http://www.healthreform.gov/index.html
The U.S. Senate has narrowly voted to hold a full debate on a landmark bill designed to overhaul the country's healthcare.
All 58 Democrats, plus two independent senators, approved it. All but one of 40 Republican senators voted against.
Two Democratic senators whose support had been in doubt earlier said they would back the package, a key election pledge of President Barack Obama.
The White House said President Obama was "gratified" by the result.
From The Atlantic:
When I reached Jonathan Gruber on Thursday, he was working his way, page by laborious page, through the mammoth health care bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had unveiled just a few hours earlier. Gruber is a leading health economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is consulted by politicians in both parties..."I'm sort of a known skeptic on this stuff," Gruber told me. "My summary is it's really hard to figure out how to bend the cost curve, but I can't think of a thing to try that they didn't try. They really make the best effort anyone has ever made. Everything is in here....I can't think of anything I'd do that they are not doing in the bill. You couldn't have done better than they are doing..."The attempt in all these ideas to nudge the medical system away from fee-for-service medicine toward an approach that ties compensation more closely to results captures how much the health care debate has shifted toward cost-control. So far, the rise in health care spending has proven almost invulnerable to every previous attempt to tame it, like the managed care revolution in the 1990s. Even if Obama signs into law a final bill embodying all these reform proposals, many skeptics wonder if they can bend, much less break, the seemingly inexorable increase in health care spending. Reischauer understands that skepticism, but isn't able to entirely suppress a kernel of optimism that this latest reform agenda may prove more effective than its predecessors. "One never knows whether we're turning the corner or if this is just playing the same old game for another inning," he says. "But I sense there's something different out there. I think the medical profession and its leaders have read the handwriting on the wall and are trying to evolve." If so, the ideas the Senate will begin voting on tonight could mark a milestone in that journey.
When I reached Jonathan Gruber on Thursday, he was working his way, page by laborious page, through the mammoth health care bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had unveiled just a few hours earlier. Gruber is a leading health economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is consulted by politicians in both parties...
"I'm sort of a known skeptic on this stuff," Gruber told me. "My summary is it's really hard to figure out how to bend the cost curve, but I can't think of a thing to try that they didn't try. They really make the best effort anyone has ever made. Everything is in here....I can't think of anything I'd do that they are not doing in the bill. You couldn't have done better than they are doing..."
The attempt in all these ideas to nudge the medical system away from fee-for-service medicine toward an approach that ties compensation more closely to results captures how much the health care debate has shifted toward cost-control. So far, the rise in health care spending has proven almost invulnerable to every previous attempt to tame it, like the managed care revolution in the 1990s. Even if Obama signs into law a final bill embodying all these reform proposals, many skeptics wonder if they can bend, much less break, the seemingly inexorable increase in health care spending. Reischauer understands that skepticism, but isn't able to entirely suppress a kernel of optimism that this latest reform agenda may prove more effective than its predecessors. "One never knows whether we're turning the corner or if this is just playing the same old game for another inning," he says. "But I sense there's something different out there. I think the medical profession and its leaders have read the handwriting on the wall and are trying to evolve." If so, the ideas the Senate will begin voting on tonight could mark a milestone in that journey.
From the Washington Post:
The Senate voted along party lines Saturday night to overcome a Republican filibuster and bring to the floor a bill that would overhaul the nation's health-care system...The 60 to 39 vote marks a milestone in the decades-old quest for health-care reform, President Obama's top legislative priority. "The road to this point has been started many times," Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid said before the vote. "It has never been completed." The debate is expected to last weeks. Reid is aiming for final passage by Christmas. "We know not all 60 senators in my caucus agree on every aspect of this bill," Reid told reporters. "But they agree on the vast, vast majority." The Senate bill would provide coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans by vastly expanding Medicaid and creating insurance "exchanges" for individuals who do not have access to affordable coverage through their employers. For the first time, it would require most people to carry health coverage, although families with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level would receive subsidies to buy policies. The legislation would also force widespread changes to the insurance industry to end discriminatory practices, including the rejection of coverage based on preexisting conditions. It would provide new incentives to encourage disease prevention and to institute the most effective treatments for chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma...
The Senate voted along party lines Saturday night to overcome a Republican filibuster and bring to the floor a bill that would overhaul the nation's health-care system...
The 60 to 39 vote marks a milestone in the decades-old quest for health-care reform, President Obama's top legislative priority. "The road to this point has been started many times," Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid said before the vote. "It has never been completed." The debate is expected to last weeks. Reid is aiming for final passage by Christmas.
"We know not all 60 senators in my caucus agree on every aspect of this bill," Reid told reporters. "But they agree on the vast, vast majority."
The Senate bill would provide coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans by vastly expanding Medicaid and creating insurance "exchanges" for individuals who do not have access to affordable coverage through their employers. For the first time, it would require most people to carry health coverage, although families with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level would receive subsidies to buy policies.
The legislation would also force widespread changes to the insurance industry to end discriminatory practices, including the rejection of coverage based on preexisting conditions. It would provide new incentives to encourage disease prevention and to institute the most effective treatments for chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/20/weekly-address-traveling-abroad-our-economy-home
In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world. He talks about promoting America's principles for an open society in China while making progress on joint efforts to combat climate change. And talks in-depth about the primary objective of his trip: engaging in new markets that hold tremendous potential to spur job creation here at home.
Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (128MB) | mp3 (4MB)
http://advocacy.barackobama.com/healthcare/campaigns/14/call_scripts/39/call_sessions/new?source=20091120_vic
It's time to leap into action and call our Senators: http://my.barackobama.com/SenateVote
We need to thank those who have fought so hard to get us this far, and remind them all that their constituents support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and want a fair and honest debate without delay.
http://my.barackobama.com/SenateVote
From Mitch Stewart:
On Wednesday night, Senate leadership unveiled their final health reform package. It's a great bill that accomplishes President Obama's core goals for reform: provide more security for those who have insurance, guarantee affordable coverage options for those who don't, and rein in the cost of care for American businesses and families.And it accomplishes all of this while reducing the deficit by as much as $777 billion over the next 20 years.Now, we're in the final sprint toward reform, and the next challenge is already here.Today, senators are listening carefully to see how constituents react to the bill and how we want them to proceed. So it's our job to make sure they hear quickly and unmistakably: Move forward!On Saturday, the Senate faces a close vote on whether or not to begin debate, so it's critical to weigh in right away. Click here to call your senators now.Just tell whomever answers the phone where you live and that you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- and want the Senate to begin discussing it right away.After you've called, click here to tell us how it went:http://my.barackobama.com/SenateVoteMany senators have worked tirelessly to get us this far, and they deserve our thanks. But it is crucial that every senator knows that we are counting on them to stand up to the insurance industry and support reform -- and that we will be right there standing with them.We're getting so close, and your incredible work is a big part of why we've been successful so far. Let's keep it up and get this job done.Thanks,MitchMitch StewartDirectorOrganizing for America
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/16/full-video-and-photos-presidents-town-hall-shanghai
It was around midnight in Washington, D.C., and early afternoon in Shanghai when the President began an historic town hall in China. Taking tough and straightforward questions from Chinese students, and solicted from across China via the internet, the President discussed everything from Taiwan to the role of women in society to open government. Read through all of the exchanges in the full transcript.
In his extensive and probing opening remarks, the President related America's history, triumphing over tragedy and difficulty, to China's own story:
Of course, the story of our nation is not without its difficult chapters. In many ways -- over many years -- we have struggled to advance the promise of these principles to all of our people, and to forge a more perfect union. We fought a very painful civil war, and freed a portion of our population from slavery. It took time for women to be extended the right to vote, workers to win the right to organize, and for immigrants from different corners of the globe to be fully embraced. Even after they were freed, African Americans persevered through conditions that were separate and not equal, before winning full and equal rights.None of this was easy. But we made progress because of our belief in those core principles, which have served as our compass through the darkest of storms. That is why Lincoln could stand up in the midst of civil war and declare it a struggle to see whether any nation, conceived in liberty, and "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" could long endure. That is why Dr. Martin Luther King could stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and ask that our nation live out the true meaning of its creed. That's why immigrants from China to Kenya could find a home on our shores; why opportunity is available to all who would work for it; and why someone like me, who less than 50 years ago would have had trouble voting in some parts of America, is now able to serve as its President.And that is why America will always speak out for these core principles around the world. We do not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation, but we also don't believe that the principles that we stand for are unique to our nation. These freedoms of expression and worship -- of access to information and political participation -- we believe are universal rights. They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities -- whether they are in the United States, China, or any nation. Indeed, it is that respect for universal rights that guides America's openness to other countries; our respect for different cultures; our commitment to international law; and our faith in the future.These are all things that you should know about America. I also know that we have much to learn about China. Looking around at this magnificent city -- and looking around this room -- I do believe that our nations hold something important in common, and that is a belief in the future. Neither the United States nor China is content to rest on our achievements. For while China is an ancient nation, you are also clearly looking ahead with confidence, ambition, and a commitment to see that tomorrow's generation can do better than today's.In addition to your growing economy, we admire China's extraordinary commitment to science and research -- a commitment borne out in everything from the infrastructure you build to the technology you use. China is now the world's largest Internet user -- which is why we were so pleased to include the Internet as a part of today's event. This country now has the world's largest mobile phone network, and it is investing in the new forms of energy that can both sustain growth and combat climate change -- and I'm looking forward to deepening the partnership between the United States and China in this critical area tomorrow. But above all, I see China's future in you -- young people whose talent and dedication and dreams will do so much to help shape the 21st century.I've said many times that I believe that our world is now fundamentally interconnected. The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the environment we protect, the security that we seek -- all of these things are shared. And given that interconnection, power in the 21st century is no longer a zero-sum game; one country's success need not come at the expense of another. And that is why the United States insists we do not seek to contain China's rise. On the contrary, we welcome China as a strong and prosperous and successful member of the community of nations -- a China that draws on the rights, strengths, and creativity of individual Chinese like you.To return to the proverb -- consider the past. We know that more is to be gained when great powers cooperate than when they collide. That is a lesson that human beings have learned time and again, and that is the example of the history between our nations. And I believe strongly that cooperation must go beyond our government. It must be rooted in our people -- in the studies we share, the business that we do, the knowledge that we gain, and even in the sports that we play. And these bridges must be built by young men and women just like you and your counterparts in America.Download mp3 (53MB)
Of course, the story of our nation is not without its difficult chapters. In many ways -- over many years -- we have struggled to advance the promise of these principles to all of our people, and to forge a more perfect union. We fought a very painful civil war, and freed a portion of our population from slavery. It took time for women to be extended the right to vote, workers to win the right to organize, and for immigrants from different corners of the globe to be fully embraced. Even after they were freed, African Americans persevered through conditions that were separate and not equal, before winning full and equal rights.
None of this was easy. But we made progress because of our belief in those core principles, which have served as our compass through the darkest of storms. That is why Lincoln could stand up in the midst of civil war and declare it a struggle to see whether any nation, conceived in liberty, and "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" could long endure. That is why Dr. Martin Luther King could stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and ask that our nation live out the true meaning of its creed. That's why immigrants from China to Kenya could find a home on our shores; why opportunity is available to all who would work for it; and why someone like me, who less than 50 years ago would have had trouble voting in some parts of America, is now able to serve as its President.
And that is why America will always speak out for these core principles around the world. We do not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation, but we also don't believe that the principles that we stand for are unique to our nation. These freedoms of expression and worship -- of access to information and political participation -- we believe are universal rights. They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities -- whether they are in the United States, China, or any nation. Indeed, it is that respect for universal rights that guides America's openness to other countries; our respect for different cultures; our commitment to international law; and our faith in the future.
These are all things that you should know about America. I also know that we have much to learn about China. Looking around at this magnificent city -- and looking around this room -- I do believe that our nations hold something important in common, and that is a belief in the future. Neither the United States nor China is content to rest on our achievements. For while China is an ancient nation, you are also clearly looking ahead with confidence, ambition, and a commitment to see that tomorrow's generation can do better than today's.
In addition to your growing economy, we admire China's extraordinary commitment to science and research -- a commitment borne out in everything from the infrastructure you build to the technology you use. China is now the world's largest Internet user -- which is why we were so pleased to include the Internet as a part of today's event. This country now has the world's largest mobile phone network, and it is investing in the new forms of energy that can both sustain growth and combat climate change -- and I'm looking forward to deepening the partnership between the United States and China in this critical area tomorrow. But above all, I see China's future in you -- young people whose talent and dedication and dreams will do so much to help shape the 21st century.
I've said many times that I believe that our world is now fundamentally interconnected. The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the environment we protect, the security that we seek -- all of these things are shared. And given that interconnection, power in the 21st century is no longer a zero-sum game; one country's success need not come at the expense of another. And that is why the United States insists we do not seek to contain China's rise. On the contrary, we welcome China as a strong and prosperous and successful member of the community of nations -- a China that draws on the rights, strengths, and creativity of individual Chinese like you.
To return to the proverb -- consider the past. We know that more is to be gained when great powers cooperate than when they collide. That is a lesson that human beings have learned time and again, and that is the example of the history between our nations. And I believe strongly that cooperation must go beyond our government. It must be rooted in our people -- in the studies we share, the business that we do, the knowledge that we gain, and even in the sports that we play. And these bridges must be built by young men and women just like you and your counterparts in America.
Download mp3 (53MB)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/14/power-india-jobs-us
Before joining President Obama in China on Monday, I am visiting India, another crucial partner for the United States as we meet the challenge of climate change and help speed the transition to a clean energy economy.
India has three times as many citizens as the United States but consumes just 15 percent as much electricity. But in the coming decades, India is likely to become the third largest energy consumer in the world, following China and the United States. In a "business as usual" future, India's demand of coal will be 60% higher than projected its domestic production. The demand for oil could be 10 times the domestic supply.
The number of vehicles in India will rise from 100 million today to 380 million by 2030, and the number of buildings – measured in square meters of floor space – will be five times what it is today.
These statistics make it all the more important that we invest in technologies like more energy efficient buildings, electric and hybrid cars, and renewable energy like wind and solar. Quite simply, we have a shared interest in ensuring that India's growth is clean and sustainable. There are tremendous opportunities for partnerships in clean energy that we've only just begun to explore.
For example, India could emerge as a major export destination for solar panels and wind turbine components manufactured in the United States.
Roughly 40 percent of India’s citizens currently go without electricity. Small wind farms and solar panels could be an ideal solution, particularly for remote and rural areas that can’t connect to the power grid. These intermittent energy sources could yield a steady, reliable flow of electricity with the help of advanced batteries currently being developed in the United States with the support of the Department of Energy. This would open up new economic opportunities in both our countries.
These are just a couple examples of how moving to a clean energy economy makes good business sense. We need a new industrial revolution in the United States and around the world. America can and should lead the way.
Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy
"Well, we have come to call each other Barack and Yukio," said Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan in a joint press conference after the first meetings of President Obama's trip to Asia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8357561.stm
President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama have agreed on the need to renew their two countries' strained alliance.
Mr Obama told reporters after talks in Tokyo that their bond was based on shared values and interests but should be renewed for the 21st Century.
Mr Hatoyama said that, after 50 years, the alliance had to adapt to change.
Mr Obama's first Asian tour as US leader is aimed at reassuring key allies and boosting economic growth.
He has called for a growth strategy "that is both balanced and broadly shared".
His eight-day tour will take him to Singapore, China and South Korea and includes an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/13/united-states-and-asia-inextricably-linked
Shortly after the House of Representatives concluded tonight's vote on health insurance reform, President Obama released the following statement:
Tonight, in an historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare. And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will, and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/07/history-house-debates-health-reform
Today the House reaches another major milestone in the effort to pass health insurance reform, and effort decades in the making.
Predictably, opponents of reform are taking their misleading claims to new heights. For example, they claim that CEA Chair Christina Romer has said that reform would cost millions of jobs. This is flatly false, as demonstrated by the independent watchdog Politifact and Romer's own statement.
Opponents of reform have also manufactured a chart attempting to depict reform as some sort of maze of bureaucracy. This is also false. Here is a chart that accurately reflects the President's plan:
This is not a time for such deception, however predictable it may be. As the President made clear in remarks after his meeting on Capitol Hill today, this vote marks an important moment in history:
Good afternoon, everybody. I just want to say a few words about the landmark vote that the House of Representatives is poised to take today -- a vote that can bring us one step closer to making real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.For the better part of a year now, members of the House and the Senate have been working diligently and constructively to craft legislation that will benefit millions of American families and millions of American businesses who urgently need it. For the first time ever, they've passed bills through every single committee responsible for reform. They've brought us closer than we have ever been to passing health insurance reform on behalf of the American people.Now is the time to finish the job. The bill that the House has produced will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don't; and lower costs for American families and American businesses. And as I've insisted from the beginning, it is a bill that is fully paid for and will actually reduce our long-term federal deficit.This bill is change that the American people urgently need. Don't just take my word for it. Consider the national groups who've come out in support of this bill on behalf of their members: The Consumers Union supports it because it will create -- and I quote -- "a more secure, affordable health care system for the American people." The American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association support it on behalf of doctors and nurses and medical professionals who know firsthand what's broken in our current system, and who see what happens when their patients can't get the care they need because of insurance industry bureaucracies.The National Farmers Union supports this bill because it will control costs for farmers and ranchers, and address the unique challenges rural Americans face when it comes to receiving quality care.And the AARP supports it because it will achieve the goal for which the AARP has been fighting for decades -- reducing the cost of health care, expanding coverage for America's seniors, and strengthening Medicare for the long haul.Now, no bill can ever contain everything that everybody wants, or please every constituency and every district. That's an impossible task. But what is possible, what's in our grasp right now is the chance to prevent a future where every day 14,000 Americans continue to lose their health insurance, and every year 18,000 Americans die because they don't have it; a future where crushing costs keep small businesses from succeeding and big businesses from competing in the global economy; a future where countless dreams are deferred or scaled back because of a broken system we could have fixed when we had the chance.What we can do right now is choose a better future and pass a bill that brings us to the very cusp of building what so many generations of Americans have sought to build -- a better health care system for this country.Millions of Americans are watching right now. Their families and their businesses are counting on us. After all, this is why they sent us here, to finally confront the challenges that Washington had been putting off for decades -- to make their lives better, to leave this country stronger than we found it. I just came from the Hill where I talked to the members of Congress there, and I reminded them that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation. Most public servants pass through their entire careers without a chance to make as important a difference in the lives of their constituents and the life of this country. This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us -- even when it's hard; especially when it's hard. This is our moment to deliver.I urge members of Congress to rise to this moment. Answer the call of history, and vote yes for health insurance reform for America.Thanks. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/07/history-house-debates-health-reform
Good afternoon, everybody. I just want to say a few words about the landmark vote that the House of Representatives is poised to take today -- a vote that can bring us one step closer to making real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.
For the better part of a year now, members of the House and the Senate have been working diligently and constructively to craft legislation that will benefit millions of American families and millions of American businesses who urgently need it. For the first time ever, they've passed bills through every single committee responsible for reform. They've brought us closer than we have ever been to passing health insurance reform on behalf of the American people.
Now is the time to finish the job. The bill that the House has produced will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don't; and lower costs for American families and American businesses. And as I've insisted from the beginning, it is a bill that is fully paid for and will actually reduce our long-term federal deficit.
This bill is change that the American people urgently need. Don't just take my word for it. Consider the national groups who've come out in support of this bill on behalf of their members: The Consumers Union supports it because it will create -- and I quote -- "a more secure, affordable health care system for the American people."
The American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association support it on behalf of doctors and nurses and medical professionals who know firsthand what's broken in our current system, and who see what happens when their patients can't get the care they need because of insurance industry bureaucracies.
The National Farmers Union supports this bill because it will control costs for farmers and ranchers, and address the unique challenges rural Americans face when it comes to receiving quality care.
And the AARP supports it because it will achieve the goal for which the AARP has been fighting for decades -- reducing the cost of health care, expanding coverage for America's seniors, and strengthening Medicare for the long haul.
Now, no bill can ever contain everything that everybody wants, or please every constituency and every district. That's an impossible task. But what is possible, what's in our grasp right now is the chance to prevent a future where every day 14,000 Americans continue to lose their health insurance, and every year 18,000 Americans die because they don't have it; a future where crushing costs keep small businesses from succeeding and big businesses from competing in the global economy; a future where countless dreams are deferred or scaled back because of a broken system we could have fixed when we had the chance.
What we can do right now is choose a better future and pass a bill that brings us to the very cusp of building what so many generations of Americans have sought to build -- a better health care system for this country.
Millions of Americans are watching right now. Their families and their businesses are counting on us. After all, this is why they sent us here, to finally confront the challenges that Washington had been putting off for decades -- to make their lives better, to leave this country stronger than we found it.
I just came from the Hill where I talked to the members of Congress there, and I reminded them that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation. Most public servants pass through their entire careers without a chance to make as important a difference in the lives of their constituents and the life of this country. This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us -- even when it's hard; especially when it's hard. This is our moment to deliver.
I urge members of Congress to rise to this moment. Answer the call of history, and vote yes for health insurance reform for America.
Thanks.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/&cp
The House is poised to vote Saturday on comprehensive health reform legislation — and we expect it to be very close. But with less than one day before the vote, the insurance industry and their allies are putting extraordinary pressure on every representative to defeat it.
There are only a few hours left to contact your representative before the historic House vote on health reform.
So we need to make sure representatives' phones are ringing off the hook with constituents supporting reform.
http://advocacy.barackobama.com/healthcare/campaigns/13/call_scripts/36/call_sessions/new?source=feature
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/03/david-plouffe-weighs-in-o_n_343424.html
I had arranged to meet David Plouffe on Saturday afternoon at a Starbucks on Wisconsin Avenue in Washington. The night before, a copy of his new book, The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, was waiting for me when I checked into my hotel at midnight. I flipped it open, read a few lines and was hooked. I spent the rest of the night reading it. Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/obama-one-year-later-the_b_343209.html
As voters in a number of states head to the polls today, many long-time supporters are back on the phones, making calls to help get out the vote. In New Jersey, Jersey Girl reports:
Turn out is slow like any other non Presidential election no surprises there. This afternoon I volunteered to take people to the polls for now to the phones. Let's go NJ, NY and VA GOTV.
From Cookemon, in Illinois:
I'm making calls to Virginia, reminding folks to vote and let them know how important their vote is... I'll be calling off and on today.
And from Sharon, in Maryland:
Just finished 50 calls to New Jersey. Felt like old times. Time to stretch my legs and go back for more.
No matter where you are, you can help out in the final stretch by making GOTV calls from home using our online tools:
Click here to call voters in New Jersey.
Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.
Click here to call voters in Virginia.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/10/31/recovery-action-powering-america
Earlier in the week, President Obama announced the largest-ever investment in the nation’s electric grid—more than $3.4 billion in grants distributed among 100 grantees. Though the immense scale of the investment was clear during the President’s announcement, the flood of reports from news outlets across the country has been overwhelming. A sample of those stories are linked below, detailing new projects in South Dakota, Vermont, California, and several other states:
Arizona, Arizona Republic, 10/27/09SRP gets $56.9M boost from feds for customer 'smart meters’: Salt River Project will receive a $56.9 million grant from the federal Recovery Act to speed up the installation of "smart meters" for customers, the Energy Department announced Tuesday.
California, Sacramento Business Journal, 10/28/09SMUD receives $128M in smart-grid funds: The Sacramento Municipal Utility District has been awarded $127.5 million in federal economic stimulus funds that will go toward a $308 million smart-grid infrastructure investment.
Florida, Orlando Sentinel, 10/28/097 Florida utilities and tech firm to receive $264 million: Energy grants announced Tuesday by President Obama include $264 million for seven Florida utilities and an Orlando technology company, with each grant requiring final negotiations and matching contributions.
Georgia, Atlanta Journal Constitution, 10/27/09$200 million in stimulus funds flows to Georgia to update power grid: More than $200 million in federal stimulus money is expected to flow into projects in Georgia as part of the Obama Administration's plans to upgrade the nation's aging electric grid.
Massachusetts, Journal of New England Technology, 10/29/09Five New England states land $226M for smart meters: At least 832,000 smart meters will be installed across New England as a part of smart grid projects receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Investment Grant funding.
Maryland, Daily Record, 10/27/09Federal funds granted for BGE’s smart grid: Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. expects customer costs for its smart grid projects to decrease after winning a $200 million grant from the federal government Tuesday, the company said.
Michigan, Detroit Free Press, 10/27/09Edison, Whirlpool to get stimulus money: Detroit Edison and the Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor will receive $103 million in federal stimulus money to make investments in green technology.
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/27/09Peco Energy gets $200M ‘smart-grid’ grant: Peco Energy Co. was awarded a $200 million federal stimulus grant today that will allow it to speed up deployment of "smart-grid" technology, including 600,000 advanced electric meters in the next three years.
South Dakota, Argus Leader, 10/27/09Two S.D. power companies to share $9M in federal funds to install smart meters (video): Black Hills Power and Sioux Valley Southwestern Electric Cooperative will share in more than $9 million in federal funding to help modernize the nation’s electric system.
Vermont, Bennington Banner, 10/27/09Powerful energy Vermont plan for ‘smart’ meters getting $69M: A Vermont plan to install electricity smart meters and other technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs will receive nearly $70 million in stimulus money.
Wyoming, Star Tribune, 10/27/09Smart' grid stimulus funds come to Wyoming: Two Wyoming electric utilities will receive more than $7.5 million combined in federal grants to help modernize their infrastructure.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/10/30/weekly-address-milestones-economy-and-recovery-act
Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 | mp3 (5MB)
While there is nothing to celebrate until job numbers turn around, the President cites the recent dramatic turnaround in gross domestic product as a sign of better things to come. He also applauds the fact that the Recovery Act has now created or saved more than a million jobs.
Yesterday we learned that GDP had grown at an annual rate of 3.5 percent during the third quarter, the first time the economy had grown in more than a year.
Today new reports confirm that the Recovery Act is responsible for more than 1 million jobs so far – and is on-track to create and save a total of at least 3.5 million jobs by next fall. The reports (which are required by Congress) were submitted by state and local governments, private companies, community organizations and other recipients of Recovery funds. The reports indicate 640,329 jobs have been created or saved, on a little less than half of stimulus spending to-date.
The majority of the jobs reported today were in the construction and education sectors -- about 325,000 of the jobs reported were in education and more than 80,000 of the jobs are in construction.
Jared Bernstein, Vice President Biden’s Chief Economist and the Executive Director of the Middle Class Task Force, has a great post on the White House blog about today's news. You can access the reports at Recovery.gov.
Driving the Conversation:
http://www.politico.com/arena/
For nervous Senate Democrats, opt-out is like a handful of Xanax. It shifts the burden to the states and puts GOP governors and state legislators in a sticky position of having to go on record in opposition to the public option.
Including a Fannie Med with a “state opt-out” provision in the Senate Democrats’ health care bill accomplishes only this: it helps Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) survive as majority leader by appeasing his left wing. It doesn’t make it any more (or less) likely that Fannie Med will survive. (Cross posted at Cato@Liberty)
Health Care: Typical of the Democrats motis operandi, there is nothing on paper with regard to Reid’s Opt-out Public Option. The Democrats who promised to be the most open and transparent have been the most secretive and clandestine.
It is hard to evaluate a plan when you are told what it is as opposed to seeing it and evaluating it in the context of a comprehensive bill. The “holy grail” for the Democrats with regard to health care reform has been the public option in some form. The idea is to get it introduced as part of mega health care bill now and then expand on it over time. Their ultimate goal down the road is a socialized medicine program akin to Canada and Europe. The final health care bill will be in excess of 1500 pages and will again come out close to a vote thereby preventing Members the time to digest and understand what they are voting for. Reid and Schumer are racing around the Senate office buildings telling colleagues what to be for and what the Opt-out really means.
Adding a public option increases the chances for a health care bill this year. Senator Reid avoids a serious divide with his more liberal colleagues by giving the public option a real chance at passage. Even if the option succumbs to amendment, people will see that Reid made a genuine effort to include it in the legislation, and public option proponents will be more inclined to support a compromise. Moreover, if the Reid version of the public option reduces the projected cost of the health care bill, it can help mollify the budgetary concerns of more moderate Senators and the broader public, thereby taking some of the wind out of the opposition's sails.
The Democrats finally got there act together and listened to their base. They realized they had a President, a house of Representatives and 60 votes in the Senate. They finally realized they govern. There is still much to be done, and the conference will be difficult. Republicans have let the 'noise makers' set the tone. You can't govern from talk radio or cable TV, There has be no clear leadership with ideas or a true alternative for the Republicans to rally around. Their only alternative has been NO and that's not good enough. Whether planned or by luck Senator Reid comes out a hero. He can deliver.
Senator Reid's announcement about including the public option surely implies he has run the numbers and has 60 votes to get it to the floor for debate and THEN 60 votes (which may or may not be the same 60) to get it to where the Senate can go to final passage. Given the recent oh-for-two record of trying to get 60--for Commerce State Justice appropriations and for the Medicare so-called "Doc Fix"--the odds are about as good as the Redskins winning all their remaining games.
In political terms, the opt-out makes it easier to sell a public option to recalcitrant moderates. But in policy terms, it opens up great uncertainty over implementation. If this was 1965 and there were a Medicare opt-out, we might have ended up with two-thirds of the states having Medicare while one-third opted out. In addition, the opt-out leads to a worrisome precedent for other policy areas. If states don’t like future congressional decisions on gun control or climate change, look for state legislators to demand an opt-out.
I think the fact that we're even asking that question today shows that it hurts the chances for a bill. His press conference yesterday was a rather sad affair - all by himself, back to square one, with a twinge of maybe-this-helps-me-in-Nevada politics.Reading the press last week, one would have thought this was all a done deal, that consensus had won the day and all we were waiting for was a signing ceremony. I found those stories a bit over the top, especially as many were based on polling questions that were, to be charitable, skewed.This development proves again that legislative reform efforts go in cycles - one week you're up, the next your back on your heels.Remember when they said they'd have it done by Columbus Day? Then it was Thanksgiving. Now it's Christmas. Or, for the Senator from Nevada, maybe he prefers...Boxing Day.
Reid has to navigate between the reality that many progressive Democrats in the House will not vote for a bill that doesn't have a public option and that several Democrats in the Senate may not support a bill with a public option. His proposal with a state opt out may be the best middle course. The option should limit the extent of the hostility from those with the strongest objections. This may not get Reid to 60 votes for the bill, but he doesn't need 60 votes for the bill, he just needs 60 senators who will let the president have a vote on his number 1 domestic priority. This is doable.
Public plan choice seems the perfect compromise between those who favor the cost control and access expansion potential of a public plan and those who oppose it. It not only allows uninsured individuals the choice of participating in a public plan or not (which has been the proposal all along), the opt out also allows states who want to deny their residents that choice a chance to do so. Opponents, however, are so terrified of a public plan that they not only want to deny Americans the choice of a public plan, they are also not satisfied with letting the states choose whether or not to allow their residents this choice. The irony, of course, is that many of these opponents are those who trumpet most loudly individual freedom of choice and states’ rights in other contexts.Of course, the opponents of reform will do everything they can to slow reform down. They will insist on weeks of debate, even though they have no new ideas to offer. But movement toward reform continues inexorably. Hopefully the House and Senate can deliver reform as a Christmas present to the American people (if they can’t get the job done sooner).
Stupidity is an Option Too: Healthcare “reform” is dead, dead, dead. The White House and the leadership in the Congress had their chance. They failed. They failed to craft a plan that Americans want or need.
Reid is rearranging the corpse.Meanwhile, in the House the majority leader is “rebranding” the government option as the “consumer” or “competitive” option. Apparently, this will resurrect the dead…convincing Americans that this is not the government option that they don’t want.Look, I am the security guy…and frankly its just my job to worry about how we keep the country safe and let other worry about what to do with the country…but healthcare has created a national security crisis because it has sucked up all the energy of the White House.The president would have had plenty of time to make a deliberate decision on Afghanistan if he had spent the last nine months acting like a commander-in-chief and worrying about Afghanistan. Now we know he squandered almost the whole first year of his presidency to produce a healthcare plan that is a mess….where the goal has now become get anything passed.And, we still have zero leadership on Afghanistan.
Josh Gerstein in POLITICO: A four-hour stop in New Orleans, on his way to a $3 million fundraiser. Snubbing the Dalai Lama. Signing off on a secret deal with drug makers.Freezing out a TV network. Doing more fundraisers than the last president. More golf, too.President Barack Obama has done all of those things — and more.What’s remarkable is what hasn’t happened. These episodes haven’t become metaphors for Obama’s personal and political character — or consuming controversies that sidetracked the rest of his agenda.
Read the whole story
The public's outrage - not the pundit's - is what makes or breaks a Presidency.
The public's outrage is at the kitchen table when people open their bills; on the phone when fighting insurance companies over coverage; in the pharmacies when the drug costs soar. That is the outrage President Obama must address; that is the anxiety that demands the change Democrats are about to deliver.
The pundit's outrage is all over cable news where there is enough hot air to send a balloon 50 miles across Colorado. Both sides offer talkers who claim to be more besieged and belittled by the sensationalist media than the other. Take New Orleans for example - who exactly ordered the live coverage of President Obama's town hall meeting suspended in favor of a balloon boy hoax? The media didn't even bother with a split screen like the OJ white Bronco chase - it was goodbye Katrina hello balloon boy.So what's a President to do? Never forget whose outrage matters more - the public's not the pundit's. The White House gets this. That is why the President continues to methodically work to address the public's outrage. Not fast enough for his supporters, to be sure. But steady enough that the American people still like and trust President Obama to do his job, respond to the public's outrage, and deliver meaningful healthcare reform.
This is the oldest social psychology experiment on earth. In 1951, students at Princeton and Dartmouth watched a film of a football game between the two schools. The students were asked to take note of foul play. Dartmouth students saw offenses committed by Princeton players. Princeton students saw Dartmouth’s fouls.Israelis and Palestinians come to totally different conclusions after watching the same news spot. Francis Bacon wrote in 1620 that “human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion (either as being the received opinion or as being agreeable to itself) draws all things else to support and agree with it.”This is what happens when politics (and news and religion and neighborhoods) go tribal.
The media is still in the tank for Obama. The Politico article was right on in pointing to the double standard of coverage between Bush and Obama. There is no doubt that our current president is getting a pass on activities that would be fodder had Bush done the same things. The bottom-line for Republicans is this, do not be consumed with what the skewed coverage is and don’t harp on it. The way to regain parody with Democrats is through ideas and pointing to the deficiencies in their governance. Next week Republicans will pick up at least one governors race and may be two that are currently held by Democrats. Then will come in short order the mid-term elections where historically the party not in power picks up seats in the House and Senate. Republicans should be focused on 2010. The Democrats majority on the House and Senate could be short lived or dramatically curtailed.
Republicans ask where's the outrage" over complaints (many superficial, some not) about the Obama WH? Even now, I don’t think Republicans are introspective enough about the damage Katrina did to the Bush Presidency, and the damage Bush did to the Republican party. One major reason is that these are more sober times, with Americans aware that there are more important things to worry about, but another is that the Bush legacy was set in stone when Katrina was mismanaged. It wasn’t simply an error of judgment by someone who could be replaced (mistakes happen, yea, even in Washington), it was the deliberate and intrinsic dismantling of FEMA and the replacement of disaster management professionals with political appointees like Michael Brown, and 20-something political minders assigned to prevent science from occurring at NOAA and other agencies if it didn’t fit a conservative agenda (and that included muzzling the Surgeon General, Richard Carmona.) We have a different approach now, one that's widely known to be more grounded in science (thank goodness) and policy (agree or disagree) than politics. For that reason, charges that “the Obama WH is too political” have fallen on deaf ears.
As to "where's the outrage" and the coverage of President Obama, we can all, I hope, at least get a good morning chuckle out of this line: " Obama’s aides say the positive coverage simply reflects the fact that their efforts are succeeding."
I am shocked -- SHOCKED!! -- to discover that the media favor President Obama, give him constant free passes for things they would criticize about President Bush, and often neglect to focus on his foibles. My main reaction to the "Where's the Outrage?" article is "Where's the News?" My other reaction is that it might not be so bad that the media have decided not to report on the President's golf or basketball games or how many hours he spent on a recent trip to New Orleans if the media used the space to delve deeper into substantive matters about policy.
The bigger problem is that the media aren't focusing on the litany of mistakes that matter. The list is a long one, enough to make Jimmy Carter jealous. In foreign policy: dithering over Afghanistan, betrayal of allies in eastern Europe to cowtow to Russia, ineffectual strategies on Iran and North Korea, and support for leftist blowhards in Latin America. In economic policy: anti-free trade policy visible in the failure to complete any bilateral trade deals and the imposition of a 35% tire tariff, intrusion into the GM and Chrylser bankruptcies to protect the unions from making sacrifices which will make it impossible for these firms to compete, huge proposed tax increases on income and carbon that will stunt growth, wasteful government spending masquerading as "stimulus," disastrous healthcare "reform" proposals that would increase costs and destroy competition among private healthcare providers, a poorly designed carbon tax policy that despite its costs will accomplish virtually nothing for the environment. And as for inappropriate White House actions that should be drawing attention, the press has said little about the use of a "pay czar" to micromanage the pay of individuals at seven government-assisted firms, deciding on a case-by-case basis who deserves a high salary and who does not, without oversight or accountability, and openly in pursuit of political expediency (as the "czar" put it when explaining some of his actions: “to avoid another public uproar over pay packages at the bailed-out company”). The pay cuts are also part of the President's "show them the instruments" campaign to intimidate Wall Street so that they will stop "opposing change" on financial reform. And that is not an isolated incident. The President seems not to have much respect for concepts like due process and accountability when they get in the way of what he wants. Yes, the press is giving President Obama a free pass, but it's not what they aren't saying about his time on the golf course that worries me, it's the things he does when he is not playing golf that deserve attention and criticism. But I guess (as noted in the "Where's the Outrage?" article) that wouldn't fit the "story line."
This is the final week of the GreenGov Challenge, and I urge everyone to view some of the remarkable sustainability ideas submitted thus far by government and military employees.
And for those readers who are government or military employees, I urge you to share your suggestions. Though nearly 6,000 have been submitted thus far, that good idea in your mind right now could rewrite the way the Federal government reduces energy use, conserves water, reduces waste, and supports clean technology.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/10/26/good-ideas-good-people-greengov-challenge-rounds-final-turn-with-nearly-6000-sustain
To view the webcast of President Obama's speech from Kresge Auditorium on October 23, 2009, click on the appropriate link below. Closed Captioning is available only through the Windows Media Video links.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Working-with-Small-Business-to-Drive-Recovery/
The President restates his commitment to small business as key to economic recovery -- from the Recovery Act to Financial Stability to Health Reform -- and pledges more to come.
download .mp3 |download .mp4 (125 MB) | read the transcript
On Monday, October 5th, 2009, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order on Federal Sustainability – and in doing so, committed the Federal government to lead by example, practice what we preach and help build a clean energy economy through how we operate.
To harness the collective wisdom of the more than 1.8 million civilian employees and our men and women in uniform, we’re launching the GreenGov Challenge, an online participatory way for Federal employees to suggest clean energy ideas and vote on others.
Some of the top ideas will be presented to the Steering Committee on Federal Sustainability – a group comprised of a senior official from each agency who is responsible for delivering among other things, each agency’s sustainability plan.
Though anyone can see your ideas, only Federal employees can participate – so this is your chance to positively impact how your agency will meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.
Be part of the GreenGov Challenge and help green our government!
The GreenGov challenge runs from Oct. 19th — 31st
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Taking-the-Insurance-Companies-on-Down-the-Stretch/
As the health insurance reform debate enters into its final stages in Congress, the President denounces the desperate and deceptive last-ditch efforts of the health insurance companies to derail it.
download .mp3 |download .mp4 (212 MB) | read the transcript
After fighting health reform with lies, deceit, and multi-million dollar ad campaigns, the health insurance lobby -- America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) -- recently released a report on the "effects of health reform." Surprise! It's full of flawed claims that reform would increase costs.
Many journalists and experts called the report "deceptive" and "implausible." Even the firm that wrote it now admits they only looked at parts of the health reform plan -- because that's what the insurance lobby paid them to do. It's exactly what we should expect from an industry that's been fighting tooth and nail to kill reform, and is now preparing an all-out assault.
We're not going to take it sitting down. So this week, we're calling out the health insurance lobby.
The lobby has invested millions trying to convince Congress to oppose reform. So this week, we're not simply debunking lies: The best way to Call 'em Out is to cut through the spin and tell our representatives to say "no" to deceitful lobbyists and "yes" to reform.
Soon, health reform will be taken up by the entire House and Senate, and the insurance lobby will take their attacks to a new level. Their lies will grow more extreme -- and it will be more important than ever that our voices are louder than those of the Washington lobbyists.
Call out the health insurance lobby today: http://www.democrats.org/CallOutAHIP
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Down-in-New-Orleans/
New Orleans – President Barack Obama jetted to this hurricane battered city Thursday to deliver a fiery call to action, vowing to rebuild to the Gulf Coast area as a boisterous crowd chanted “yes we can!”
"I promise you this," Obama said during his first visit to the city as president. “Together we will rebuild this region and we will build it stronger than before."
Although the trip was met with criticism from some local officials that his administration hasn’t done enough to help with the ongoing rebuilding effort here, Obama struck an optimistic tone.
“Katrina may have swept through this city, but it did not destroy this community, and that is because of you – the people of New Orleans,” Obama said. “You deserve leaders in Washington who are willing to work as hard as you are.”
OFA Director Mitch Stewart just sent out the following email:
Despite increasingly desperate attacks from the insurance lobby, the Senate Finance Committee took the historic step of voting reform legislation out of committee with bipartisan support. They're the final committee to do so -- and the negotiations over the final bill will now move to the full House and Senate.Soon, every senator and representative must decide where they stand. Lobbyists will be racing to each office, trying every trick in the book to derail the President's plan. In fact, just this week, the insurance lobby released a self-serving report falsely claiming that reform would increase costs. Journalists called it "deceptive" and said "something doesn't smell right here." A prominent M.I.T. economist described the study as "deeply flawed."It's a blatant scare tactic designed to frighten voters and bully Congress -- and it's just the beginning. We need to speak out right away to show Congress that their constituents are watching closely, and we're counting on them to say "no" to the lobbyists and "yes" to reform.Send a message urging Congress to stand with voters, not D.C. lobbyists, and pass real reform. It's becoming clear that the insurance companies will do whatever it takes to stop progress: The New York Times is reporting that special interests are spending $1.4 million every day to kill reform -- and even commissioned their own slanted analysis of the Finance Committee's legislation in an effort to defeat it. But today, after widespread criticism, the company that produced the report issued a statement saying that it analyzed only part of the bill because that's exactly what the insurance industry paid them to do!And we just got word that insurance companies are spending $1 million on a misleading ad to scare seniors out of supporting reform. The ad falsely declares that reform will cause cuts in Medicare, even though reform is crucial to ensuring the long-term survival of the program and preserving the care that millions of seniors depend on.Now that all five congressional committees have passed reform legislation, we're sure to see attacks that are even more extreme. It's up to us to make sure that ordinary Americans continue to be heard louder than the Washington lobbyists. Please send a message to Congress today:http://my.barackobama.com/Fight_BackThe next few weeks are absolutely crucial to our success -- we'll be organizing events, running ads, and doing everything possible to make sure Congress passes real reform. But right now, the most important thing we can do is make our voices heard immediately. Please speak out now. Thanks,MitchMitch StewartDirectorOrganizing for America
Despite increasingly desperate attacks from the insurance lobby, the Senate Finance Committee took the historic step of voting reform legislation out of committee with bipartisan support. They're the final committee to do so -- and the negotiations over the final bill will now move to the full House and Senate.Soon, every senator and representative must decide where they stand. Lobbyists will be racing to each office, trying every trick in the book to derail the President's plan. In fact, just this week, the insurance lobby released a self-serving report falsely claiming that reform would increase costs. Journalists called it "deceptive" and said "something doesn't smell right here." A prominent M.I.T. economist described the study as "deeply flawed."It's a blatant scare tactic designed to frighten voters and bully Congress -- and it's just the beginning. We need to speak out right away to show Congress that their constituents are watching closely, and we're counting on them to say "no" to the lobbyists and "yes" to reform.Send a message urging Congress to stand with voters, not D.C. lobbyists, and pass real reform.
