Democrats remain the majority party in the United States Senate by a slim margin. With a Democrat Vice President (who can vote in case of a tie),issues brought before the Senate will likely support the President and the party platform
Based on the results of the 2022 midterm election, Democrats remain the majority party in the United States Senate by a slim margin. With a Democrat Vice President (who can vote in case of a tie),issues brought before the Senate will likely support the President and the party platform
Here I list links to posts I wrote last year reviewing key health related positions in the 2020 Democratic party platform (the most recent). Consider reading the entire platform using the link I included. The party leadership has said they intend to update the platform in 2024, the next presidential election year.
These posts are for your information and education and do not imply my agreement or endorsement, as is true of the Republican positions which I review in another post.
Democrats will keep up the fight until all Americans can access secure, affordable, high-quality health insurance—because as Democrats, we fundamentally believe health care is a right for all, not a privilege for the few.
We will incentivize states to enact licensing requirements for owning firearms and extreme risk protection order laws that allow courts to temporarily remove guns from the possession of those who are a danger to themselves or others.
Twenty veterans and service members take their life every day. We will treat suicide as the public health crisis it is, invest in mental health and suicide prevention services, and work with our military communities to encourage and support those seeking help, connecting them to critical services.
Democrats celebrate America’s history of religious pluralism and tolerance, and recognize the countless acts of service of our faith communities, as well as the paramount importance of maintaining the separation between church and state enshrined in our Constitution.
Democrats are committed to investing in the research, development, and innovation that creates lifesaving drugs and lowers overall health costs, but the profiteering of pharmaceutical companies is simply unacceptable.
We affirm the Constitution’s fundamental principles: limited government, separation of powers, individual liberty, and the rule of law. We denounce bigotry, racism, anti-Semitism, ethnic prejudice, and religious intolerance.
This and the next post will complete my review of the Republican and Democratic platforms’ positions on health and related issues. If you’ve been following so far, you’ve noticed differences and a few similarities in their stances.
These final two posts show the widest points of differences between the two major parties, probably because these issues reflect the widest differences in our American society-views on marriage, family, reproduction, and sexuality.
As you read all the posts, and especially these two, you may initially react to positions positively or negatively, but I hope you will also consider carefully why you agree or disagree and why others think the way they do.
Remember the Republican platform was written in 2016 and the Democratic platform in 2020. Much has happened in the past 2-6 years including a presidential election, widespread demonstrations across the country including an assault on the nation’s Capitol building, challenges to voting procedures, a novel viral pandemic, unemployment, inflation, and a new war in Europe. And after 50 years, the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, has prompted challenges and changes in reproductive law across the country.
I have not included every mention of these topics as they are numerous and scattered throughout the platforms. Some are redundant. Many are statements of belief but do not propose any specific action.
The topic headings match those in the platforms so you can easily reference the original document. I have also included outside links for clarification and context.
This post will review the Republican platform, with a post about the Democratic views coming soon.
I hope you will take the time to read the full text of both platforms before the midterm elections on November 8, 2022.
We the People
We affirm the Constitution’s fundamental principles: limited government, separation of powers, individual liberty, and the rule of law. We denounce bigotry, racism, anti-Semitism, ethnic prejudice, and religious intolerance.
Therefore, we oppose discrimination based on race, sex, religion, creed, disability, or national origin and support statutes to end such discrimination.
The First Amendment
We endorse the First Amendment Defense Act, which will bar government discrimination against individuals and businesses for acting on the belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
The Fifth Amendment
The Constitutional guarantee that no one can be deprived of life, liberty or property deliberately echoes the Declaration of Independence proclamation that all are endowed by their creator with the inalienable right to life.
Accordingly, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed.
Republicans
support a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth.
oppose the use of public funds to perform or promote abortion or to fund organizations like Planned Parenthood so long as they provide or refer for elective abortions or sell fetal body parts rather than provide healthcare.
urge all states in Congress to make it a crime to acquire, transfer, or sell fetal tissues from elective abortions for research, and
call on Congress to enact a ban on any sale of fetal body parts.
call on Congress to ban the practice of misleading women on so-called fetal harvesting consent forms, a fact revealed by a 2015 investigation.
will not fund or subsidize healthcare that includes abortion coverage.
We
affirm our moral obligation to assist rather than penalize women who face an unplanned pregnancy. In order to encourage women who face an unplanned pregnancy to choose life, we
support legislation that requires financial responsibility for the child be equally borne by both mother and father upon conception until the child reaches adulthood.
thank and encourage providers of counseling, medical services, and adoption assistance for empowering women experiencing an unintended pregnancy to choose life.
support funding for ultrasounds and adoption assistance.
applaud the US House of Representatives for leading the effort to add enforcement to the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, by passing the Born-alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
support state and federal efforts against the cruelest forms of abortion, especially dismemberment abortion procedures in which unborn babies are literally torn apart limb from limb.
Defending Marriage Against an Activist Judiciary
Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values.
We
condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States versus Windsor which wrongly remove the ability of Congress to define marriage policy in federal law.
condemn the Supreme Court lawless ruling in Obergefell versus Hodges in which five unelected lawyers robbed 320 million Americans of their legitimate constitutional authority to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
support the appointment of justices and judges who respect the constitutional limits on their power and respect the authority of the state to decide such fundamental social questions.
Great American Families, Education, Healthcare, and Criminal Justice
We are the party of independent individuals and the institutions they create together — families, schools, congregations, neighborhoods — to advance their ideals and make real their dreams. Those institutions, standing between the citizen and the power of government, are the pillars of a free society. They create spaces where the power of government should not intrude. They allow Americans to work together to solve most of the problems facing their communities.
Our society is at a crossroads. The question is whether we are going to reinvigorate the private-sector institutions under citizen control or allow their continued erosion by the forces of centralized social planning. In that divide, the Republican Party stands with the people.
Marriage, Family, and Society
Foremost among those institutions is the American family. It is the foundation of civil society, and the cornerstone of the family is natural marriage, the union of one man and one woman. That is why Republicans formulate public policy, from taxation to education, from healthcare to welfare, with attention to the needs and strengths of the family.
Republicans
oppose policies and laws that create a financial incentive for or encourage cohabitation
do not accept the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage and we urge its reversal, whether through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage to the states
Families formed or enlarged by adoption strengthen our communities and ennoble our nation. Private entities which facilitate adoptions enrich our communities
Republicans
support measures such as the First Amendment Defense Act to ensure these entities do not face government discrimination because of their views on marriage and family
urge marriage penalties to be removed from the tax code and public assistance programs
Choice in Education
Republicans
renew our call for replacing “family planning” programs for teens with sexual risk avoidance education that sets abstinence until marriage as the responsible and respected standard of behavior
oppose school-based clinics that provide referral or counseling for abortion and contraception and
believe that federal funds should not be used in mandatory or universal mental health, psychiatric, or socio-emotional screening programs.
It affirmed that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
That same provision is now being used by bureaucrats to impose a social and cultural revolution upon the American people by wrongly redefining sex discrimination to include sexual orientation or other categories. Their edict to the states concerning restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities is at once illegal, dangerous and ignore privacy issues. We salute the states which have filed suit against it.
Republicans commend the good-faith efforts by law enforcement, educational institutions, and their partners to address (sexual assault) responsibly, and further propose
Whenever reported, it must be promptly investigated by civil authorities and prosecuted in a courtroom, not a faculty lounge
Questions of guilt or innocence must be decided by a judge and jury, with guilt determined beyond a reasonable doubt
Those convicted of sexual assault should be punished to the full extent of the law
Ensuring Safe Neighborhoods
The internet must not become a safe haven for predators.
We encourage states to continue to fight this public menace,
applaud the social networking sites that bar sex offenders,
urge energetic prosecution of child pornography.
exploring the HEART of voting
I appreciate the privilege and responsibility of voting and hope that you value it also, whether you live in the United States or elsewhere. I encourage you to vote at every opportunity you have-together we can change the world one vote at a time.
Mother’s Day is a widely celebrated occasion, with significant spending on gifts, meals, and travel. Notable mothers in leadership roles, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady Jill Biden, are changing the landscape. The movie “Unsung Hero” tells an inspiring story about a mother of seven who rebuilt her life in the face…
A reflection on the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the event and its impact, personal connections, including a sketch of Will Rogers and a statue of a fireman with a child. Art inspired by the tragedy is also discussed. An invitation is extended to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.
April is a month without federal holidays in the United States, notable for April Fool’s Day and religious observances like Passover and Eid al-Fitr. It also marks World Autism Awareness Day and Earth Day. Additionally, Arbor Day promotes tree planting, and the Old Farmer’s Almanac provides useful information.
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Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
watercress words by Dr Aletha 
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