A small group of leaders and advocates from diverse religious traditions (Christian, Jewish, and Islamic) were recently invited to the White House to discuss the Obama Administration’s efforts in the area of health care reform.
Various aspects of the proposals put forward by the President were explained by White House officials, including Nancy Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Care Reform; Joshua DuBois, Director of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Community Partnerships; Paul Monteiro, Associate Director of the Office for Public Engagement; and Alexia Kelley, Director of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Religious leaders expressed appreciation and support for the Administration’s efforts to promote health care reform and to do so now. A view strongly shared by all the invited leaders was that, whatever specific proposals were adopted, these should benefit not just the middle class but also the poor and marginalized members of our society.
Representing the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at this meeting was Dr. Ken Brooker Langston, Director of DJAN (Disciples Justice Action Network) and Coordinator of the Disciples Center for Public Witness.
