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Obama addresses America’s future

27 Jan 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Thousands of years ago a Jewish priest named Ezra stood on a special platform “that had been made for the occasion” and interpreted the law to the people, and many who heard him were moved. On Monday President Barack Obama also stood on a special platform that had been made for the occasion—his second inauguration—and offered a vision for the next four years he hopes will move citizens—and a divided U.S. Congress—to act on the nation’s most pressing challenges.“We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future,” said the president in laying out his vision for the looming political skirmishes over budgets and deficits.Obama said little on foreign policy except to recommend engagement over war and instead focused on addressing poverty, injustice, climate change, and gay and immigration rights at home. He did little to adopt the language of the opposition, as he has done at moments in the past, and instead directly confronted conservative philosophy.Analysts described the speech as “an assertive inaugural address that offered a robust articulation of modern liberalism in America, arguing that ‘preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.’ ” Republicans protested the lack of bipartisan rhetoric while progressives countered that Obama’s bipartisan appeals in his first term seemed to fall on deaf ears.Obama struck a more conciliatory note during an unscripted toast during lunch with Congressional leaders in Statuary Hall of the Capitol after the ceremony. “Regardless of our political persuasions and perspectives, I know that all of us serve because we believe that we can make America for future generations,” he said.Homily hint: What are the hopes and fears of the people in the pew in the coming four years? What is the proper role of the faith community in political life? The beginning of a new term for elected officials can motivate all of us to play our part in shaping a civic—and civil—debate on the issues of the day. Sources: Articles by Peter Baker for the New York Times, Gabe Pressmanfor NBC, Theresa Riley for BillMoyers.com, Devin Dwyer for ABC, HowardGleckman for Forbes, and David Horsey for the Los Angeles Times

barack obama inaugural address liberalism bipartisanship

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Biden’s “cancer moonshot” successfully launches

11 Dec 2016 - Preaching the News for the Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle A

The reading from the prophet Isaiah this Sunday promises that when the savior comes, “then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.” Until that time, the ill and afflicted can take comfort in the fact that Congress passed sweeping legislation Wednesday with overwhelming bipartisan support to boost funding for medical research, ease the development and approval of experimental treatments, and reform federal policy on mental health care. The bill, known as the 21st Century Cures Act, now heads to the desk of President Obama, who praised the bill Wednesday and said he would sign it. The bill provides for $4.8 billion in new funding for the National Institutes of Health; of that, $1.8 billion is reserved for the “cancer moonshot” launched by Vice President Biden to accelerate research in that field. Another $1.6 billion is earmarked for brain diseases including Alzheimer’s. Also included are $500 million in new funding for the Food and Drug Administration and $1 billion in grants to help states deal with opioid abuse. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, called the bill a “Christmas miracle . . . that will help virtually every American family. With its vote today of 94 to 5, the Senate has sent an unmistakable message that the time is now to deliver on the promise of 21st Century Cures.” The bill, however, had vocal progressive critics—Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) prime among them—who said the bill’s changes to drug approval processes gave too many concessions to pharmaceutical companies. Public Citizen, a progressive activist group that opposed the bill, called it “sorely disappointing that Congress gave Big Pharma and the medical device industry an early Christmas present” that “comes at the expense of patient safety by undermining requirements for ensuring safe and effective medications and medical devices.” But the bill won wide support from Democrats. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) negotiated key provisions to boost research funding, and Obama gave the bill a strong statement of support ahead of its passage in the House. Vice President Joe Biden, whose son Beau died from brain cancer last year, played a key lobbying role in getting the bill past many hurdles. Its passage fulfills his efforts to achieve a “cancer moonshot” of major research funding before he leaves office in January. The 10-year funding bill made its way through Congress because of Biden’s imposing presence—and also because it is packed with substantial amounts of money for enough pet projects, including a batch of Medicare and mental health reforms, to keep disparate lawmakers on board. Relentless cheerleading for the project by Michigan GOP Rep. Fred Upton, the author of the bill, and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) also played a key role. The duo traveled the country with other lawmakers and leaders like NIH Director Francis Collins to sell the project directly to the public. The vote let lawmakers close the year and the 114th Congress on a dramatic high, after a divisive election and ahead of the heated battles next year over the dismantling of Obamacare. That drama was captured Monday night, when Biden took the rare step of presiding over the Senate for a procedural vote on the bill and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the Senate would rename the law’s cancer program after Biden’s late son. Lessons drawn from the readings The psalmist this Sunday reminds us that the "Lord gives sight to the blind; the Lord raises up those who were bowed down.” We do well to imitate the Lord in our own efforts. Any work that alleviates suffering and brings hope and relief to the afflicted is God’s work. How will you do your part? Final thought in light of the news Upton told reporters on Wednesday, “It’s personal—people have family members with Alzheimer's, people have family members who died of breast cancer. They see children with these awful diseases. This is the answer.” Let your elected representatives know you appreciate the kind of bipartisan cooperation that made this legislation successful. Tell them you want to see more of the same in the coming year!

healthcare cancer mental health Alzheimer's disease joe biden bipartisanship medical research 21st century cures act

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Take Five for Faith Daily

Wednesday
January 15

What the cross puts into perspective

The image of the crucified Christ signifies not what he can do for us, but what he actually did for us. His willingness to enter into our suffering reveals that God’s love is always present. Reflect on the immense suffering Christ bore across time and across the world. As Saint Rose of Lima observed, “No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed.” Pray for relief for your own suffering and, in turn, extend mercy to others so that they may experience Christ’s compassion through you.

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