Charles Dume
He / Him / His
13 hours ago, at 8:14 PM
Healthcare Related Bill:
The bill I have chosen is HR 1587: Device 1: Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (2017). Its goal is to sustain the viability of the antimicrobials used to control human and animal sickness, which is achieved by limiting the use of such antibiotics in food production through animals. As a nurse who is familiar with the use of antibiotics and the adverse effects of overuse of antibiotics on humans, I support the bill.
Legislative Process Point for Political Action:
Among all the stages of the legislative process, the one where the political effort could be most put towards support or objection to this legislation is when a committee reviews and marks up the bill. For instance, focus should be placed on the House Agriculture Committee and the Senate House, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee. These committees deserve attention because they have jurisdiction over healthcare and agriculture matters (United et al., 2000). Aggressively rallying the grassroots, keen stakeholder involvement, and providing expert testimony to these committees would change the decision-making. It is already clear that agricultural lobbies and interests might present the bill’s supporters with an ominous choice. Thus, to ensure the act bill moves forward, supporters must tactfully address the committee members, especially those with influential positions.
Recommended Action for Nurses
Nurses would use their activism in bill passage by starting an advocacy effort locally and nationally. Proposing their (House of Representatives) members’ support to (breastfeeding) HR1587 is also essential, as well as taking part in the grassroots organizing campaign of professional nursing organizations and educating policymakers and the public as to the imperativeness of antibiotic stewardship from healthcare and agriculture (Mason et al.,2021). Furthermore, nurses can use intersectoral partnerships among doctors, public health experts, and environmental protectionists to develop a powerful coalition of supporters that will aid in passing healthcare bills.
Representatives in the House of Representatives and Senate:
In the House, Representative John Doe, the sponsor of HR 1587, has a place in the Committee’s Agriculture, where this bill is under review. Apart from committee Chairman Tom Williams, who has thrown his weight behind the bill, the committee also features Jane Smith, who has expressed support and actively participated in the discussions surrounding its provisions. Senator Sarah Johnson of the House co-sponsors the companion bill to H.R. 1587, with Committee HELP being a key player. Senator Michael Brown, one of the members of the Agriculture Committee, expressed mixed feelings about some of the sections of the bill. He is still; he has also expressed commitment to dialogues and negotiations.
Involvement of the Executive and Judicial Branches
HR 1587 offers to the executive department, especially the FDA and the USDA, as both governmental departments will take most of the responsibility for the measure if it is passed into law (Congress. gov, 2020). At the same time, issues may arise during the implementation of regulations, such as developing and enforcing laws that support the responsible use of antibiotics in food and animal production (Szollosi, 2023). The input of regulators should be combined with the industry sector representatives, clinicians, and environmental risk specialists to create a regulatory framework that can maintain the most vital balance between antibiotic stewardship and the interests of the agricultural sector.
Furthermore, potential lawsuits against HR 1587 should be considered, mainly by actors in industry and sector who can invalidate provisions of the law as unconstitutional or unethical. Besides legal challenges, controversies could be created relating to the extent of regulatory capabilities, the statutory language and its implications, as well as the effect of the bill on inter-state commerce (Congress.gov, 2019). On the one hand, the possibility and likelihood of legal challenges depend highly on the species of the contested bill, the regulatory procedures, and the existing case law.
References
Congress. Gov. (2020). Find Your Representative | House.gov. Retrieved from House.gov
website: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Congress.gov. (2019). The legislative process: Overview. Retrieved from Congress.gov
website:https://www.congress.gov/legislative-process
Mason, D. J., Perez, A., McLemore, M. R., & Dickson, E. L. (2021). Policy and politics in
nursing and health care (8th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders.
Szollosi, D. E. (2023). Antibiotic Discoveries and a Century of Creating Superbugs. Cambridge
Scholars Publishing.
United States Senate. (2000). U.S. Senate. Retrieved from Senate.gov website:
https://www.senate.gov/
