Posts Tagged ‘victoria lipnic’
Sam Bennett on PBS To the Contrary: Healthcare Reform’s Effect on Women
On Friday, I had the pleasure of accompanying WCF President/CEO Sam Bennett to a taping of To the Contrary on PBS. The topics of the day were: healthcare reform and how it affects women, the retirement age increasing, and the recent Supreme Court ruling that the strip-search of the 13 year-old girl was illegal.
This all-female news analysis series is hosted by Bonnie Erbe - an exceptional journalist. Bonnie was honored by Women’s Media Center for her contribution to women in the media - a special and unusual honor since most journalistic awards are applied for - and this was just given.
Along with Sam, the panelists were: DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, The Heritage Foundation’s Genevieve Wood, and Former Labor Dept. Assistant Secretary Victoria Lipnic. It was an honor to meet Eleanor Holmes Norton - now in her tenth term as a DC Congresswoman, she’s a powerful leader for women. Appointed in 2002, Victoria has an impressive track record as a moderate Republican - a very difficult path to walk. And though we may not agree when it comes to issues of reproductive justice - in particular, taking the pro-choice language “choices” and using it to the opposite end - I was impressed by Genevieve’s articulate and gracious nature.
Though each had their own unique perspective on healthcare reform and women’s retirement trends, they all seemed to agree that the Supreme Court strip search ruling was correct. Sam stated that, ”We can’t have schools be Constitutional dead zones.” You can watch that special online segment here.
Bonnie asked the panel if healthcare reform would help or hurt women, which drew differing responses. Genevieve Wood feels that putting bureaucrats in charge of our health decisions would negatively impact women. (I would argue that this is exactly what anti-choice laws do).
The details of Obama’s proposed healthcare reform plan are still being ironed out, but Sam Bennett points out that it’s essential for women and our country that the system be fixed:
“We spend more on healthcare than any nation and yet are ranked 37th by the World Health Organization in quality of care delivered to its citizens. Women bear the brunt of this inequity and stand to benefit the most.”
Be sure to catch To the Contrary on PBS - women’s perspectives are so often overlooked, and this show raises them to the forefront of today’s important issues. We look forward to future opportunities to participate in this fabulous series.
