The Rev Dr. Rick SchlosserJesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness…Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
—Matthew 10: 1, 6-7
Dear Friends:
The most recent news from Congress is that our upcoming budget needs $880 BILLION in cuts. To secure that amount – which, oddly enough, would cover the massive new tax cut to the most wealthy – the key program being targeted is Medicaid. In California the program is known as Medi-Cal.
This, as you likely know, covers millions who otherwise cannot afford any health care at all. What you may not realize is that in most states, the care of the indigent is required by law, but the states have to pay providers in hospitals “charity care” which is a huge drain on state resources. It also produces substandard care since state reimbursements are very low, and patients are often “dumped” back onto the streets, homes if they have them, to recuperate on their own.
Since the advent of the Affordable Care Act implemented in 2013, millions who never had insurance now do. This includes the homeless since it also covered single adults for the first time. As you can well imagine, living outside in tents in all weather has health impacts on this population, and their ability to get care to keep healthier and to live longer has markedly improved.
As we face a possible new pandemic of “avian flu”, removing medical care from lower income people would be disastrous for us all. If it becomes transmissible between humans, it will be catastrophic to have uninsured populations who cannot receive flu shots and other protections. They, in turn, would imperil us all. Avian flu untreated is far more lethal than even COVID.
It is imperative that we make our voices heard NOW to prevent the “least and the lost” from becoming sacrifices to pay off billionaire tax cuts. Please start calling your Congressional representative whoever that may be, and make clear that taking medical coverage from the poor may be lethal to us all. For those Representatives who might be open to a moral framing, please remind them that Jesus put healing the sick as the first thing for his disciples to do. If they claim to be Christian, how can they ignore that priority?
Please call the US Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121 to ask for your Representative. If you are unsure who that is or want their direct number, please check Find Your Representative | house.gov We understand that normal switchboard numbers are about 40 per hour. These days it’s about 1600 per hour, so you may wish to call directly. You CAN call the district office or offices, but the Capitol is more effective. Leave a voice mail if the phone is unanswered. Be sure to give your name and city, and it’s always useful to cite your congregation if you have one. Every bit of “weight” we can bring to bear is useful. Call daily if you can. Please enlist others as well.
I will mention, though probably not needed, that politeness counts. We have heard that folks from our side are angry and occasionally abusive. This is not useful. It tends to get one discounted as a “crank”. I always say I am proud of our members for being good spokespeople who are rarely rowdy. In this day and age, that alone makes one stand out. So if you share this information, please remind new people we aren’t (yet) Jesus flipping the tables in the temple; we are being persuasive.
Thank you!