News from the AOA's Blog

With the election of John Boozman, O.D., (R-Ark) as the first Doctor of Optometry in the U.S. Senate, optometry was without a doubt a powerful force. AOA-PAC, hundreds of optometrists from across Arkansas and thousands more from across the country actively backed Dr. Boozman’s bid to represent Arkansas in the U.S. Senate. But, in other areas of the country, optometry had an equally powerful impact on Election Day 2010.

Concerned ODs and optometry students from across the nation actively supported other pro-optometry candidates for the U.S. Congress, as well as for governorships and state legislatures.

To view full election coverage, including U.S. Senate and House of Representatives races as well as a report from the states, read the “Day After Report” on the 2010 Midterm Election, by following http://ow.ly/38sqK. Additionally, optometry’s nationwide grassroots efforts were bolstered by AOA-PAC. For this election, AOA members invested more than ever before in AOA-PAC – nearly $2.0 million dollars – to back the campaigns of 329 winning candidates out of 363 endorsed for Congress (producing a 90 percent success rate). To view the 329 winning candidates backed by AOA-PAC, visit http://www.aoa.org/x11211.xml.

Now, optometry is well-positioned to work closely with the new 112th Congress – which will have a narrow Democratic majority in the Senate and flip to a solid Republican majority in the House – to help ensure the new Congress is the most pro-optometry ever.

Across the nation, optometrists now holding elective office in state legislatures also turned-out some impressive wins on election night. Optometrist legislators in nine of the 14 states where they currently hold office were up for re-election and all nine won their races.

One such leading OD legislator successfully securing re-election was Rep. Steven D. Tilley, O.D. (R-Mo.), who currently serves as Missouri House Majority Leader and will become Speaker of the House in 2011.

In the coming weeks and months, the AOA will reinforce its commitment to safeguard patient access gains, solidify comprehensive vision and eye health care as an essential health benefit, especially for America’s children, and assert optometry’s rightful role as providers of primary care. However, organized medicine and the insurance industry and others have a very different plan for optometry’s future. In fact, organized medicine has publicly vowed to devote massive resources toward repealing the Harkin Amendment – the first-ever national standard of provider non-discrimination. For more about organized medicine’s growing campaign, visit http://newsfromaoa.org/2010/08/18/organized-medicine-declares-war-on-harkin-amendment/  

To continue to be heeded at this critical moment, it is clear that optometry must do even more to take its proactive, pro-access and pro-patient message directly to both newly elected and re-elected leaders in Congress.

Without a doubt, optometry’s impressive wins thus far could not have been achieved without the work of thousands of dedicated OD and student volunteers. But, it is also clear that continued OD and student involvement will be the key to optometry’s future success.

For more information on these critical issues or to find out how to become more involved in federal advocacy, contact the AOA Washington office directly at ImpactWashingtonDC@aoa.org.