The Health Police Are Here (And You Thought There Wasn’t A Public Option)

On the day that Obama announced $400 million in aid to Gaza, he also signed an executive order under cover of the freedom flotilla dustup and those worthless UN sanctions against Iran (June 10,2010).  (H/T to reader “G” for sending this article my way.)

A new council has been formed which will be handing a report to Obama by July 1st, 2010 (some 16 days from now) to:

(a) describes the activities and efforts on prevention, health promotion, and public health and activities to develop the national strategy conducted by the Council during the period for which the report is prepared;

for this purpose:

(a) provide coordination and leadership at the Federal level, and among all executive departments and agencies, with respect to prevention, wellness, and health promotion practices, the public health system, and integrative health care in the United States;

and is meant to:

(c) contains a list of national priorities on health promotion and disease prevention to address lifestyle behavior modification (including smoking cessation, proper nutrition, appropriate exercise, mental health, behavioral health, substance-use disorder, and domestic violence screenings) and the prevention measures for the five leading disease killers in the United States;

I find the inclusion of the Department of Homeland Security as part of a council on health issues to be very interesting.  I also find the fact that the reports are to be submitted annually until January 1, 2015 to be very curious.  What happens then?

Warning: the link below goes straight to WhiteHouse.gov.  All emphasis is completely mine and meant to help skimmers.

Executive Order– Establishing the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 10, 2010

THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 10, 2010

Executive Order– Establishing the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council

EXECUTIVE ORDER

ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL PREVENTION, HEALTH PROMOTION, AND PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 4001 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment. There is established within the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council (Council).

Sec. 2. Membership.

(a) The Surgeon General shall serve as the Chair of the Council, which shall be composed of:

(1) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(2) the Secretary of Labor;
(3) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(4) the Secretary of Transportation;
(5) the Secretary of Education;
(6) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
(7) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(8) the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission;
(9) the Director of National Drug Control Policy;
(10) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council;
(11) the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs;
(12) the Chairman of the Corporation for National and Community Service; and
(13) the head of any other executive department or agency that the Chair may, from time to time, determine is appropriate.

(more…)