During a speech at the White House on Wednesday, President Barack Obama hinted at the possibility that congressional Democrats would soon be obliged to play the reconciliation card to ensure that health care reform legislation reaches the finish line and he pushed Congress to “finish its work”—as in pronto—on that crucial and contentious issue. —KA
The Washington Post:
Forging ahead despite the GOP objections, Obama defended health-care reform as crucial to American families and businesses. He said his proposal, projected to cost at least $950 billion over 10 years, would lower skyrocketing costs and end abuses by insurance companies, including discrimination against people with preexisting conditions.
He emphatically rejected Republican demands to abandon existing proposals and “start over” with an incremental approach.
Flanked by doctors and nurses in white coats, Obama said, “I do not see how another year of negotiations would help. Moreover, the insurance companies aren’t starting over. They are continuing to raise premiums and deny coverage as we speak. For us to start over now could simply lead to delay that could last for another decade or even more. The American people and the U.S. economy just can’t wait that long.”
Declaring that “it’s time to give the American people more control over their own health insurance,” he said his proposal represents “an approach that has been debated and changed and, I believe, improved over the last year.” He said it “incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans,” including some that GOP participants offered during last week’s “health-care summit,” such as funding state grants on medical malpractice reform and curbing waste, fraud and abuse in the health-care system.
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Marching in Chicago: Resisting Rahm Emanuel’s Neoliberal Savagery
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By Samson, March 6, 2010 at 3:32 pm Link to this comment
Obama to Congress
“Hey, corporate America has paid good money for this bill. Get to work and do what they want.”
Report thisBy Squeeky, March 5, 2010 at 2:08 am Link to this comment
Joe,
While I agree that a regular diaper change (congress) is necessary, I continue to think that talk about defecits, while it does exist, is merely another talking point. As long as the dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, america continues to wield global financial muscle, and america still remains china’s largest market, I think that the defecit becomes an academic exercise.
Report thisBy Joe Mecus, March 4, 2010 at 3:28 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Obama is full of you know what, and if you want to get rid of the deficit in 5 years get rid of Congress for 5 years and our deficit will be 0 then we will be able to afford what we need.
Report thisBy Squeeky, March 4, 2010 at 4:08 am Link to this comment
Only in America can we screw up something as important as health care.
Report thisBy samosamo, March 3, 2010 at 4:47 pm Link to this comment
If it still mandates paying a private corporation, then it needs to
Report thisbe ditched, NO MORE CORPORATE WELFARE!!!!!!!
By LostHills, March 3, 2010 at 4:22 pm Link to this comment
It’s a betrayal of liberal voters and a naked attack on the working class.
Report thisBy John Kace, March 3, 2010 at 3:11 pm Link to this comment
Put 95 billion dollars a year in the bank for the next ten years and if in ten years you can show a 950 billion dollar balance in a savings account I’ll listen.
Report thisBy Vic Anderson, March 3, 2010 at 2:40 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
More execrable Barackabuki. NOT single-payer as (He) PROMISED!
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