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ACC students are preparing to take part in a mock congressional hearing on healthcare reform legislation this Saturday, February 13, at the Texas Capitol. The event, sponsored by ACC’s Center for Public Policy & Political Studies (CPPPS), the Center for Student Political Studies (CSPS) club, and other organizations, will feature ACC and UT students filling the roles of Democratic and Republican members of Congress. They will hear expert testimony on the issues of primary care expansion, patient safety, hospital staffing, and healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured.
Members of the public and the media are invited to observe the hearing.
“This is a unique opportunity for the students involved to learn about the legislative process while also having an objective and factual debate about some of the issues involved in healthcare reform,” says Peck Young, CPPPS director. “For those who come to watch, it will be an informative and interesting program.”
The National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC) and Dr. Ray Marshall, professor emeritus at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and former U.S. Secretary of Labor, helped select the topics of the debate. In addition, students learned about hearing procedures in anticipation of the event from lobbyist Mike Kelly and ACC Professor of History /CSPS Faculty advisor, Dr. David Lauderback. Dr. William Sage, vice provost for health affairs at the UT School of Law, joined the NNOC in providing healthcare information to the students.
“Healthcare is an issue that affects every person and every business in Texas,” says Sage. “I hope that this workshop, and similar collaborations between institutions of higher education and among academic disciplines, will help our students better understand government and inspire them to public service.”
The mock hearing begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 13 at the House Appropriation Committee Room (Capitol Extension room E1.030; the State Capitol is located at the intersection of 11th & Congress).
For more information, please contact Carla Jackson, associate director of the CPPPS, at [email protected] or 223-7049.
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