The groundswell for health care reform
The Washington Post’s Jacqueline Salmon filed a thorough report this weekend (including a mention of FPL and a quote from Jennifer Butler) about the faith community’s broad-based effort to pass health care reform that delivers quality, affordable health care choices for all:
Several large coalitions are mobilizing religious communities nationwide in support of overhauling the nation’s health-care system.
In recent weeks, hundreds of clergy members and lay leaders have descended on the offices of members of Congress, urging lawmakers to enact health-care legislation this year. With face-to-face lobbying, sermons, prayer and advertising on Christian radio stations, the coalitions are pressing the idea that health care for everyone is a fundamental moral issue.
This intensive campaign has taken a lot of hard work in the media, on Capitol Hill, and in congregations across the country by a variety of actors — from clergy to community organizers to national faith groups. And faith leaders will step up their efforts over Congress’ August recess as well, visiting 100 Congressional offices in-district, distributing healthcare reform guides in congregations, holding town hall meetings and organizing large public events. (For example, Faithful Reform will hold a vigil on the Indiana state house lawn on August 1, with an expected attendance of several thousand.) As folks across the country are denied the care they need and anti-reform special interests swoop in to kill reform, their efforts are urgent and crucial.
Ps, for an excellent observation on the Scriptural support for universal care, check out Oliver Thomas’ excellent op-ed in today’s USA Today.