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Bioethics since 1983

John D. Lantos

stop selling out our children

July 19, 2017 · John Lantos · 3 min

About this recording

An archived video recording featuring John D. Lantos from John Lantos.

Format
Video recording · 3 min
Recorded or aired
July 19, 2017
Institution or outlet
YouTube / John Lantos
Archive identifier
V039
Speaker
John D. Lantos, MD

Transcript

11 passages

  1. 00:06

    Dr. John Lantos

    Hi, Congressman Yoder. My name is John Lantos. I am a pediatrician, and I live in your district. I've tried to talk to you a couple of times at recent town hall meetings, but you didn't show up. Oh, I know. You're busy. After all, you needed time to vote to repeal Obamacare 47 times. I

  2. 00:26

    Dr. John Lantos

    want to

  3. 00:26

    Dr. John Lantos

    talk to you about the kids who I take care of right here in Kansas. And I've spent my life taking care of kids with diseases like asthma, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, sickle cell disease, cerebral palsy. And let me tell you something, these kids can do great. They are really tough. Their parents are heroes. Their brothers and sisters pitch in. The families are an inspiration to me and everybody I work with in pediatrics. We all know one thing, they can't do it alone. They need help. Many of them get their medical care through Medicaid. In fact, 210,000 children in Kansas depend on Medicaid for their health care. Medicaid is especially important to the kids with the most serious chronic health problems. And that's about 20% of kids, over 100,000 in Kansas alone. Chronic care for a sick child is expensive. Sometimes parents have to quit their jobs just to take care of their kids. Because they stay home to take care of their kids, they get fired. Your health care reform bill spits in their face.

  4. 01:42

    Dr. John Lantos

    So here's my question. If you care about kids, why vote to cut the budget for Medicaid, the program they depend on the most, by almost a trillion dollars? That's trillion with a T. Why spit in the face of these poor kids and their families? Here's my question. If you care about kids, why not support the program that most people, including many Republican governors, think is essential to provide good care?

  5. 02:13

    Dr. John Lantos

    Kevin, even President Trump

  6. 02:16

    Dr. John Lantos

    called your

  7. 02:16

    Dr. John Lantos

    health care

  8. 02:17

    Dr. John Lantos

    bill mean. Your bill will hurt children, and it will hurt our wonderful children's hospitals. It will cause many, many families to go bankrupt.

  9. 02:31

    Dr. John Lantos

    Look, I'm not a politician. I'm not running for office. I'm a baby doctor.

  10. 02:36

    Dr. John Lantos

    I've been caring for and fighting for kids and families all my life. I have to keep fighting, especially when they're up against bullies like you. We need a congressman who cares about children and families in Kansas,

  11. 02:52

    Dr. John Lantos

    not one who sells them out.