By Laura Woodhead – Talk Radio News Service

A government run health care plan will increase cancer mortality rates, said a group of GOP congressmen on Tuesday.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who survived bladder cancer after being diagnosed at age 19, said that the higher cancer mortality rates in the UK and Canada have shown him that a government run health care system will decrease cancer survival rates.

“We have a unique advantage as cancer survivors, that we can go through the bill and debate the bill knowing the personal consequences of what they are proposing would do to somebody just like us,” he said. “We know for a fact that our survivability rates are going down.”

Rogers warned Americans who have had cancer or are currently undergoing treatment to be wary of the current health care bill.

“85% of Americans have health insurance of some sort. What they are talking about doing is taking that away from you in order to fix 15% of the problem, and in order to do it we will have to ration health care for individuals,” Rogers said. “There is no compassion in that, there is to extra treatment in that.”

The congressmen spoke alongside a chart which depicted cancer survival rates in countries with government run health care plans versus the United States. Rep. Todd Atkin (R-Mo.) said that the statistics on prostate cancer speak for themselves.

“Among men between the UK and the US, we are talking about an 18% difference in survival rates. When its your life, 18% means an awful lot to you” Atkin said. “When the government takes over the health care system that’s the kind of results you get.”

Atkin added that he fully expects cancer patients to oppose the legislation.

Said Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a survivor of renal and prostate cancer, “If you want a system where your chances of surviving renal cancer are less that even….a government system, all throughout Europe, produces those lower survivor rates for cancer”

Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) said that better survival rates in the U.S. can be attributed to the speed at which diagnostic tests can be performed within the current system.

“Under a government health care plan like in the UK and Canada, I would not have had the advantage to get [diagnostic tests] done in such quick time. And it might have been too late.”

“We need to focus on those good constructive policies that we all know are going to work, and continue to deliver the best health system in the world,” Myrick said. “We don’t need to create one that will limit people’s choices and ability to go see their doctor.”

Myron Brilliant, Chamber of Commerce Vice President for East China, said that exempting Canadian companies from stimulus money through “Buy American” provisions is bad business (0:28).

 

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By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service

The US Chamber of Commerce has initiated an aggressive grassroots campaign using TV, radio, online and print media to educate Americans about unlawful government regulations.The Chamber is addressing growing concerns that “Buy American” provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are risking American and Canadian jobs. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to launch his own campaign that involves meeting with President Obama directly to discuss removing “Buy American” provisions and to possibly renegotiate trade agreements.  

Jay Myers, President and CEO of Canadian Manufactures and Exporters, said Prime Minister Harper wants to meet with President Obama to restructure the “Buy American” provisions out of respect for trade agreements. “We’re concerned because we’re seeing these much more restrictive provisions being added to other appropriation bills beyond the recovery act” Myers said.

The Chamber claims “Buy American” provisions risk $3 billion in lost business because U.S. firms who rely on Canadian products are excluded from municipal contracts. Additionally, Canadian firms operating inside the U.S. are also exempted from ARRA contracts. The Chamber is particularly concerned that such a high loss of business will lead to an increase in U.S. job loss. Chamber Vice President for East Asia Myron Brilliant said these provisions will cause Canada and other countries worldwide to retaliate with “Buy Canadian” provisions in an attempt to prove that ARRA exemptions are “hindering, not helping.”

The Chamber wants Obama to give special guidance to state and local municipalities so federal trade agreements are respected. Currently, the ARRA allows local governments to administer $280 billion in funds while ignoring international trade agreements. The Chamber originally supported the ARRA, but now notes the potential for business disruption.

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico

Today, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said that the United States, Mexico and Canada all rely on trade but with the increase in illegal immigration and drug and weapon trafficking, it is time for more modern and safe border security. Napolitano said that we need to recognize that there are “actual” borders, north and south, not “metaphorical” borders. (00:45)

 

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by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said that the United States, Mexico and Canada all rely on trade but with the increase in illegal immigration and drug and weapon trafficking, it is time for more modern and safe border security.

Today Napolitano spoke at the 2009 Border Trade Alliance International Conference and addressed not only border security issues but trade issues.

The Border Trade Alliance is a grassroots non-profit that serves as a forum for participants to address key issues affecting trade and economic development in North America.

Before heading to Mexico City with President Obama last week, Napolitano visited several American southern states to address the escalating violence in Mexico and the rise in drug and weapon trafficking among Mexico and the U.S.

Since 2006, when Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon increased his efforts against drug cartels, more than 10,000 people have been killed in Mexico due to drug-related violence.

Because of the increase in violence at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Obama has dispatched hundreds of federal agents along with high-tech surveillance gear and drug-sniffing dogs, to the Southwest border to help Mexico in it’s fight with drug cartels.

Napolitano said that the U.S. is engaged and focused on border issues not only from a security standpoint but from a trade standpoint.

“The two go together, we cannot separate one from the other,” she said.

Napolitano said the United States is not only working to end illegal immigration, drug and weapon trafficking and unlawful trade with the Mexican government but also with the Canadian government as well.

“We don’t want to appear to go heavy on the southern border and light on the northern border. We will have a balanced approach consistent with effective security for our entire country,” she said.

Napolitano said that the U.S. needs to respect the differences between the northern and southern borders.

“There needs to be a level of parity between the two borders,” she said.

But Napolitano said that the two borders share similar concerns regarding security, trade, illegal entry, and drug smuggling.

“We need to deal with circumstances on the ground. On the southern border it means protecting against drug cartel violence in combating illegal entry…. We’ve added more personal and technology. We’ve created a southbound strategy to stop the flow of guns and bulk cash into Mexico,” she said.

Napolitano said that the U.S. is providing new technology for Canada and have added five new U.S. Customs and Border Protection Marine and air branches, and 24 integrated border enforcement teams that include Canadian law enforcement officials.

“We don’t want to damage economic security in the name of homeland security,” she said.

Napolitano also spoke about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will require all travelers coming into the U.S. from Canada or Mexico to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship.

“These are real borders, this is a real law, and I am really charged with implementing it and I take that charge very seriously,” she said.

Although the Mexican and Canadian borders are different in climate and geography, both share a common goal to have a “modern border, an efficient border and a safe and secure border for both people and for commerce,” Napolitano said.

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

Today in a press conference held by Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), John McCain (R-AZ), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) an announcement was made about the introduction of  a drug importation legislation that will reduce the cost of prescription drugs in the United States.  The “Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act” the Senators stated will bring consumers immediate relief and will force the pharmaceutical industry to lower drug prices in the United States.

The bill, which is the same as last year’s proposal by President Obama, will allow U.S. drug wholesalers and licensed pharmacies to import FDA-approved medications from Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Japan. The costs in these countries, which are 35 to 55 percent lower than in the U.S. will allow Americans to benefit from these prices also. The legislation only applies to FDA-approved prescription drugs produced in FDA-approved plants from countries with the same safety standards. 

At the conference Senator Dorgan pointed out a comparison between the drug Lipitor that is made in Ireland which gets distributed to both Canada and the United States. “I have in fact two bottles here, the only difference is in color, one is red and one is blue…The only difference is the U.S. consumer gets to pay more than twice as much for the identical pill put in the same bottle. That’s unfair we believe.”

Senator Stabenow stated “This is not like buying a pair of shoes or buying some other commodity when you cant get your medicine, it literally is life threatening so this is a very serious issue for people and we can make a dramatic difference by passing this legislation.”

Senator Dorgan said that he is confident that President Obama and his administration will support this bill because Obama introduced the exact piece of legislation last year. “He and his chief of staff co-sponsored this identical bill…You would expect a President that signed up as a member of senate for this identical bill to support it as he already has done in his budget message.” Dorgan concluded. 

They partied all day and all night.

Although Canada never officially declared independence from Britain (the last vestiges of power were actually shed as recently as 1982!), July 1 is a holiday marking the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day in Ottawa, Ontario, was something to be admired.

Most noteworthy to me was the extent of celebrating. Parade watchers were wearing red, white, and usually a flag. I found that part to be the most interesting: you could buy a Canadian flag, one that you could, indeed, put on a flag pole- and wrap it around your shoulders, make it into a dress, or tie it in a turban around your head. In the United States, no one would ever do that do an actual flag, but here in Canada, if you weren’t decked out in some sort of flag, you were the one that stuck out.

I promptly put a Canadian sticker on my face. I think I’m allowed- my father is from British Columbia.

There were street performers, musical performances, and at one point cannons being blasted off in celebration of Canada Day. Late into the night, people were dancing in the street, screaming “Happy Canada Day!” and watching fireworks.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a Happy Canada Day!

Eric Farnsworth, the Vice President of the Council of the Americas, led a discussion on NATO’s evolving role in Afghanistan at The Woodrow Wilson Center. Farnsworth said that NATO’s mission in Afghanistan is of great importance and failure to stabilize the country would not only undermine the credibility of the NATO alliance, but would also threaten international security by allowing Afghanistan to emerge as a safe haven for terrorist organizations and the narcotics trade. Farnsworth also said that Canada has been a major contributor to NATO’s effort, particularly securing the “war-torn” southern region of Afghanistan. (more…)

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) Is Angry That People Feel Providing Health Care for Everyone Is a Problem

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones claims she does not want to compare Canadian health care to that of the U.S., she just wants the health care America deserves.

 

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In a speech at the Foreign Affairs Council of Washington, DC, former Afghan Foreign Minister Hon. Abdullah Abdullah responds to a question about misgivings in some countries about continuing military aid, arguing that a NATO presence in his country will continue to be helpful and necessary in combating the Taliban and making progress toward a stable society.

 

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