Senator John Breaux and American University Launch “Ceasefire on Health Care” Campaign
Inaugural event kicks off on Capitol Hill with Representatives Menendez and Schwarz
Washington, DC, June 29, 2005—Senator John Breaux kicked off his “Ceasefire on Health Care” campaign today with a discussion on Capitol Hill reviewing a bipartisan health care reform measure that has just passed the House. The former Louisiana senator is spearheading an effort to stimulate dialogue with leading Republican and Democratic policymakers and advocates in order to develop meaningful, incremental reform to the nation’s health care system.
Contact:
Maralee Csellar
(202) 885-5952
Claire Barnard
(202) 262-4708
Today’s discussion focused on H.R. 1812, “The Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005,” sponsored by Representatives Robert Menendez (NJ-13) and Deborah Pryce (OH-15). The bipartisan initiative will provide patients with an advocate to help them navigate the health care system and improve access to prevention screening.
“I would like to commend Representatives Menendez and Pryce for their leadership and outstanding efforts to enrich the delivery of health care to Americans,” said Senator Breaux. “The Patient Navigator Bill is a great example of the accomplishments that can be made when Democrats and Republicans work together. This outcome is what I hope to accomplish with my Ceasefire on Health Care project. It is time to put differences aside and find common ground between the parties so that we can make real progress in solving the problems that plague our health care system.”
This event was the first in a series of events being presented by American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. In addition to Senator Breaux, speakers included Representative Joe Schwarz (R-MI), Professor James A. Thurber, director of American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, and Dr. Elmer Huerta, director Cancer Preventorium, Washington Cancer Institute at Washington Hospital Center.
“With the cost of health care and the number of uninsured growing every day, we need to focus on solutions that will expand access to health care,” said Representative Menendez. “This legislation will provide funding for patient navigators to assist others through the often complex health care system, helping to ensure the right diagnoses and treatments.”
On June 13, 2005, the House passed H.R. 1812 by voice vote, which the Senate also passed on June 22, 2005. The bill will now be sent to President Bush.
“While in Congress, Senator Breaux was widely respected for his bipartisan legislative efforts in the health care industry. He helped set the standard for future legislators, and I am honored to be part of his new campaign that seeks not only to inform, but also motivate a change in our country’s health care system,” said Representative Schwarz, M.D. “As a medical professional, I know we must have the most advanced screenings to detect illnesses early in order to make health care in this country more affordable.”
Dr. Huerta added, “The most effective way to improve the health care system is to enhance patient services at the community level. The navigators will do this by aiding their patients in a variety of ways from translating technical medical information to accompanying a patient to a referral appointment.”
The series is made possible by a grant from Pfizer Inc.
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Established in 1979, CCPS provides an integrated teaching, research, and study program focusing on Congress and the presidency and the interactions of these two basic American institutions. CCPS is part of American University's School of Public Affairs which offers education in the fields of political science, public administration, public policy, and justice, on the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the U.S. and more than 150 countries and providing opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation's capital and around the world.
