The new film "Virtual JFK" is marketed as the story of the Vietnam War had John F. Kennedy not been killed. I expected a fantasy account of what might have been, and this led me to expect the following problem with the story: If Kennedy was killed because he would not fight a war in Vietnam, then supposing him to have survived Dallas would simply have left him in danger of assassination at each ongoing instant in the drama. We would have had to constantly fantasize Kennedy back to life through the course of such a movie.
This week's immigration blog roundup covers some new studies on migration and more.
Several new studies have found that immigrants are choosing to remain in their adopted countries rather than return to their countries of birth. Despite the economic downturn, immigrants still see the United States as a land of opportunity and are content with their decision to move here.
President Obama is expected to address the Congressional Hispanic Caucus next week on immigration reform. Representative Gutierrez and Senator Menendez are also expected to address the Caucus.
Last Saturday in Sacramento, hundreds marched to urge President Obama to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Outgoing Senator Mel Martinez of Florida ended his tenure by stressing the need for immigration reform. During his time as Senator, he worked with Senators McCain and Kennedy on immigration reform.
On December 6-8, the National Immigration Law Center will be holding its 7th National Low-Income Immigrant Rights Conference in Arlington, Virginia. Attendees will share information and experiences and develop strategies around some of the core issues affecting low-income immigrants.
The passing of Kennedy is just a hint of the turnover that would seem likely to take place over the next three years. A lot of longtime players in the House and Senate are probably going to exit, due to age or health or simply falling out of fortune at home.
Senator Kennedy's prolific career spanned nearly five decades, during which he authored more than 2,500 bills in the U.S. Senate. Several hundred have become public law. This fall we hope to add yet another bill to that distinguished list - the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Putting an insurance card in every American's pocket won't solve our health care crisis. It is clear, of course, that health insurance reform is an essential component of solving the crisis: nearly 50 million Americans lacking health insurance, and another 25 million underinsured (that is, with health insurance that doesn't pay their medical bills). But fulfilling our human right to health care requires a larger vision, one that is focused not on cost-savings, but on improving everyone's health.
So for those who want to see comprehensive health care reform, there has been some good new recently as both the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and House versions of health care reform legislation include provisions that address the upstream social determinants of health. As the Boston Globe reported last Thursday, the House version includes $1.6 billion toward creating healthier communities and addressing preventable diseases such as obesity through construction of jungle gyms, streetlights, farmers markets, and bike paths:
This won't be a long post, because I just need to ask a simple question. With Ted Kennedy too sick to come down to DC and make the committee vote, Democrats will need every Senator on the HELP committee to produce a strong bill, a bill that fights for what Teddy Kennedy has been fighting for his entire life. The last holdout is Kay Hagan, who represents a state (NC) that is one of the worst in the country in terms of percent of people without health insurance. The insurance companies are lobbying Hagan against the bill, because they don't like having to compete with a public option. My simple question is this: Teddy Kennedy is too sick to be there, Senator Hagan, so he is relying on your vote for the issue that he has fought for passionately his entire life. Will you betray him to help the insurance companies? You need to make up your mind now.
