Live from the Health Action 2007 Conference
Moving Ideas Network member Families USA is hosting a great conference today and tomorrow at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The Health Action 2007 conference gathers health advocates from across the country to share ideas about how to make health care affordable to all Americans. Today, we have already heard from Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Gordon Smith (R-OR). Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was supposed to speak now, but has been rescheduled for tomorrow. Tune in to the webcast from the conference here.
Senator Obama predicted that there will be universal health insurance in the US by the end of the next President's term in office. He explained he was working on a plan to that effect now and expressed support for some of the ideas in Senator Wyden's (D-OR) bill currently under consideration in the Senate.
While known as an energizing, dynamic speaker, today's sppech was a bit subdued. Though subdued, it was a dense speech, detailing alarming statisitcs regarding the inadequacy of our healthcare system, despite the fact that we spend more on it than any other country in the world.
Senator Smith offered a fascinating endorsement of embryonic stem cell research. He proudly proclaimed himslef as being pro-life, yet told us that scripture does not provide a basis for barring embryonic stem cell research. He said scripture talks about dust and life, inanimate and animate, and a petrie dish filled with stem cells can sit in a lab for a thousand years and it will still be "dust," not life.
I found great joy hearing how someone can be pro-life and pro-stem cell research. Smith made it clear that our focus should be on protecting life... until death.
He also championed changes to policy that would make mental health on a par with physical health.