Bush highlights health care, war, immigration in State of Union talk

Published: 2007-01-24

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The heads of two national Catholic organizations took some encouragement from the priority placed on health care in President George W. Bush's Jan. 23 State of the Union message but found little else to cheer about. "It is encouraging that President Bush presented health care as a domestic priority ... especially given the urgency of providing health care for millions of people in the U.S. who do not currently have any kind of insurance coverage," said Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association. "At the same time, CHA is disappointed that the president's plan falls short of significant coverage expansion and of truly addressing the weaknesses of our health system," she added in a statement. Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, called the lack of access to affordable health care "a huge barrier to low-income families trying to lift themselves out of poverty. ... We look forward to learning more about the president's proposal in the days ahead."

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