TEC Joins Healthcare Lobbying Effort

From the Living Church-

In an effort to mobilize supporters of healthcare reform, representatives from a number of Christian denominations and others are organizing a national call-in webcast that will feature President Barack Obama. The program will begin at 5:00 p.m. EDT this evening.

The “40 Minutes for Health Reform” webcast is being organized by the advocacy group Faith in Public Life. That group consists of representatives from the Episcopal Church, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Sojourners, the National Council of Churches in Christ, and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, according to a release on the event.

“We believe there is a silent majority that has seen family and friends struggle,” said Kristin Williams, media relations associate for Faith in Public Life. “Those people are not the loud protestors at town hall meetings.”

Ms. Williams declined to provide the names of faith leaders who will e participating in the call-in. She said the group is focusing its lobbying efforts on Democratic senators in states with strong Christian bases who have “waffled publicly” on healthcare reform.

Maureen Shea, director of government relations with the Episcopal Public Policy Network lobbying group, said the healthcare debate has been fraught with misinformation.

“Many people don't seem to understand that Medicare is a government program,” Ms. Shea said. “The two things that have ignited people are that they don’t want government in their health care—which it already is—and misunderstanding and misinformation about the voluntary discussion with doctors of the end of life provisions.”

Matthew Ellis, executive director of National Episcopal Health Ministries, agreed, saying “people are worked up about ‘death panels,’ based on perception. It’s unfortunate that people are purposely playing on their fears.

“A loud voice is purposely skewing the argument so that a reasonable and informed discussion is not possible,” Mr. Ellis continued. “Politics is still often a win-at-any-cost kind of game, and unfortunately people still view it that way.”

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/8/19/tec-joins-healthcare-lobbying-effort