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Another week, another address. Not surprisingly, this week’s address is on health care reform.
In his weekly address, President Barack Obama praised past and current political leaders from across the spectrum who have come forward to support reform. Doctors, nurses, hospitals, and drug companies have already expressed their support. In the past several days Governor Schwarzenegger, Mayor Bloomberg, former Senate Major Leader Bob Dole, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, among others, have all come forward to say that the status quo is unsustainable and that now is the time to reform the system. They see that this is a not a Democratic or a Republican problem, but an American one in need of a solution.
TRANSCRIPT:
President Obama Praises Emerging Consensus on Health Insurance Reform
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Washington, DC October 10, 2009The historic movement to bring real, meaningful health insurance reform to the American people gathered momentum this week as we approach the final days of this debate. Having worked on this issue for the better part of a year, the Senate Finance Committee is finishing deliberations on their version of a health insurance reform bill that will soon be merged with other reform bills produced by other Congressional committees.
After evaluating the Finance Committee’s bill, the Congressional Budget Office – an office that provides independent, nonpartisan analysis – concluded that the legislation would make coverage affordable for millions of Americans who don’t have it today. It will bring greater security to Americans who have coverage, with new insurance protections. And, by attacking waste and fraud within the system, it will slow the growth in health care costs, without adding a dime to our deficits.
This is another milestone on what has been a long, hard road toward health insurance reform. In recent months, we’ve heard every side of every argument from both sides of the aisle. And rightly so – health insurance reform is a complex and critical issue that deserves a vigorous national debate, and we’ve had one. The approach that is emerging includes the best ideas from Republicans and Democrats, and people across the political spectrum.
In fact, what’s remarkable is not that we’ve had a spirited debate about health insurance reform, but the unprecedented consensus that has come together behind it. This consensus encompasses everyone from doctors and nurses to hospitals and drug manufacturers.
And earlier this week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support of reform, joining two former Republican Senate Majority Leaders: Bob Dole and Dr. Bill Frist, himself a cardiac surgeon. Dr. Louis Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush, supports reform. As does Republican Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. These distinguished leaders understand that health insurance reform isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, but an American issue that demands a solution.
Still, there are some in Washington today who seem determined to play the same old partisan politics, working to score political points, even if it means burdening this country with an unsustainable status quo. A status quo of rising health care costs that are crushing our families, our businesses, and our government. A status quo of diminishing coverage that is denying millions of hardworking Americans the insurance they need. A status quo that gives big insurance companies the power to make arbitrary decisions about your health care. That is a status quo I reject. And that is a status quo the American people reject.
The distinguished former Congressional leaders who urged us to act on health insurance reform spoke of the historic moment at hand and reminded us that this moment will not soon come again. They called on members of both parties seize this opportunity to finally confront a problem that has plagued us for far too long.
That is what we are called to do at this moment. That is the spirit of national purpose that we must summon right now. Now is the time to rise above the politics of the moment. Now is the time to come together as Americans. Now is the time to meet our responsibilities to ourselves and to our children, and secure a better, healthier future for generations to come. That future is within our grasp. So, let’s go finish the job.
4 Comments
He looks happy, he musta had a good day yesterday.
Leadership, please.
If that involves a Peace Prize winner knocking some Blue Dog heads together, so be it.
Obama has no plan, or has given no leadership on Healthcare. Yet He has the bxxxx to get up to the mic and praise what we have in Congress.
Rememeber the Congress set up the insurance based healthcare we have. They refused since the forties to allow national healthcare to even be considered. They wrote the laws, rules, and regulations that have allowed the insurance industry to have the Country over the proverbial barrel.
Now! Obama and us, are waiting to see what the people who made the problems are going to give us under the guise of fixing the problems.
WE must all remember that the Congress made up of the two parties, has caused every problem this Country has. Including the Housing and Banking crisis’s. Not even past Presidents can be blamed for the debt, deficits, wasted spending, and yes even the wars, because thay didn’t, couldn’t, and could not have done anything without the Congress funding these things.
They wrote, and didn’t inforce the laws that caused our problems. They deregulated the businesses that caused our problems. They allowed the Corporations to sell the Country out. They took their money, while they spent ours with no control. These people should all be tried convicted and sentenced for crimes aganst America. Not deciding what they will give us for healthcare with our money. They should not be allowed to run, be re-elected, or even listened to. Yet we, the american people sit back and watch these people do it to us somemore, hoping they will finally do something right.
Whoa! well said; exceptionally well said!