01.20.2022 / Media Advisory
JUST ANNOUNCED: President Biden to deliver a pre-recorded keynote address during Families USA’s Health Action Conference
Speaker Pelosi, HHS Secretary Becerra among the speakers at the health equity, racial justice-focused event
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Families USA announced this morning that President Joe Biden will deliver a pre-recorded keynote address at the 27th annual Health Action Conference. This year’s conference, with a theme of “Health Justice Now” is taking place virtually January 25-26.
Biden has championed broad health care policies aimed at making health care more equitable, accessible, and affordable for America’s families. He has pledged to build on the Affordable Care Act to meet the health care needs created by COVID-19, reduce costs and make sure everyone has the health care they need to improve the lives of every family in America. A centerpiece of his administration’s Build Back Better Act includes historic proposals that would help millions of people in America lead healthier, more productive lives.
The conference’s focus is to energize, inspire and inform advocates from across the country – including those who work on the national, state, and community levels. Participants will learn skills for mobilizing around shared efforts to advance policies that secure affordable, equitable, and high-quality care for all of America’s families, regardless of the color of their skin, what language they speak, the zip code they live in, or how much money they make. Attendees will participate in various sessions and workshops to help them work towards profound policy changes in 2022 and beyond.
WHAT: Families USA’s 2022 Health Action Conference, Health Justice Now
WHEN: January 25-26 (1:00 – 5:00 pm ET each day)
MEDIA REGISTRATION*:
Reporters interested in covering the conference should register here and use the code MEDIA22. Since the event is virtual this year, there is no on-site or day of access for media or general attendees. Registration will close to everyone on Friday, January 21.
*Media registration includes access to all sessions except for those listed as “closed to the press.”
If you have questions or want to interview speakers, please contact Lisa Holland, lholland@familiesusa.org, 202-695-5160.
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS:
See below for an overview of key speakers and sessions. Click here to view the current agenda,
which is still being finalized and is subject to change. New speakers and sessions will be added as
they are confirmed, so please check the agenda regularly.
Tuesday, January 25
Keynote (1:30 – 2:00pm ET)
- President Joe Biden
General Session – Stories of Struggle and Hope in the Fight for Health and Racial Justice
(2:00 – 2:30 pm ET)
In the wake of an unprecedented pandemic and a renewed reckoning with racial injustice, 2021 ushered in monumental policy progress at the state and federal levels – such as reinvesting community resources from policing to healthy communities, declaring racism a public health crisis, and expanding critical safety net programs in ways that were previously declared impossible. As regulatory flexibilities around telemedicine, eviction moratoriums, and other programs sunset in efforts to establish a “new normal,” we must keep the spotlight on the intersections of health and racial justice to ensure continued momentum and progress. In preparing for the challenges ahead, leaders who have been fighting on the front lines of health and racial justice will share perspectives on key questions central to our movement, including:
- What can health advocates learn from racial justice movements?
- How can we harness the power of our communities to ensure that our voices are truly valued and incorporated into a just pandemic recovery?
- How can we maintain our momentum and grow our power in the face of continued injustice and burnout?
Speakers:
- Monica Simpson, SisterSong
- Juliet Choi, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
- Sidney Betancourt, National Low Income Housing Coalition
Workshops/Session 1 (2:45 – 3:30pm ET)
Workshops/Session 2 (3:45 – 4:30pm ET)
Health Justice Advocate of the Year Announcement
(4:40 – 5:00 pm ET)
- Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)
- Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (GA)
- Dr. Laura Guerra-Cardus, Deputy Director of Children’s Defense Fund – Texas, Health Justice Advocate Of The Year award winner
Wednesday, January 26
General Session – View From DC (1:45 – 2:30 pm ET)
The American Rescue Plan and, if enacted, the Build Back Better Act will together represent significant progress for millions of America’s families to improve their health and health coverage in a way that centers health equity. Congress’s work reflects legislation that stands to meet the diverse needs of America’s families in this critical moment in history, putting equity into action and prioritizing major health reforms to improve coverage and affordability. So where do we go from here? This session will feature inspirational federal lawmakers working to advance health and health equity through policies that address access to health coverage and care, maternal and reproductive health, and social drivers of health. This discussion will help reinvigorate advocates in their fight for health justice in 2022, and to better understand how to advance federal policy related to health and health equity, even with a contentious election cycle looming overhead.
Speakers:
- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
- Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
- Representative Sharice L. Davids (KS-03)
- Representative Susan Wild (PA-07)
- Representative Abigail D. Spanberger (VA-07)
- Representative Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-8)
- Senator Sherrod Brown (OH)
Workshops/Session 1 (2:45 – 3:30pm ET)
Workshops/Session 2 (3:45 – 4:30pm ET)
4:40 – 5:00 pm ET:
Fireside Chat with United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra
(Moderated by Frederick Isasi, Families USA)