option as part of health care reform?  It's unclear.  CNN has the latest:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House sought to reassure jittery supporters Monday that President Obama is not abandoning the fight for a public health insurance option.

The assurance came amid a media firestorm ignited over the weekend by administration officials seeming to indicate a willingness to drop such an option in order to secure congressional approval of a health care reform bill.

"The president has always said that what is essential is that health insurance reform must lower costs, ensure that there are affordable options for all Americans, and it must increase choice and competition in the health insurance market," White House aide Linda Douglass said in a written statement.

"He believes the public option is the best way to achieve those goals."

The administration seemed to step back from its insistence on such an option over the weekend, when Obama said it is "not the entirety of health care reform."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president could be "satisfied" without it. And Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told CNN's "State of the Union" that a public insurance plan is "not the essential element."

Clearly, the White House is flirting with the idea of dropping the public option.  As former Gov. Howard Dean says, doing so would destroy the goal of obtaining anything close to universal health care:

Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, a leading figure in the liberal wing of his party, said Monday he doubts there can be meaningful health care reform without a direct government role.

Dean urged the Obama administration to stand by statements made early on in the debate in which it steadfastly insisted that such a public option was indispensable to genuine change, saying that Medicare and the Veterans Administration are "two very good programs that have been around for a long time."

Dean appeared on morning news shows Monday amid increasing indications the Obama White House is retreating from the public option in the face of vocal opposition from Republicans and some vocal participants at a town-hall-style meetings around the country.

The former Vermont governor was asked on NBC's Meet the Press about President Obama's statement over the weekend that the public option for insurance coverage was "just a sliver" of the overall proposal. Obama's health and human services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, advanced that line, telling CNN on Sunday that a direct government role in a system intended to provide virtually universal coverage was "not the essential element."

Dean argued that a public option is fair and said there must be such a choice in any genuine shake up of the existing system.

"You can't really do health reform without it," he said. Dean maintained that the health insurance industry has "put enormous pressure on patients and doctors" in recent years.

He called a direct government role "the entirety of health care reform. It isn't the entirety of insurance reform. ... We shouldn't spend $60 billion a year subsidizing the insurance industry."

The president needs to hear from supporters of a public option now. Without his strong leadership the Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats are just about to kill any meaningful chance for health care reform.  Write the president today and tell him to stand firm. 

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

"Health care and the Christian tradition"

The Oregonian has published an op-ed piece that I wrote this week on health care reform. You can read it here.

It's Time For People Of Faith To Take A Stand For A Public Option In Health Care Reform

The debate over health care reform continues to rage.  47 million Americans have no health insurance and millions more have inadequate coverage.  Before Congress now are proposals that would extend coverage - letting people keep their own doctors and insurance plan - but also creating a much needed public option.

Critics of the plan are disrupting town hall meetings with mobs of enraged people organized by DC lobbying firms where members of Congress are attempting to listen to citizens concerned about health care reform.  A Congressman in Washington State and a North Carolina congressman have had their lives threatened.  These out of control groups are being egged on by right-wing radio shows hosts and politicians like Sarah Palin who actually called the proposals now under debate "downright evil." 

IT'S TIME FOR PEOPLE OF FAITH TO TAKE A STAND

Organizing for America is asking people to be in touch - either in person or with a phone call - with their members of Congress immediately to show support for health care reform and the president's call for a public option.  At this moment extremists fighting against health care reform are dominating the discussion and we cannot let them win.

Once you've talked to your House and Senate members please contact the President.  Thank him for his leadership and urge him to stand strong against the opponents of a public option.  As I told the president in a letter sent this evening, for the faith community health care reform is about a ministry of healing. How we treat the least of these in society is akin to how we treat God, says Jesus.

And if you are on Facebook please consider joining the People of Faith For A Strong Public Option group.  In just over a week more than three hundred lay members, seminarians, clergy, authors and professors have joined national religious leaders in calling for meaningful health care reform.

Finally, show some love to the people at Faith In Public Life and help them keep the spot above on CNN.  

Frances & Katherine Join Governor For Children's Health Care Bill Signing

Frances (far left) and Katherine (far right) joined Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski as he signed a bill this morning expanding health care to 80,000 children.  Children First for Oregon notes that the legislation signed today will "provide health care coverage to 95 percent of Oregon’s uninsured children over the next two years."  That's a great accomplishment for the governor and Oregon's legislature.

Katherine and Frances attended the event this morning with their mom (my wife), Liz Smith Currie, who works as the policy director for the Oregon School Based Health Care Network.

The above photo comes from KGW in Portland.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, left, shares a smile with Katherine Curr(ie), 5, as they hold House Bill 2116 after Kulongoski signed it at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland on Tuesday. Don Ryan/The Associated Press

 

Photo published in the August 5, 2009 edition of The Eugene Register Guard.

Defeat The Blue Dogs: Protect The Public Option In Health Care Reform

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership have reached a compromise with conservative Blue Dog democrats over health care that would "significantly weaken the public option favored by liberals by delinking reimbursement rates to Medicare," according to Politico.com and CNN.

Translation: Democrats are once again failing to govern and may put forth a health care reform bill that does not come close to meeting the president's stated goal of universal health care.

Progressive Democrats in the House should vote against this compromise.  The president should promise to veto it.

As Senator Kennedy recently wrote in Newsweek, a public option is key to making health care reform work:

...we have to cut the costs of health care. For families who've seen health-insurance premiums more than double—from an average of less than $6,000 a year to nearly $13,000 since 1999—one of the most controversial features of reform is one of the most vital. It's been called the "public plan." Despite what its detractors allege, it's not "socialism." It could take a number of different forms. Our bill favors a "community health-insurance option." In short, this means that the federal government would negotiate rates—in keeping with local economic conditions—for a plan that would be offered alongside private insurance options. This will foster competition in pricing and services. It will be a safety net, giving Americans a place to go when they can't find or afford private insurance, and it's critical to holding costs down for everyone.

Adopting a plan called "health care reform" that doesn't actually meet the goal of insuring all Americans would be the worst kind of scam.

Religious leaders from across American recently said that health care reform needed to be an "urgent priority so that all of our neighbors, especially the people living in poverty, children, and the aged, can be assured of the fullness of life that is central to the holy vision of a beloved and peaceable community."

Unless we act now health care reform will fail.  Contact your House and Senate members today and tell them you want a public option before the Blue Dogs and Republicans kill health care reform.

Statement from Religious Leaders On Health Care Reform

Health care reform is needed now.

Statement from Religious Leaders On Health Care Reform

A MATTER OF HEALTH...A MATTER OF WHOLENESS

Today health care reform has become an urgent priority, with many Americans fearful about the health care they now hold and more than 45 million lacking coverage altogether. Rising unemployment, underemployment and a decline in employment benefits have deprived many more of health care. The health of our neighbors and the wholeness of the nation now require that all segments of our society join in finding a solution to this national challenge.

"...Learn to do good, seek justice; rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow." Isaiah 1:17

"...Love your neighbor as you love yourself." Matthew 22:39

"...Ye who believe! Stand up firmly for Allah, witness to justice...be just, that is next to piety." Qur'an 5:8

Our diverse communities of faith -Jewish, Christian and Muslim- are each shaped and guided by our respective sacred texts which compel us to speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our society. Today that means making comprehensive and compassionate health care reform an urgent priority so that all of our neighbors, especially the people living in poverty, children, and the aged, can be assured of the fullness of life that is central to the holy vision of a beloved and peaceable community.

No longer can we afford to squander the hopes and dreams of the American people through a much-too-costly system that contributes to economic despair. Families and individuals must be able to rely on affordable care in times of illness or accident and preventative care to safeguard health and well-being. Those who are ill need the assurance that coverage will not be canceled by illness or employment circumstance. They should also be afforded the dignity of selecting their own caregivers.

Today we pray, each in our own custom, for discernment, boldness, clarity and leadership in each segment of our society so that we may find the resolve to achieve health reform worthy of this land. As we together pursue this vision our direction is certain-it is toward the common good. The prospect of high-quality, affordable health care for everyone is a measure of our wholeness as a nation.

We pray that our best minds and kindest hearts might be joined in this effort so that all men, women and children will have the health care they need to live the lives for which they were created. We stand ready to give our support and energies to its achievement.

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
Armenian Apostolic Church
President of the National Council of Churches

Bishop Wayne Burkette
Moravian Church in America, Southern Province

Rev. Dr. Miriam Burnett
Medical Director
African Methodist Episcopal Church Health Commission

Rev. Jerry D. Campbell, Ph.D.
President
Claremont School of Theology

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS
Executive Director
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Margurite Carter
National Board President
Church Women United

Dr. Iva E. Carruthers
General Secretary
Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc.

The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane
Episcopal Bishop of Washington
District of Columbia

Bishop Ronald M. Cunningham
Ecumenical Officer
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Dr. William H. Curtis
President
Hampton University Minister’s Conference

Amy Echeverria
Director
Columbian Center for Advocacy & Outreach

Matthew Ellis
Executive Director
National Episcopal Health Ministries
National Episcopal AIDS Coalition

Bishop Christopher Epting
Deputy for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations
The Episcopal Church

Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell
Ecumenical Officer
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.

Rabbi Steve Gutow
President
Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Dr. Richard L. Hamm
Former General Minister & President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US & Canada

Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Dr. Michael Kinnamon
General Secretary
National Council of Churches

Dr. Ken Brooker Langston
Director, Disciples Justice Action Network
Coordinator, Disciples Center for Public Witness

Elaine Lee
Vice President at Large
Health Ministries Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.

Rabbi Michael Lerner
Rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in San Francisco
Chair of the Interfaith Network of Spiritual Progressives

Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner
Connectional Presbyter
Presbytery of the Palisades (NJ)

Rev. Michael E. Livingston
Executive Director, International Council Community Churches
Immediate Past President, National Council of Churches

Marie Lucey, OSF
Associate Director for Social Mission
Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Felton Edwin May United Methodist Bishop (Retired)
Executive Director
Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry

Dr. David McAllister-Wilson
President
Wesley Theological Seminary

Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley
General Secretary
American Baptist Churches

Stanley J. Noffsinger
General Secretary
Church of the Brethren

Harriett Jane Olson
Deputy General Secretary, Women's Division
General Board of Global Ministries
The United Methodist Church

Rev. Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk
Presbyterian Church USA

Rev. Dr. Tyrone Pitts
General Secretary
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.

Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader
Ecumenical Officer
United Methodist Church

Nancy Ratzan
President
National Council of Jewish Women

Rabbi David Saperstein
Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel,
The Union for Reform Judaism's Religious Action Center

The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
Episcopal Church

Dr. Robert Seymour
Minister Emeritus
Binkley Memorial Baptist Church

Ronald J. Sider
President
Evangelicals for Social Action

Rev. Dr. T. DeWitt Smith
President
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
National Director
Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances
Islamic Society of North America

Russell M. Testa
Executive Director
Franciscan Action Network

Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ

Daniel Vestal
Executive Coordinator
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Bishop George Walker, Jr.
Senior Bishop
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

Dr. Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada

Dr. Robert Welsh
President, Council on Christian Unity
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada

The Rev. David L. Wickmann
President
Moravian Church-Northern Province

Jim Winkler
General Secretary
General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church

Bishop Gabino Zavala
Bishop President
Pax Christi,

"Rally for Public Option at Wyden's PDX Office, Thursday"

Loaded Orygun notes that MoveOn.org is holding a rally this Thursday (July 12th 9th) at Noon in front of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden's Portland office (1220 SW 3rd, Suite 585) to advocate for a public option in health care reform.  The General Synod of the United Church of Christ recently called for a single payer system of health care delivery and while in a ideal political environment that would be my choice the reality is a public option is the best and most effective approach we can hope for.  President Obama has endorsed a public option and so should Senator Wyden.

Related Link: (UCC) Marchers spill into the streets in support of universal health care

The Assassination Of Dr. George Tiller

I am sickened and saddened by the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, which occurred this morning as he attended church services. Dr. Tiller was a health care practitioner who performed legal abortion services in Kansas and was an advocate for letting women make their own reproductive health care decisions free from government interference. Operation Rescue and other anti-choice groups have targeted Dr. Tiller with protests for years – he was shot in both arms in the early 1990s – and as CNN notes that:

On its Web site, Operation Rescue refers to Tiller as a "monster" who has "been able to get away with murder." And Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry, who is no longer affiliated with the group, called Tiller "a mass murderer."

"We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God," Terry said in a written statement. "I am more concerned that the Obama administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder, and we still must call abortion by its proper name."

Groups like Operation Rescue incite violence and should be held accountable under the law. They have condemned today’s violence butthat condemnation is empty rhetoric from an organization that has long sought to dehumanize their opponents.

My prayers today are with Dr. Tiller’s family. His wife was there singing in the choir at Reformation Lutheran Church when her husband was killed as he worshiped.

Related Post:  Operation Save America Protests At Eden Theological Seminary Benefit 

Update: President Obama said tonight:

I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence. 

Catch Me Tonight at 11PM Pacific On KOIN-TV

I just finished an interview with KOIN-TV 6 on how churches are responding to fears of a possible flu pandemic.  The interview is scheduled to air at 11 pm Pacific.

My interview was bumped due to the breaking news of possible virus outbreak in WA State.  It might be shown during KOIN’s Early News that airs 5-7 am.  I plan to be asleep.   

Pandemic Level Now 5; Churches Must Respond

Moments ago the World Health Organization raised the Pandemic Alert Level to 5.  This means that a pandemic is imminent.

WHO's Dr.Maragaret Chan called the possibility of such a pandemic a "threat to humanity."

“Faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) will be essential partners in helping to ensure that people in need are provided for and that care is given in a way that minimizes stigma and other negative social responses,” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Is your congregation ready for such an emergency?

Click here for the HHS report “Faith-Based Organizations and Pandemic Preparedness” to learn about the steps we will all need to take to be equipped for a pandemic. There is no reason for panic but many reasons to be ready.

Additional information on how churches can respond to the possibility of pandemic have been made available on the website of the National Council of Churches.

This Sunday at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ here in Portland, Oregon we will begin preparing emergency preparedness kits for elderly members or other members that might not be able to obtain such kits for themselves.  The Red Cross has on their website information about what items are needed in such kits. 

My prayer is that such kits will not be needed and no pandemic will actually develop but we must keep all those currently ill in our prayers.  They are God's beloved children and we pray for healing.

Related Link:  Church World Service Swine Flu Info  

Portland Health Care Panel Discussion on Thursday, April 16th

On Thursday, April 16th from 6-8 pm there will be a health care reform forum at Portland's First Unitarian Church(1011 SW 12th Ave.)  U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer, State Senator Alan Bates and Dr. Mike Huntington with Physicians for a National Health Program will be among the speakers.  The organizers have invited me to moderate the discussion.  Click here for additional information.  The forum is open to the public. 

President Obama To Lift Ban On Embryonic Stem Cell Research

President Barack Obama is scheduled on Monday to lift the federal ban on embryonic stem cell research. The ban was imposed by President Bush and enjoyed support from the Religious Right but embryonic stem cell research has been supported by the United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church (USA), the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Scientific leaders have long argued that such research has the potential to cure "diabetes, spinal cord paralysis, heart disease, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, cancer, MS [multiple sclerosis], Lou Gehrig's disease" and any number of other conditions. The General Synod of the United Church of Christ endorsed federal funding of embryonic stem cell research in 2001 saying that “Jesus set an example, by his ministry of healing and caring for the sick and disabled, challenging us to follow his example by supporting the healing and caring ministry in our own day.” President Obama is to be applauded for undertaking this action. The president’s position is entirely consistent with Christian ethics.

Related Link:  Support For Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is A Christian Position

Can We Find Common Ground On Abortion?

Late last week I posted a statement from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice praising the decision by President Obama repealing the global gag rule.  RCRC stated:

Also known as the Mexico City policy, the rule prohibited American dollars from being granted to foreign family planning clinics unless they agreed not to use their own private, non-U.S. funds for abortion services or counseling. The rule also prohibited organizations from lobbying to reform harmful anti-abortion policies and laws.

Over the last several decades the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, our high deliberative body, has reaffirmed the right of women to make their own health care decisions.  But that does not many everyone in the UCC is pro-choice.

Douglas e-mailed this morning to say:

I am a member of the UCC.  I do not condone the wholesale murder of embryos that is taking place in abortion clinics.  I feel that this is not a right bur a crime against humanity.  There are only two situations where one has to question the use of abortion and then it is questionable.  The life of the mother or baby is in jeopardy or in cases of rape.  I am a parent and cherish the memories of my daughter growing up.  I would not have given that up for anything.  Children are gifts we receive from God and entrusted to us by Him for our care and nurturing.  When someone flushes this gift away it is a terrible crime which should not be alowed. On other maters I consider myself a liberal.

One of my favorite aspects of the United Church of Christ is that we allow the freedom to disagree.  You don't have to agree with a General Synod ruling, for example, but be do ask that people respect those involved in the decision making process.

On the issue of abortion, I still wonder where we can find common ground?  Perhaps in legislation that seeks to end the need for so many abortions by providing family planning, critically needed birth control, and support for families with young children. 

Another Reason To Be Thankful

It was three years ago this week that I was diagnosed with a pheochromocytoma, a nasty little tumor "which arises from the adrenal medulla and overproduces adrenaline" it can "be a deadly tumor because of the severe elevation in blood pressure it causes," according to Endrocrine.com. 

Dr. Greg Baker in St. Louis first caught it (a very good catch - these tumors are often found in autopsies and not before) and Dr. William Connor from OHSU (a friend of mine from Portland's First United Methodist Church) had me on a plane the next day to come home for treatment.  I was in my final two weeks of M.Div. studies at Eden Theologocal Seminary in Missouri when all this took place.  Academic Dean Deb Krause and the faculty arranged for my final papers to be turned in after surgery.

Dr. Bart Duell and Dr. Brett C. Sheppard put me back together again over the course of a couple of weeks.  Dr. Sheppard was the top-notch suregon who took the tumor out (with only 24-hours in the ICU afterwards) and Dr. Duell became my endocrinologist.  Dr. Duell checks me up every six months and so far so good.  I'm forever in debt to all those who helped me out.  That's certainly true 10x over for Liz and the rest of my family

There is a five year window on these types of tumors.  If one has not reoccurred after five years you are pretty much in the clear.  Only two more years of tests before they let me go for good.  I'm thankful for the gift of life, all the good care, the last three years with my chidren, and I'm thankful to have a future to look forward to.      

Freedom of Choice Act: Religious Groups Do Support Choice

It's true (no matter what the media says).

Liz's Smith Currie's Letter To The Oregonian

Fighting for Oregon's kids is Liz Smith Currie, award winning policy advocate, cool mom of 4 year old twins, and the wife of an out of control UCC minister.  Check out her recent letter to the editor:

School nurses critical
Thank you for highlighting the importance of school nurses in addressing the growing health needs of children ("The nurse will not see you now," Sept. 16).

One of the many important roles provided by school nurses is that they often are the first to identify unmet health care needs and can refer families to an appropriate provider for care. Unfortunately, too many children in Oregon lack health insurance or access to a provider who can see them in a timely manner.

This is why school-based health centers are such an important complement to school nursing services. These on-site health centers provide primary medical care to children who otherwise might not get the care they need, keeping them in school and ready to learn.

With the efforts that Oregon is making toward health care reform, policymakers should keep in mind the critical role that school nurses and school-based health centers can play in improving the health of Oregon's children and strive to make these services more widely available

LIZ SMITH CURRIE
Policy director
Oregon School-Based Health Care Network
Northeast Portland

Check out Oregon School-Based Health Care Network for more on these issues.

AIDS Not A Government Plot

It is disheartening to hear people claim – as one recently retired UCC pastor has – that AIDS is the result of a government plot. There is no evidence to support that. Yes, our government has in modern history run unethical experiments on segments of society – blacks, the mentally-ill, and civilian and military personnel working near nuclear power plants and / or weapons. But for clergy to seriously suggest that the government created HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) is not only offensive but dangerous as people need to be confronted with the facts about how to protect themselves from this disease instead of dealing with conspiracy theories.

Click here for the full post.

R.J Reynolds & Philip Morris: Evil In Our Midst

Oregon voters tonight rejected a ballot measure that would have expanded health care programs for children. Tobacco companies spent well over $10 million to defeat the initiative and their bombardment of the airways worked. The health care programs would have been paid for by a new tax on cigarettes. That didn’t sit well with R.J Reynolds & Philip Morris and these companies that make their money off addiction and suffering threw everything they had at defeating critically needed health care programs for kids. You wonder how their executives and employees manage to sleep. This is - if there ever was one – a prime example of human deprivation. R.J Reynolds & Philip Morris have already caused untold misery and hardship across the world and hundreds of thousands of deaths are directly on their hands. But they are not satisfied with all the riches they have gained. They want more. And more after that. If a few extra kids have to die to satisfy their appetites so be it.  That, my friends, is the definition of evil.

Related Link:  Oregon Religious Leaders: Yes On Measure 50

Do We Have A Right To Die? Assisted Suicide And The United Church of Christ

A group affiliated with at least two United Church of Christ clergy members in California has formed a new project - End of Life Consultation Service – that is drawing fire from those opposed to assisted suicide. The project will “will help terminal patients to access hospice, pain treatment, information on aid in dying options and other excellent end-of-life care,” according to the website of Compassion and Choice.

Click here for the full post.

Oregon Religious Leaders: Yes On Measure 50

Press Release from Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

A diverse group of Portland area religious leaders (this week) spoke out about their belief that Measure 50 is a fair and effective response to the crying moral injustice of more than 100,000 Oregon children who lack health care insurance.

Gathered at St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, a historically African-American congregation in NE Portland, the faith leaders also responded to opposition arguments that Measure 50 is unfair to smokers.

The event was hosted by five religious and community non-profit organizations: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, the American Jewish Committee Oregon Chapter, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Oregon Center for Christian Values, and the Urban League of Portland.

David Leslie, the Executive Director of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon noted that, “The faith leaders who have gathered here or who have endorsed Measure 50 includes Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders throughout Oregon.  We may disagree on many articles of belief, but our diverse traditions agree on the need to care for all our children, and on the right of all persons to quality health care.” 

David Leslie also read a statement of support from Robert T. Hoshibata, the Resident Bishop, Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.  Bishop Hoshibata has publicly endorsed Measure 50. This is his statement: 

“Because I am traveling today I cannot be present with other representatives of our faith communities who are gathering to urge you to vote for Measure 50.  This measure promises to improve the quality of life for Oregonians by making it possible for children and the working poor to better access health care and medical insurance.  This will enable families to utilize more of their income for food and other critical necessities of life.  We cannot overestimate the many related benefits that will be realized by the passage of Measure 50.”

Lutheran Bishop David Brauer-Rieke expressed the support of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church for Measure 50; “"Social statements from our Church clearly recognize the health care crisis that is upon us.  We recognize our moral obligation to advocate on behalf of those who have little or no access to basic care and comfort.  Measure 50 offers support and needed services for our children, in many cases those who most need such care and are the least able to provide it for themselves.  The promised focus on rural health care and school based clinics is appropriate and functional.  Oregon youth deserve what Measure 50 offers and more."

The Rev. Alcena Boozer responded to tobacco company arguments that an increase in the tobacco tax is unfair to smokers, “African-American and Latino communities have disproportionately high rates of smoking-caused death and disease.  Tobacco companies often target young people in our communities in their efforts to recruit new smokers.  By increasing the tobacco tax, and using part of that money to fund anti-smoking education programs we can reduce the number of our young people who take up smoking -- and we fund the healthy kids program too.  It’s a double dose of good news for children’s health.”

Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana, the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel described it as a “scandal” that more than 100,000 children in Oregon lack health insurance.  “Children without access to heath care don’t do as well in school.  They become sick more often and miss more school than their peers.  They often defer needed medical treatment, so that they end up in emergency rooms, where they receive extremely expensive care. Ultimately the lack of health insurance can even lead to unnecessary death or disability.” 

Rabbi Cahana continued, “Our religious teachings instruct us that we have a responsibility to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Jewish tradition teaches us that if we can save one life, it is as if we have saved an entire world, because each person’s potential is unlimited.  I support Measure 50 because it will help ensure that no Oregon child loses his or her life for lack of access to quality health care.” 

The Rev. Lynne Smouse López of Ainsworth United Church of Christ noted the high costs smoking imposes on all of us, “We all end up paying for the costs of tobacco use – through higher health insurance premiums and higher taxes.  By raising Oregon’s tobacco tax to the same level as it is in the state of Washington, we can recover some of those costs, and fund health care for children who desperately need it now.”

Stephanie Tama-Sweet, the Executive Director of the Oregon Center for Christian Values, spoke about the way she sees the life of Jesus related to the issue of health care for children, “When I look at the life of Jesus, it is absolutely clear that he cared for children. Jesus saw the beloved nature of children and recognized that God's intention was that they live a full and healthy and safe life. In our society based on politics and business and big money, though, kids are essentially voiceless in securing their own health and safety.  Voting Yes on Measure 50 is the most effective, most secure way that we can ensure that our children have the health care they deserve. Voting Yes on Measure 50 is one of the ways we can ensure our children experience the fullness of life that God intended.  Please join us in voting Yes on Measure 50."

Rev. Mark Knutson, of the Augustana Lutheran Church, said that faith communities are doing far more for Measure 50 than just holding press conferences, “Many of the organizations represented here today have supported the healthy kids program when it was a legislative proposal, and now that it is on the ballot many people of faith are involved in the Yes on 50 campaign.  I personally want to invite all people of faith to join us at Augustana Lutheran Church on Sunday October 28th for People of Faith Get Out the Vote Day, at 2:00 pm.”  Augustana Lutheran Church is located at 2710 NE 14th Ave., Portland, OR 97212.

FAITH LEADERS FOR MEASURE 50

Congregational names listed for identification purposes only.

Bishop Dave Brauer-Rieke, Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata, Oregon-Idaho Conference of The United Methodist Church
Rev. Alcena Boozer, St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, NE Portland
Father Armando Lopez, OFM, Ascension Catholic Church, Portland
Father Donald R. Buxman, Christ the King Catholic Church, Milwaukee, OR
Rev. Dr. Dan Bryant, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eugene
Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel, Portland
Rev. J.W. Matt Hennessee, Senior Pastor, Vancouver Ave. First Baptist Church, N/NE Portland
Rev. Mark Knutson, Augustana Lutheran Church, Portland
Rabbi Annette Koch, Beit Haverim/South Metro Jewish Congregation
Rev. Chuck Currie, Parkrose Community UCC, Portland
Rev. Benjamin Dake, First Presbyterian Church, Cottage Grove
Pastor Karen Edwards, Faith Lutheran, Keizer
Rev. Lowell Greathouse, First United Methodist Church, Portland
Rev. Kent Harrop, First Baptist Church, McMinnville
Rabbi Daniel Isaak, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland
Rev. Gail McDougle, First Congregational Church (UCC), Salem
Rev. David Nagler, Nativity Lutheran Church, Bend
Rev. Lynne Smouse López, Ainsworth United Church of Christ, Portland
Rev. John Pitney, Pastor, FirSt United Methodist Church of Eugene
Rev. Cecil Prescod, Ainsworth UCC, Portland
Rev. Jim Boston, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Grants Pass
Shahriar Ahmed, President, Bilal Masjid Mosque, Beaverton
Rev. Barbara J. Campbell, St. Mark Presbyterian Church, Portland
Fr. John Reutter-Harrah, Pastor, Prince of Life Lutheran, Oregon City
Rev. Dr. Patricia Ross, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Portland
Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell, First Unitarian Church, Portland
Rev. Wendy Woodworth, Fremont United Methodist Church, Portland
Dale C. Harris, Retired United Methodist pastor
Gregory Hamilton, President, Northwest Religious Liberty Association
The Oregon Center for Christian Values
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
American Jewish Committee, Oregon Chapter

Tell The President Not To Veto Kid's Health Care

Today Congress will pass critically needed bi-partisan legislation to expand health care coverage to millions of uninsured children.

President Bush has promised to veto the compromise bill. His reasoning: the increase in children’s health care would be paid for with a tax increase on tobacco and (this is the kind of really werid part) if we start insuring more kids it will lead America down the slippery path toward national health care.

Universal health care is a bad thing?

FULL POST

Yes on 50 - Getting Kids The Care They Need

I will pour down rain on a thirsty land, showers on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessings on your children. They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like poplars by a flowing stream. —Isaiah 44:3-4

The promise of God's blessings for children has been affirmed down the generations of faith from the time that God first promised to Abraham and Sarah that their offspring would be as numerous as the stars. Jesus not only welcomed the child, but asked everyone to enter into the eternal realm of God's blessings as children. Children are not only invited, but show us the way.

Children have the right to develop spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally, and to live in conditions of freedom and dignity. Because children are powerless and often live with adults who are poor and have little voice, there is a tendency not to see or hear them. Too often, their basic needs go unfulfilled.

- United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries

As parents, those of us taking care of kids are entrusted with a precious gift.  As the people of God, all of us are responsible for building up our communities in ways that protect and nurture children. 

That is why I'll be voting this November for Oregon's Measure 50 - a ballot initiative endorsed by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and others that if supported by the voters will provide health care for 100,000 kids.   

From the Yes on 50 website:

Measure 50 on the November 6, 2007 ballot will guarantee health care for 100,000 uninsured Oregon children and strengthen tobacco prevention programs through an 84.5 cent per pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax matching our neighbors to the north in Washington State.

There are currently more than 100,000 Oregon children whose working parents earn too much to qualify for the existing Oregon Health Plan but too little to afford private health insurance on their own.

A simple majority vote of Oregonians can provide access to the kind of health care our children deserve while saving taxpayers money in reduced tobacco-related health costs and expensive emergency room visits by the uninsured for routine medical care.

A broad coalition of dozens of mainstream community leaders have united behind this common-sense plan.

On the other side? Big Tobacco, an industry that has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to defeat similar measures in other states and target our children as their next generation of customers.

A “Yes!” vote on Measure 50 will increase state revenue by an estimated $386 million over the next four years to provide health care for children and low-income adults, and double the amount of money available for proven tobacco-prevention programs.

No child should be without health care.

Barack Obama: Putting The Health Care Needs Of Kids First

Today On People Of Faith For Barack

U.S. House Votes To Expand Children's Health Care

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed critical legislation that would expand health care coverage to another 5 million uninsured American children.  House Republicans fought the legislation and President Bush has promised a veto. 

Their major objection:  the program is paid for by increasing taxes on tobacco.

Republicans in the House and in the White House clearly place more importance on big tobacco than on the lives and health of our nation's children. 

The Washington Post reports:

The House (today) approved legislation vastly expanding a federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor, shrugging off a fresh veto threat from President Bush and the fierce opposition of House Republicans.

The Senate, where the legislation has strong bipartisan support, is expected to follow suit as early as (Thursday), voting on a more modest version of the program and probably setting up a showdown between congressional supporters and the White House, which says the measures are far too expansive.

The legislation would launch the most significant growth in federal health care in a decade, and Democrats hope it will fortify their members as they head home soon for the summer recess amid voter perceptions that they have accomplished little since taking control of Congress.

"This is the children's hour," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared... "We are able to meet our moral obligation to our children."

The 225 to 204 vote in the House -- largely along party lines -- came after hours of delaying tactics, strident rhetoric and trench warfare from Republicans who called the bill the first step toward "socialized medicine," financed by an unfair tobacco tax increase and cuts to managed-care companies in Medicare.

But in the end, the Democrats had weapons that were just too powerful -- a promise to insure 5 million more children who otherwise would have no access to health care, adding to the 6 million children already covered -- and the backing of Republican and Democratic governors, the American Medical Association, AARP, the March of Dimes, the Catholic Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and even cyclist Lance Armstrong. And the prospects are good in the Senate, where a key Republican, Orrin Hatch (Utah), said, "It's difficult for me to understand how anyone wouldn't want to do this."   

House Republicans tried to scare senior citizens into opposing the bill but that effort failed:

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio), pointing to the cuts to Medicare managed-care plans, dashed off a letter to AARP, calling for the powerful seniors lobby to retract its endorsement and halt its full-throttle campaign for its passage.

But John Rother, AARP's policy director, responded that funding for Medicare physician reimbursements and free medical screenings more than makes up for any difficulties managed-care companies might face when they reap the same reimbursement rates as the core Medicare program.

President Bush has spoken out often against the bill:

...Bush opposes such a major expansion of the program. In an interview with The Washington Post last month, he said, "When you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."

The House bill would enlarge the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, by $47 billion over five years to provide coverage to the additional 5 million children.

As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports, Bush's argument is bogus.

What can't be argued is that millions of children in our nation go without medical care and need this legislation.  It is also clear that House Republicans and George W. Bush don't give a damn and will do everything in their power to keep children from getting the care they deserve.

Related Post: George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids   

Support Health Care For Kids!

Action Alert from Children's Defense Fund

Over the past ten years, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has been effective at reducing the number of uninsured children. However, nine million children are still uninsured and millions more are underinsured. That means millions of children in America are not getting the care they need to lead healthy and happy lives.

Congress is considering legislation to renew funding for SCHIP this week. Although our ultimate goal is to provide comprehensive health coverage to all children and pregnant women in America, supporting the SCHIP legislation currently under consideration in Congress, is a step towards this critical goal.

Take a few minutes right now to send a message to Congress to take this first step and support the SCHIP legislation currently under consideration in Congress. It's easy, it only takes a few minutes, and children cannot wait.

Related Post: George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids 

"Global Health Draft In 2006 Rejected for Not Being Political"

More this week on the campaign by the Bush Administration to suppress important public health information.  The Washington Post reports:

A surgeon general's report in 2006 that called on Americans to help tackle global health problems has been kept from the public by a Bush political appointee without any background or expertise in medicine or public health, chiefly because the report did not promote the administration's policy accomplishments, according to current and former public health officials.

The report described the link between poverty and poor health, urged the U.S. government to help combat widespread diseases as a key aim of its foreign policy, and called on corporations to help improve health conditions in the countries where they operate. A copy of the report was obtained by The Washington Post.

Three people directly involved in its preparation said its publication was blocked by William R. Steiger, a specialist in education and a scholar of Latin American history whose family has long ties to President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Since 2001, Steiger has run the Office of Global Health Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Richard H. Carmona, who commissioned the "Call to Action on Global Health" while serving as surgeon general from 2002 to 2006, recently cited its suppression as an example of the Bush administration's frequent efforts during his tenure to give scientific documents a political twist.

As each day passes the more I believe that those in power in the executive branch today care little or nothing for the general welfare of the people of the world.  Withholding public health information for purely political reasons isn't just gross - it is immoral.   

Related Post: Bush, Bush, Bush: Say It Three Times Fast

I Want To Limit Abortions

It's true.  This pro-choice United Church of Christ minister beleives that abortion should be legal, safe and rare.  But does the Religious Right really want to reduce abortions?  Sometimes I get they feeling they could care less about the issue and only see it as a chance to fill their coffers.  Faith in Public Life is asking the same question:

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an initiative that aims to reduce the number of abortions in this country without further limiting the legal availability of the procedure.

The legislation, sponsored by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Tim Ryan (D-OH), provides more funding for pregnancy prevention programs as well as for social support programs that help women lacking in financial and social resources feel better equipped to raise an unexpected child.

"It is our moral obligation to address those issues with which all side agree," said Ryan. "Whether you are pro-life like me or pro-choice like my friend Congresswoman DeLauro, the common ground we must build upon is our serious desire to reduce the rate of abortions."

Prevention and support initiatives have been proven to reduce abortions and unintended pregnancies, and it is a big step forward for those working for practical solutions to this thorny issue.

A big question mark is the reaction of self-identified “pro-life” groups such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. These powerful religious right groups make a big deal of (and a lot of money from) their anti-abortion stance, but so far, as even they will admit, their efforts haven’t actually reduced abortion rates.

Will the religious right reach out and take this opportunity to collaborate across ideological lines for something they truly believe in, or will they continue their current course of advocacy, which so far has done a lot more for conservative politicians than it has for fetuses?

So does the Religious Right really want to lower the number of abortions or do they just want to use this issue as one to divide the American people with?  Anyone want to start placing bets (Methodist, of course, excluded from all betting).

George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids

Once again our president is showing his true face:

WASHINGTON, July 14 — The White House said on Saturday that President Bush would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee.

The vow puts Mr. Bush at odds with the Democratic majority in Congress, with a substantial number of Republican lawmakers and with many governors of both parties, who want to expand the popular program to cover some of the nation’s eight million uninsured children.

Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, said: “The president’s senior advisers will certainly recommend a veto of this proposal. And there is no question that the president would veto it.”

The program, which insured 7.4 million people at some time in the last year, is set to expire Sept. 30.

Why the veto promise?

The proposal would increase current levels of spending by $35 billion over the next five years, bringing the total to $60 billion. The Congressional Budget Office says the plan would reduce the number of uninsured children by 4.1 million.

The new spending would be financed by an increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco products. The tax on cigarettes would rise to $1 a pack, from the current 39 cents.

Mr. Fratto, the White House spokesman, said, “Tax increases are neither necessary nor advisable to fund the program appropriately.”

The president cares more about the profits of tobacco companies than he does about kids.

Send your own message to Congress.  Tell them to expand health care for kids.  Don't let the president and his tobacco company executive buddies keep America's children from getting the health care they need to thrive. 

Related Link: The False "Public Versus Private" Choice For Children’s Health Coverage