Meeting with Senator Hagan’s State Director
On May 20th I had the privilege of joining Nicole Fouche, Stetson Clark (both of CARE) and Heather Stein (RESULTS) in a meeting with Melissa Midgett who is the state director for Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina. The group meeting was organized under the umbrella of the North Carolina Coalition for International Advocacy and was an opportunity to introduce Senator Hagan’s local staff to the organizations fighting global poverty that are represented in North Carolina. We highlighted the large 40,000 ONE members and 15,000 CARE members that have a strong interest in legislation and United States leadership in programs designed to fight global poverty and preventable diseases.
The main focus of the meeting, outside of introducing the work being performed by North Carolina citizens, was to raise our concerns about recent comments made by Senator Hagan regarding the International Affairs account. We made a strong case in support of upholding the full increase requested by President Obama for the International Affairs account, including the many benefits to North Carolina that would result from continued support in this arena.
Melissa Midgett indicated that Senator Hagan was in support of President Obama’s budget on a general basis but that she also felt the need to address specific items in an effort to decrease spending which resulted in the Senator’s statement regarding the elimination of the increase to the account. We agreed that fiscal discipline is important, particularly in the current economic climate, but not at the expense of programs which save millions of lives and enhance our national security. Ms. Midgett listened to our concerns and responded in a thoughtful manner. We left a list of “asks” which included:
1. Support the International Affairs Budget at the President’s request of $53.9 billion.
2. Support and co-sponsor the Global Food Security Act of 2009.
The meeting with Senator Hagan’s staff was an excellent opportunity to address specific and current concerns while also introducing the work being performed by North Carolinians in an effort to fight global poverty and preventable disease, and we plan to continue to engage with Senator Hagan in support of this effort.
-Nate Smith, ONE North Carolina
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October 28, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I have heard many alarming things about the new Health Reform Act and as a disabled American, I feel we are being shut off as not being worth anything to the US. I worked 34 years as a RN and I feel I have contributed a lot to his country. Now as a dcisabled American and soon to be a regular Medicare recipient due to my age, I feel people such as myself are being fed to the lions. I heard many years ago that in the future those of us who are old or sick will be disposed of and I could not believe that the US would ever think of anything like that. It appears I was wrong !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those of us who worked ourselves to near exhaustion to make this country what it is are no longer needed!!!!!!!!! My daughter is a mother of 5 who has to stay home and live with me because of their finances will lose her health insurance due to the fact her body index is >32 and she smokes. The Congess and Senate should not allow these types of policies. Do you have any idea how this will impact the number of unisured in the US.She won’t even be able to purchase her medications. Her coverage is through her husband’s work. I just wanted you to know how it seems to some of us.