Dr. Brian H. Williams: Should more doctors run for Congress?
Author of 'The Bodies Keep Coming' is running for a seat in the House of Representatives to replace Rep. Colin Allred
For voters who prioritize health-related causes as their deal-breaker in the next election, there are a lot of topics to cover:
Casgevy and Lyfgenia, the first cell-based gene therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD) treatment in patients 12 years and older
Average monthly premium for the benchmark Silver Plan in 2024 rising by 4% in the 32 states participating in the federal exchange
Imposed bans and restrictions on abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol
Parents opting out of state-required vaccination rules for measles
One in five respondents (in one survey) using CBD in the past year regardless of very little clinical information
Black women in the U.S. nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy or delivery compared to any other race
And the health list goes on.
But while 50 senators and 435 members of the House of Representatives regularly vote on health topics, how many actually KNOW about any of these topics from an expert perspective? Why is it less than 20?
This question is one of a few reasons why I’m especially interested in Brian Williams, an Air Force veteran who completed his medical residency at Harvard before working at Parkland Memorial Hospital, and is now running for the House of Representatives. He intends to replace Democrat Rep. Colin Allred (Texas).
According to Axios, he’s especially interested in unaffordable health care coverage, environmental issues and why "reproductive rights are under attack."
Then there’s the issue of gun control. While current members of Congress bicker back and forth about their views on mass shootings and the Second Amendment, Williams has a more personal and professional take.
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In a University of Chicago report, on July 7, 2016, a man ambushed and shot at a group of police officers, killing five and injuring nine others. Seven of the wounded officers were transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Williams was the only African-American trauma surgeon on call that night out of a team of 12.
If he wins his seat in the House of Elections, according to Essence, he’ll be the first African-American medical doctor with voting power next year. As much as I respect the historical significance of him being an African-American doctor who knows his way around a surgery table, I’m more intrigued by his lived experience and what he can offer to Congress that less than 20 other members can.