wfn.org | UCC leader lauds House passage of health care legislation

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

UCC leader lauds House passage of health care reform legislation

> Written by Gregg Brekke
> November 9, 2009
> Black

Following the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act by
the U.S. House of Representatives, UCC General Minister and President
the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black issued a statement saying the legislation
"moves us one step further toward a health care system that will work
well for everyone."

The UCC's 27th General Synod in 2009 passed a resolution called "An
Urgent Call For Advocacy in Support of Healthcare For All, as in H.R.
676." The resolution urges the government to adopt a single-payer
option, thought its language recognized this was not the likely path
forward for health care reform.

Justice advocates note that unequal access to health care most often
negatively affects women, people of color, the poor and those with
disabilities. Legal citizen status, advanced age and geographic
location are also contributing factors that statistically compromise
the quality and accessibility of health care.

"If what results from health care reform in the U.S. is that more
families are covered, we will see reduced levels of poverty," said
Black. "If the public debates on heath care result in closing the
gender gaps that have been exposed and the disparities and inequities
in health care experienced by communities of color, then we have
achieved something."

Despite enthusiasm over the legislation's passage, some are
disheartened by what they see as a major compromise in the final
format of the bill. The Stupak-Pitts amendment, approved by a 240-194
vote, blocks any health insurance policy in the public option from
covering abortion in the completed House version of the legislation.

UCC Minister and Co-Team Leader for the Cleveland-based Team, the Rev.
Loey Powell, reiterated the UCC's 40-year history of support for
reproductive health care and said of the amendment, "We join [partner
faith] groups in expressing our disappointment that the House bowed to
pressure exerted at the last minute from anti-abortion lobbyists ...
Once again women's health and well-being have been compromised in the
halls of Congress."

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice issued a statement
prior to the vote on the revisions, saying, "We come together to
condemn the passage of the Stupak amendment which ... will effectively
deny coverage for abortion services to women covered by the new
federal health care plan. We are appalled that religious leaders
intervened to impose their specific religious doctrine into health
care reform, not recognizing that women must have the right to apply
or reject the principles of their own faith in making the decision as
to whether or not abortion is appropriate in their specific circumstances."

President Obama, who made health care reform a key issue in his
election platform, issued a statement commending the House for their
vote and urged the Senate to act quickly to pass its version of health
reform legislation. "I am absolutely confident it will [approve a
plan]," he said, "and I look forward to signing comprehensive health
insurance reform into law by the end of the year."

The Senate is slated to discuss health care reform in the coming
weeks, though Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada expressed
uncertainty over whether a bill can be recommended for a vote before
the end of the 2009 legislative session.

More information on the UCC's health justice advocacy can be found at
<ucc.org/justice/health/>.