Funding Our Priorities

February 23, 2011

Early Saturday February 19 the House of Representatives passed legislation (H.R. 1)

MCC/Melissa Engle

that would cut federal spending by $61 billion.  The cuts come mainly in programs dedicated to assistance for vulnerable populations in the U.S. and internationally.

 

You can let your Senators know that this approach to the budget is neither responsible nor just.

Together, these two areas of the budget represent just 15 percent of U.S. spending.  Although the same legislation requests  a defense budget 3 percent lower than the President’s 2011 request, it is still $8 billion higher than 2010 levels.  Defense spending represents over 50 percent of U.S. discretionary (not mandatory) spending.

The math is questionable: how can we address the deficit without addressing the most expensive portion of the budget?  Even beyond military spending, H.R. 1 fails to adequately address a number of root causes of the nation’s deficit.

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Posted by Christina Warner

A Bittersweet Anniversary

October 8, 2010

Tammy Alexander reflects for Third Way on the health care bill, which was signed into law six months ago:

September 23 marked the six-month anniversary of the signing of the health care reform bills into law. Personally, I didn’t feel much like celebrating.

It probably didn’t help that I was waging my own private health care struggle at the time. When a laboratory assistant sucked three vials of blood out of my arm, I was perfectly calm. I felt considerably more lightheaded, however, when I received the bill and discovered they were also going to suck $500 out of my bank account. Those terms ‘coinsurance’ and ‘deductible’ seem perfectly innocuous until you see them at the bottom of an insurance statement…

In September, several new provisions of the health care reform law took effect, including:

  • Coverage for children with pre-existing conditions
  • Coverage for young adults up to age 26
  • Elimination of lifetime maximum benefits
  • No more unjustified “recissions” (retroactively rescinding a policy after someone gets sick)
  • No more penalties for using an out-of-network emergency room
  • No charge for some preventive care

These provisions represent a step in the right direction, but we have a long way to go.

Read more

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Posted by Patricia Kisare

Let’s Talk About Greed

April 23, 2010

Ken Nafziger writes about greed in Third Way Cafe.  Here is an excerpt:Abundant Life: Economic Justice for All

In the national outrage over taxes, the shrillest seem bent on paying fewer taxes while keeping the services to which they are entitled.

Greed also showed up at discussions on health care. Congress seemed to find it difficult to offer us a health care plan similar to the one our taxes purchase for them. Questions including references to the “least of these,” or “am I my brother’s keeper?” got buried in an avalanche of misinformation about death panels and other concerns.

Health care reform, now that it has passed and been signed into law, is still unfinished business. How will we engage in applying and refining this law? How will we care for those in need when something is required of us – money, or place, or position, or access, for example?

Click here to read the rest of the article.

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Posted by Mary Stata

Health Care Reform Resources

April 6, 2010

For those trying to better understand what is included in the new health care reform law, here are a couple of good resources:

Additionally, the MCC Washington Office released a statement on the passage of health care reform:

For over a year now, members of Congress and their staff and advocates all across the country have worked tirelessly for the passage of meaningful health care reform. The bill signed into law on March 23 is not perfect. But it acknowledges that we have serious problems in our health care system and takes important steps to improve access to care for the most vulnerable in our society. 

Read the full statement.

For additional resources on health care, visit washington.mcc.org/life/health.

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Posted by Tammy Alexander

Congress Passes Final Health Reform Bill

March 26, 2010

“Change is never easy, but it’s always possible”

Abundant Life: Economic Justice for AllThe final votes in the long, arduous health care debate came on Thursday. The Senate passed the bill of “fixes” to their health care reform package in the afternoon. Then, because two small changes were made to the legislation, it went back to the House where it passed 220-207 Thursday night.

As President Obama stated in a speech in Iowa, this marks the culmination of “a year of debate, a century of trying” to improve access to health care in a nation where 1 in 6 do not have health insurance.

[W]hat this struggle has taught us — about ourselves and about this country — is so much bigger than any one issue, because it’s reminded us … that change is never easy, but it’s always possible. It comes not from the halls of power, but from the hearts of our people. Amid setbacks, it requires perseverance. Amid calls for delay, it requires the fierce urgency of now. In the face of unrelenting cynicism, it requires unyielding hope.

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Posted by Tammy Alexander

Health Care Reform: Final Votes Could Come Today

March 25, 2010

Abundant Life: Economic Justice for AllEarly this morning, the Senate parliamentarian upheld two Republican “points of order” on provisions of the bill relating to student loans.  Because this will change the bill, it will now need to go back to the House for approval of these changes. The Senate resumes this morning, with additional amendments and points of order objections expected before it moves to a final vote, currently expected around 2pm. The House could take up the revised bill tonight.  (Read more.)

Yesterday, President Obama signed an executive order clarifying that provisions in the health care reform package would not alter current federal law which prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.

On Tuesday, Mennonite Mutual Aid released a statement on the reform bill.

* Action Alert: Pray and Act for Health Care Reform *

For additional resources on health care reform, visit the Abundant Life health care page.

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Posted by Tammy Alexander

Senate Health Bill Signed Into Law

March 24, 2010

* Action Alert: Pray and Act for Health Care Reform *

Yesterday, President Obama signed the Senate health care bill, HR 3590, into law (watch on C-Span).

At the same time, the Senate began its debate on a reconciliation package of “fixes,” HR 4872, which was passed by the House along with the Senate bill on Sunday.

Abundant Life: Economic Justice for AllRepublicans are expected to bring up numerous amendments and “points of order” (which could delete small provisions in the bill if they are deemed out of line with rules regarding what can be done under budget reconciliation). If the bill is changed at all, it will have to be sent back to the House for one more vote.

Democratic leaders may, at some point, attempt to stop the flow of amendments by ruling any further amendments “dilatory.” A final vote in the Senate could come as early as Thursday.

* Action Alert: Pray and Act for Health Care Reform *

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Posted by Tammy Alexander

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