| Washington Watch | Issues Update | Vital Signs | Health & Safety |
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The American Nurses Association Political Action Committee (ANA-PAC) achieved phenomenal success in the election. Of its 252 endorsed candidates, 222 (88%) were elected. This success rate is a record in the 26-year history of ANA-PAC. Six nurses were endorsed in 1998 by ANA-PAC, three of whom were incumbents and were re-elected—namely, Representatives Lois Capps, MA, RN (D-CA-22), Eddie Bernice Johnson, RN (D-TX-30), and Carolyn McCarthy, LPN (D-NY-04).
“I think the method we use to endorse these candidates has proven to be effective,” ANA-PAC chairwoman Frances Edwards, MSN, RN, says of the group’s success.
The election brought little change to the overall party composition of Congress. While Republicans will continue to have an advantage over Democrats in the House of Representatives, Democrats gained five seats, bringing the balance of power to 223 Republicans, 211 Democrats, and one Independent. In the Senate, the party ratio remains the same: fifty-five Republicans to forty-five Democrats. However, three high-profile incumbents—Senators Al D’Amato (R-NY), Lauch Faircloth (R-NC), and Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL)—were defeated. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Harry Reid (D-NV), Ernest Hollings (D-SC), Russell Feingold (D-WI), and Patty Murray (D-WA), all strong supporters of nursing’s legislative agenda, were victorious, despite difficult re-election campaigns.
“We are pleased that we will have so many friends of nursing in the 106th Congress,” Edwards says.
One change in Congress’ demographics this year is the increase in the number of women, which is now at an all-time high, with 58 women holding seats in the House of Representatives (13%), and nine serving in the Senate (9%).
Several key pieces of legislation affecting nurses and their patients will be the focus of congressional attention in the coming year. The day after the election, President Clinton and the Democratic leaders of Congress announced that the Patients’ Bill of Rights will be one of their highest legislative priorities when the 106th Congress convenes this month. (See Washington Watch, November 1998.) This initiative is strongly supported by the ANA and a large coalition of consumer, provider, and union organizations, including the American Medical Association, the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations), Consumers Union, the National Partnership for Women & Families, and the American Psychological Association.
“We need the Patients’ Bill of Rights so that every health plan is accountable and every patient is an empowered partner in making health care decisions,” states ANA President Beverly L. Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. Malone, along with two other State Nurses Association members, served on the President’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry. The commission developed a consumer bill of rights and responsibilities, which served as a foundation for the Patients’ Bill of Rights.
In addition, the ANA will continue to advocate for the provisions contained in the Patient Safety Act, which was introduced during the 104th and 105th Congresses. These include reporting of institutional staffing and outcomes information, protection from retaliation for nurses who advocate for their patients, and community accountability for hospital mergers and acquisitions.
Efforts to promote legislation providing direct Medicaid reimbursement to all nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists are also on the ANA’s agenda. Furthermore, the organization will seek another extension of the Community Nursing Organizations (CNOs)—nurse-operated programs serving Medicare beneficiaries in home and community settings—based on the positive experiences of the four existing demonstration CNOs. The current CNO demonstration project is scheduled to expire on January 1, 2000.
In March 1999, the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare is expected to report its recommendations for Medicare reform to Congress. These recommendations are sure to spark informal debate and, possibly, hearings on how to address the changes needed to ensure the Medicare program’s continued viability.
The appropriations process will also have an impact on the nursing community as budget recommendations for fiscal year 2000 are issued for the Nurse Education Act programs, the National Institute for Nursing Research, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Other key issues facing Congress in 1999 include Social Security financing, tax reductions, education, banking reform, campaign finance reform, and fast-track trade negotiating authority for the president. A long-time contender—the tobacco debate—will also appear on Congress’ agenda. And while a comprehensive bill, as seen in the 105th Congress, is unlikely, narrower legislation focused on limiting minors’ access and boosting antismoking education, could very well pass.