In his first address to Congress, President Obama cited health care reform as one of his top priorities, and he called on Congress to move quickly to pass legislation before the end of this year. Congress answered the call, and yesterday both the House and the Senate made public information on their respective plans for the first time.
In the House, the three committees with jurisdiction (Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor) complied a three-page outline of their proposal. CQ Politics reported:
The plan would require individuals to obtain insurance and employers to help pay for it, and would create a government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers, according to the outline.Leaders of the three committees briefed the full House Democratic Caucus on their outline Tuesday. “We will continue to seek input and work closely with our colleagues, outside stakeholders, and the administration and are on track to introduce legislation shortly, the trio said. “We anticipate committee action on health reform in the coming weeks, with legislation on the House floor prior to the August district work period.”...The House Democratic plan would reorganize the private insurance market, creating a national Health Insurance Exchange where individuals or employers could obtain coverage, including from a government-run “public plan” if they wish. States would have the option of creating their own exchanges, instead of participating in the national exchange. Insurers would be prohibited from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions and could not charge higher premiums based on gender, health status or occupation. Premiums would be higher for older people, but the increase would be limited.The plan would cap out-of-pocket spending by patients to prevent bankruptcies due to medical costs. Some studies suggest that more than half of all personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills.
In the Senate the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a more detailed document on Tuesday. The 615 page document is not yet in its final form though, and additional components are expected to be released later in the week. The HELP Committee is chaired by Senator Ted Kennedy, but Senator Chris Dodd, the second-ranking Democrat, has had a large hand in drafting the bill while Kennedy continues to recover from brain cancer. The current version of the HELP bill can be read here.
The Huffington Post reported:
Kennedy's bill will get its first hearing on Thursday and is scheduled for a committee vote on Tuesday, June 16th. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Tuesday that a committee vote on a health care bill could come as early as the week after next. The battle over the future of health care in America now enters a span of several months as important as any in a generation.
Kennedy's bill will get its first hearing on Thursday and is scheduled for a committee vote on Tuesday, June 16th.
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Tuesday that a committee vote on a health care bill could come as early as the week after next. The battle over the future of health care in America now enters a span of several months as important as any in a generation.
As OFA Director Mitch Stewart said this morning, the future of American health care is now up for grabs.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people came together to organize for health care reform at thousands of Health Care Organizing Kickoff events across all fifty states. If you weren't able to attend one of the kickoffs, here's the special video recorded just for these events:
If you were able to make it to a kickoff this weekend, let us know how it went in the comments below . . .
President Obama sent a public letter to Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Max Baucus, following their meeting yesterday to discuss the ongoing work on health care legislation. In the letter, the President commended both Senators for their work on what he described as "one of the most urgent and important challenges confronting us as a Nation." He also re-asserted his support for a plan that expands access, cuts costs, and preserves choice, and he reiterated his belief that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans:
The plans you are discussing embody my core belief that Americans should have better choices for health insurance, building on the principle that if they like the coverage they have now, they can keep it, while seeing their costs lowered as our reforms take hold. But for those who don't have such options, I agree that we should create a health insurance exchange -- a market where Americans can one-stop shop for a health care plan, compare benefits and prices, and choose the plan that's best for them, in the same way that Members of Congress and their families can. None of these plans should deny coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition, and all of these plans should include an affordable basic benefit package that includes prevention, and protection against catastrophic costs. I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest.
Read the full letter from the President . . .
Earlier today, President Obama took time to speak by phone with thousands of Organizing for America volunteers about the urgent need to organize for health care reform.
“If we don’t get it done this year, we’re not going to get it done,” the President said.
He stressed that health care reform will only become a reality if grassroots supporters mobilize support for it in every community in America. The fight over health care reform, he noted, offers a "big chance to prove that the movement that started during the campaign isn’t over.”
We need you to stay involved. The election in November, that didn’t bring about change, that just gave us an opportunity for change...Some of you are in states and districts where politicians are resistant to bringing about change, so we need you to get involved.
If you missed the call, you can listen to the rest of what the President had to say here:
Also speaking on the call was David Plouffe, OFA Director Mitch Stewart, OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird, OFA New Media Director Natalie Foster and OFA volunteer Diane Robertson, who offered her advice on how to organize support in your community.
The fight over health care reform begins in your neighborhood June 6th. Sign up to host or attend a kickoff event in your area.
This morning, President Obama recorded a special video message to personally introduce his nominee for the Supreme Court to supporters across the country:
I am proud to announce my nominee for the next Justice of the United States Supreme Court: Judge Sonia Sotomayor. This decision affects us all -- and so it must involve us all. I've recorded a special message to personally introduce Judge Sotomayor and explain why I'm so confident she will make an excellent Justice. Please watch the video, and then pass this note on to friends and family to include them in this historic moment. Judge Sotomayor has lived the America Dream. Born and raised in a South Bronx housing project, she distinguished herself in academia and then as a hard-charging New York District Attorney. Judge Sotomayor has gone on to earn bipartisan acclaim as one of America's finest legal minds. As a Supreme Court Justice, she would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. Judge Sotomayor would show fidelity to our Constitution and draw on a common-sense understanding of how the law affects our day-to-day lives. A nomination for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land is one of the most important decisions a President can make. And the discussions that follow will be among the most important we have as a nation. You can begin the conversation today by watching this special message and then passing it on. Thank you, President Barack Obama
I am proud to announce my nominee for the next Justice of the United States Supreme Court: Judge Sonia Sotomayor. This decision affects us all -- and so it must involve us all. I've recorded a special message to personally introduce Judge Sotomayor and explain why I'm so confident she will make an excellent Justice. Please watch the video, and then pass this note on to friends and family to include them in this historic moment.
Judge Sotomayor has lived the America Dream. Born and raised in a South Bronx housing project, she distinguished herself in academia and then as a hard-charging New York District Attorney. Judge Sotomayor has gone on to earn bipartisan acclaim as one of America's finest legal minds. As a Supreme Court Justice, she would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. Judge Sotomayor would show fidelity to our Constitution and draw on a common-sense understanding of how the law affects our day-to-day lives. A nomination for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land is one of the most important decisions a President can make. And the discussions that follow will be among the most important we have as a nation. You can begin the conversation today by watching this special message and then passing it on. Thank you, President Barack Obama
From David Plouffe:
Remember this date: Saturday, June 6th, 2009. We will look back on that day as the moment when the fight for real health care reform began in your neighborhood -- perhaps even in your own living room. On June 6th, in thousands of homes across the country, we'll gather to launch our grassroots campaign for health care. We'll watch a special message from the President. We'll build the teams and draw up the plans for winning health care reform the same way we won the election: Building support one block, one neighbor, one conversation at a time. And we'll put those plans into action. These kickoffs are so crucial that President Obama will join confirmed hosts and attendees on a live conference call. Sign up today to host or attend a Health Care Organizing Kickoff.There's no prior experience required. We'll send you the details for dialing into the President's call and provide you everything you need to make your meeting a success. After the election, people gathered at over 9,000 meetings across every state to set priorities for health care reform. Our voices were heard. Now the race is on to make sure Congress produces a plan that reflects the President's call for reduced costs, guaranteed choice, and quality care for all. To make that happen, we need to build a groundswell of support in every district and every state, and we have no time to lose. All summer we'll be reaching out to our neighbors, knocking on doors, serving in our communities, and building a grassroots network strong enough to win. These gatherings on June 6th are just the beginning of a battle between those who fought and believe in change and those who would protect a broken status quo. The stakes for our country could not be greater. Some call this strategy pie-in-the-sky. They say we'll never have enough volunteers to make a real impact; that you need insiders and Washington lobbyists to make a difference. But you and I know firsthand how wrong they are. Starting June 6th, it's once again time to show this country how bottom-up change is done. Please sign up today to host or attend a kickoff near you. These kickoffs will be both effective and fun. You'll meet likeminded supporters in your neighborhood, share stories, enjoy good company and a shared mission, and know that no matter what this effort requires of us, if we work together we'll be ready to face it and persevere. I look forward to joining you and the President to chart our course. David Plouffe Organizing for America
Remember this date: Saturday, June 6th, 2009. We will look back on that day as the moment when the fight for real health care reform began in your neighborhood -- perhaps even in your own living room. On June 6th, in thousands of homes across the country, we'll gather to launch our grassroots campaign for health care. We'll watch a special message from the President. We'll build the teams and draw up the plans for winning health care reform the same way we won the election: Building support one block, one neighbor, one conversation at a time. And we'll put those plans into action. These kickoffs are so crucial that President Obama will join confirmed hosts and attendees on a live conference call. Sign up today to host or attend a Health Care Organizing Kickoff.
There's no prior experience required. We'll send you the details for dialing into the President's call and provide you everything you need to make your meeting a success. After the election, people gathered at over 9,000 meetings across every state to set priorities for health care reform. Our voices were heard. Now the race is on to make sure Congress produces a plan that reflects the President's call for reduced costs, guaranteed choice, and quality care for all. To make that happen, we need to build a groundswell of support in every district and every state, and we have no time to lose. All summer we'll be reaching out to our neighbors, knocking on doors, serving in our communities, and building a grassroots network strong enough to win. These gatherings on June 6th are just the beginning of a battle between those who fought and believe in change and those who would protect a broken status quo. The stakes for our country could not be greater. Some call this strategy pie-in-the-sky. They say we'll never have enough volunteers to make a real impact; that you need insiders and Washington lobbyists to make a difference. But you and I know firsthand how wrong they are. Starting June 6th, it's once again time to show this country how bottom-up change is done. Please sign up today to host or attend a kickoff near you. These kickoffs will be both effective and fun. You'll meet likeminded supporters in your neighborhood, share stories, enjoy good company and a shared mission, and know that no matter what this effort requires of us, if we work together we'll be ready to face it and persevere. I look forward to joining you and the President to chart our course. David Plouffe Organizing for America
Last week, we asked supporters to stand with the President by declaring their support for his three core principles for health care reform. Yesterday, President Obama himself asked those supporters to take the next step:
The chance to finally reform our nation's health care system is here. While Congress moves rapidly to produce a detailed plan, I have made it clear that real reform must uphold three core principles -- it must reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care for every American. As we know, challenging the status quo will not be easy. Its defenders will claim our goals are too big, that we should once again settle for half measures and empty talk. Left unanswered, these voices of doubt might yet again derail the comprehensive reform we so badly need. That's where you come in. When our opponents spread fear and confusion about the changes we seek, your support for these core principles will show clarity and resolve. When the lobbyists for the status quo tell Congress to hold back, your personal story will give them the courage to press forward. Join my call: Ask Congress to pass real health care reform in 2009. By declaring your support for the three core principles, you have already taken the first step -- thank you. Now, consider sharing your personal story about the importance of health care reform in your life, and the lives of those you love. I will be personally reviewing many of these signatures and stories. If you speak up now, your voice will make a difference. American families are watching their premiums rise four times faster than their wages. Spiraling health care costs are shackling America's businesses, curtailing job growth and slowing the economy at the worst possible time. This has got to change. I know personal stories can drive that change, because I know how my mother's experience continues to drive me. She passed away from ovarian cancer a little over a decade ago. And in the last weeks of her life, when she was coming to grips with her own mortality and showing extraordinary courage just to get through each day, she was spending too much time worrying about whether her health insurance would cover her bills. She deserved better. Every American deserves better. And that's why I will not rest until the dream of health care reform is finally achieved in the United States of America. Share your personal story about why you too will not rest until this job is done. Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change. But when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins. That's what Organizing for America is all about. Now, in these crucial moments, your voice once again has extraordinary power. I'm counting on you to use it. Thank you, President Barack Obama
With the health care debate moving forward quickly, today we're reaching out to grassroots organizers to ask them to begin planning health care kickoff across the country:
Throughout our campaign for change, and since our victory, you have helped us make enormous strides towards creating the change we all fought for. And now we have a chance to make an even greater impact, but it can't happen without you. As we seek to enact real health care reform that includes President Obama's three core principles -- reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure affordable care for all -- we need you to help seize this moment and organize your community neighbor-by-neighbor, door-by-door. On Saturday, June 6th, people like you will be hosting Health Care Organizing Kickoff meetings across the country to talk about the actions we'll all take in the coming weeks and months to make health care reform a reality. Will you please sign up to host one?These meetings will be crucial to our health care organizing efforts in your community, and that's why it's so important for you to play a major role. At your meeting, you and your friends and neighbors will kick off your community's push to reform health care by learning more about the President's three core principles, sharing personal stories, and planning a health care Day of Service activity for June 27th. You'll also set up times to speak with your neighbors about health care reform, and make calls to ask others to get involved. While this debate is heating up, it's important that we organize now to ensure that President Obama's core principles are included in any comprehensive health care reform. So please sign up today to host a Health Care Organizing Kickoff meeting. Thanks, Jeremy Jeremy Bird Deputy Director Organizing for America
Throughout our campaign for change, and since our victory, you have helped us make enormous strides towards creating the change we all fought for. And now we have a chance to make an even greater impact, but it can't happen without you. As we seek to enact real health care reform that includes President Obama's three core principles -- reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure affordable care for all -- we need you to help seize this moment and organize your community neighbor-by-neighbor, door-by-door. On Saturday, June 6th, people like you will be hosting Health Care Organizing Kickoff meetings across the country to talk about the actions we'll all take in the coming weeks and months to make health care reform a reality. Will you please sign up to host one?
These meetings will be crucial to our health care organizing efforts in your community, and that's why it's so important for you to play a major role. At your meeting, you and your friends and neighbors will kick off your community's push to reform health care by learning more about the President's three core principles, sharing personal stories, and planning a health care Day of Service activity for June 27th. You'll also set up times to speak with your neighbors about health care reform, and make calls to ask others to get involved. While this debate is heating up, it's important that we organize now to ensure that President Obama's core principles are included in any comprehensive health care reform. So please sign up today to host a Health Care Organizing Kickoff meeting. Thanks, Jeremy Jeremy Bird Deputy Director Organizing for America
Today, David Plouffe sent out an urgent message with an update on the fast brewing healthcare battle:
We knew healthcare reform would face fierce opposition -- and it's begun. As we speak, the same people behind the notorious "swiftboat" ads of 2004 are already pumping millions of dollars into deceptive television ads. Their plan is simple: torpedo healthcare reform before it sees the light of day by scaring the public and distorting the President's approach. We need the resources to take them head on with an urgent, grassroots campaign to pass real healthcare reform in 2009. When the swiftboaters flood the airwaves with distortions, we'll flood the streets with volunteers armed with facts. When they send lobbyists to tell Congress to back down, we'll send millions of calls, letters, and stories from real Americans asking them to stand up. Please donate $5 or more by midnight Sunday to fight back against these phony attacks and take our message of reform to the American people. The swiftboaters are once again trying to sell the American people short. As during the election, we deserve a serious conversation -- not fear-mongering and deceit. You and I see the importance of healthcare reform every day. We can't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to face one of America's greatest challenges head on. Passing real healthcare reform will be the toughest, most important challenge we've faced together since electing Barack Obama President. But it's also a big reason we fought so hard to get here. I know that by working together, and speaking with one, determined voice, we can prevail over the cynics and defenders of the status quo. America's families are counting on us to do just that. Donate $5 or more to defend healthcare reform today. Thank you, David Plouffe
We knew healthcare reform would face fierce opposition -- and it's begun. As we speak, the same people behind the notorious "swiftboat" ads of 2004 are already pumping millions of dollars into deceptive television ads. Their plan is simple: torpedo healthcare reform before it sees the light of day by scaring the public and distorting the President's approach. We need the resources to take them head on with an urgent, grassroots campaign to pass real healthcare reform in 2009. When the swiftboaters flood the airwaves with distortions, we'll flood the streets with volunteers armed with facts. When they send lobbyists to tell Congress to back down, we'll send millions of calls, letters, and stories from real Americans asking them to stand up. Please donate $5 or more by midnight Sunday to fight back against these phony attacks and take our message of reform to the American people.
The swiftboaters are once again trying to sell the American people short. As during the election, we deserve a serious conversation -- not fear-mongering and deceit. You and I see the importance of healthcare reform every day. We can't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to face one of America's greatest challenges head on. Passing real healthcare reform will be the toughest, most important challenge we've faced together since electing Barack Obama President. But it's also a big reason we fought so hard to get here. I know that by working together, and speaking with one, determined voice, we can prevail over the cynics and defenders of the status quo. America's families are counting on us to do just that. Donate $5 or more to defend healthcare reform today. Thank you, David Plouffe
UPDATED w/ VIDEO:
From President Obama's remarks to the press, following his meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House Democrats:
As Speaker Pelosi just mentioned, the House is working to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31st, before they head out for the August recess. And that's the kind of urgency and determination that we need to achieve what I believe will be historic legislation. As I've said before, and as all Americans know, our health care system is broken. It's unsustainable for families, for businesses. It is unsustainable for the federal government and state governments. ...That's why we've got to get this done. We've got to get it done this year. We've got to get it done this year -- both in the House and in the Senate. And we don't have any excuses; the stars are aligned. ...And I want the message to go out all across America, we are not going to rest until we've delivered the kind of health care reform that's going to bring down cost for families, and improve quality, affordability, accessibility for all Americans.
As Speaker Pelosi just mentioned, the House is working to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31st, before they head out for the August recess. And that's the kind of urgency and determination that we need to achieve what I believe will be historic legislation. As I've said before, and as all Americans know, our health care system is broken. It's unsustainable for families, for businesses. It is unsustainable for the federal government and state governments.
...That's why we've got to get this done. We've got to get it done this year. We've got to get it done this year -- both in the House and in the Senate. And we don't have any excuses; the stars are aligned.
...And I want the message to go out all across America, we are not going to rest until we've delivered the kind of health care reform that's going to bring down cost for families, and improve quality, affordability, accessibility for all Americans.
Read the President's full remarks . . .
After meeting with President Obama this morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced her intention to begin debate on healthcare reform before Congress adjourns for the August recess.
From the Associated Press:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that her chamber would have a sweeping health care bill on the floor by the end of July, an announcement that President Barack Obama hailed.... Pelosi, D-Calif., and other House Democrats had met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the Oval Office just before going outside to make their announcement. No Republicans were present, and neither were any senators."We promised him that we will have this important legislation on the floor of the House before the August break," Pelosi announced. "Our goal is to have a healthier America."Neither the speaker nor the president offered details of how the legislation will look, the subject of ongoing debate on Capitol Hill. The White House is remaining mostly quiet as proposals emerge for discussion among lawmakers, preferring to let Congress come up with a plan and engage more on the specifics later on.
President Obama was on hand for the announcement, and he commended House Democrats for their sense of urgency in addressing healthcare reform. The President also reiterated his commitment to "healthcare reform that's going to bring down costs for families, improve quality, affordability, accessibility for all Americans."
With debate on the specifics of healthcare reform set to begin soon, it is more important than ever to make clear to legislators how important this issue is to everyday Americans. If you haven't already done so, take a moment to sign a declaration of support urging Congress to follow President Obama's core principles for health care reform -- and to enact real healthcare reform before the end of this year.
From Mitch Stewart:
Monday morning, an unlikely gathering of health care industry and union leaders emerged from the White House, announcing a historic agreement to lower medical costs and save the average family up to $2,500. This kind of broad coalition would have been unthinkable in the past, when the old politics of division and short-term self interest held sway. But this is a new day. Yesterday afternoon, President Obama announced the three bedrock principles that any comprehensive health care reform must achieve: (1) reduce costs, (2) guarantee choice, and (3) ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care. And he set a hard goal for getting it done by the end of this year. For those determined to oppose reform, the President's announcement means lobbyists are already scrambling across D.C. For the rest of us, it means there's no time to lose. As we speak, Congress is negotiating the details for health care reform, so the first step is showing where the American people stand. Please click below to sign a declaration of support urging Congress to follow President Obama's three core principles for health care reform -- and to enact them before the end of this year:(The more signatures we have, the more powerful our message will be, so please add your name and then forward this note on to family and friends.) The health care crisis is not new, but it's getting worse. For decades, real health care reform has been blocked by special interest lobbying and political point-scoring. We simply cannot go any further down this dangerous road of delay and denial. But we don't have to. Yesterday's agreement marks only the beginning of the broad coalition we need. The most important reason this round of health care reform will be different is you. Last fall millions of regular people came together and did the impossible. Now, we've got to roll up our sleeves, join hands with those new to our movement, and do it again. Congress is already hammering out the details of the health care package, and it could still go any number of ways. Our representatives need to understand that when the President lays out these three bedrock principles, Americans of every stripe are standing with him. Yesterday's diverse gathering was a powerful start -- and now it's up to us. It's time to stand up. Please sign the declaration of support today. Reducing costs, guaranteeing choice, and ensuring care for all are ambitious goals, but they are nothing less than what the American people deserve. And passing real health care reform this year is nothing less than what the American people need. Thank you, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
Monday morning, an unlikely gathering of health care industry and union leaders emerged from the White House, announcing a historic agreement to lower medical costs and save the average family up to $2,500. This kind of broad coalition would have been unthinkable in the past, when the old politics of division and short-term self interest held sway. But this is a new day. Yesterday afternoon, President Obama announced the three bedrock principles that any comprehensive health care reform must achieve: (1) reduce costs, (2) guarantee choice, and (3) ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care. And he set a hard goal for getting it done by the end of this year. For those determined to oppose reform, the President's announcement means lobbyists are already scrambling across D.C. For the rest of us, it means there's no time to lose. As we speak, Congress is negotiating the details for health care reform, so the first step is showing where the American people stand. Please click below to sign a declaration of support urging Congress to follow President Obama's three core principles for health care reform -- and to enact them before the end of this year:
(The more signatures we have, the more powerful our message will be, so please add your name and then forward this note on to family and friends.)
The health care crisis is not new, but it's getting worse. For decades, real health care reform has been blocked by special interest lobbying and political point-scoring. We simply cannot go any further down this dangerous road of delay and denial. But we don't have to. Yesterday's agreement marks only the beginning of the broad coalition we need. The most important reason this round of health care reform will be different is you. Last fall millions of regular people came together and did the impossible. Now, we've got to roll up our sleeves, join hands with those new to our movement, and do it again. Congress is already hammering out the details of the health care package, and it could still go any number of ways. Our representatives need to understand that when the President lays out these three bedrock principles, Americans of every stripe are standing with him. Yesterday's diverse gathering was a powerful start -- and now it's up to us. It's time to stand up. Please sign the declaration of support today. Reducing costs, guaranteeing choice, and ensuring care for all are ambitious goals, but they are nothing less than what the American people deserve. And passing real health care reform this year is nothing less than what the American people need. Thank you, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
This morning President Obama met with a diverse group of organizations and associations that will play a key role in health care reform, including representatives from insurance companies, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and unions. The purpose of the meeting was to address the rising costs of health care, one of the central challenges to comprehensive reform. President Obama explained:
For decades, Washington has debated what to do about this. For decades, we've talked about reducing costs, improving care, and providing coverage to uninsured Americans. But all too often, efforts at reform have fallen victim to special interest lobbying aimed at keeping things the way they are; to political point-scoring that sees health care not as a moral issue or an economic issue, but as a wedge issue; and to a failure on all sides to come together on behalf of the American people.And that's what makes today's meeting so remarkable -- because it's a meeting that might not have been held just a few years ago. The groups who are here today represent different constituencies with different sets of interests. They've not always seen eye to eye with each other or with our government on what needs to be done to reform health care in this country. In fact, some of these groups were among the strongest critics of past plans for comprehensive reform.But what's brought us all together today is a recognition that we can't continue down the same dangerous road we've been traveling for so many years; that costs are out of control; and that reform is not a luxury that can be postponed, but a necessity that cannot wait. It's a recognition that the fictional television couple, Harry and Louise, who became the iconic faces of those who opposed health care reform in the '90s, desperately need health care reform in 2009. And so does America.
Over the last decade, Americans have seen their out-of-pocket expenses soar, while health care premiums doubled at a rate four times faster than wages. Today, half of all personal bankruptcies currently stem from medical expenses. The various groups who attended today's meeting have voluntarily made an unprecedented commitment. Together, they have pledged to cut the rate of growth of national health care spending by 1.5 percentage points each year over the next ten years -- an amount that's equal to over $2 trillion.
President Obama concluded:
Ultimately, the debate about reducing costs -- and the larger debate about health care reform itself -- is not just about numbers; it's not just about forms or systems; it's about our own lives and the lives of our loved ones. And I understand that. As I've mentioned before during the course of the campaign, my mother passed away from ovarian cancer a little over a decade ago. And in the last weeks of her life, when she was coming to grips with her own mortality and showing extraordinary courage just to get through each day, she was spending too much time worrying about whether her health insurance would cover her bills. So I know what it's like to see a loved one who is suffering, but also having to deal with a broken health care system. I know that pain is shared by millions of Americans all across this country.And that's why I was committed to health care reform as a presidential candidate; that's why health care reform is a key priority to this presidency; that's why I will not rest until the dream of health care reform is finally achieved in the United States of America. And that's why I'm thrilled to have such a broad, diverse group of individuals from all across the health care spectrum representing every constituency and every political predisposition who feel that same sense of urgency and are committing themselves to work diligently to bring down costs so we can achieve the reforms that we seek.
Mitch Stewart sent out an email today thanking supporters for the work they did to help pass the President's budgets, and asking them to help spread the word about the work they're doing in communities across America:
Last week, Congress passed President Obama's budget. It's a budget that works for ordinary Americans, and it's all thanks to people like you. Members of Organizing for America spoke up and asked Congress to lay a new foundation for American growth by passing a budget that invests in energy, health care, and education -- and that's exactly what they did. But as the President said on his hundredth day in office, we should be pleased with our progress so far, but not satisfied. There's so much more work to do, and to get it done we need to keep growing this movement. Please take the next step by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper -- share your story about how you helped pass this budget, and invite folks in your community to join in. Write and submit your letter online by clicking here. On election night in November, President Obama told us that our victory was just the chance to make the change that we seek. The work we're doing now is crucial to enact the reforms our country so desperately needs -- and with your help, people can understand why. Over the last several weeks, members of Organizing for America gave their time and energy to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures and make just as many calls to Congress, helping to pass a budget that creates jobs, reduces our deficit, and makes crucial investments in energy, health care, and education. Write a letter to the editor to share that success in your neighborhood, and bolster this movement the same way it has grown from the beginning -- neighbor to neighbor. Passing this budget was no small task, but we always knew it wouldn't be easy. The fights ahead will be tougher, and the stakes will be higher. With the special interests gearing up to block or water down the President's agenda, we'll need to count on your active involvement to defeat them, and we'll need to get even more people involved if we hope to succeed. Write a letter to the editor now to show the power of the movement that helped pass the President's budget, and how much is yet to come. Thank you, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
Last week, Congress passed President Obama's budget. It's a budget that works for ordinary Americans, and it's all thanks to people like you. Members of Organizing for America spoke up and asked Congress to lay a new foundation for American growth by passing a budget that invests in energy, health care, and education -- and that's exactly what they did. But as the President said on his hundredth day in office, we should be pleased with our progress so far, but not satisfied. There's so much more work to do, and to get it done we need to keep growing this movement. Please take the next step by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper -- share your story about how you helped pass this budget, and invite folks in your community to join in. Write and submit your letter online by clicking here.
On election night in November, President Obama told us that our victory was just the chance to make the change that we seek. The work we're doing now is crucial to enact the reforms our country so desperately needs -- and with your help, people can understand why. Over the last several weeks, members of Organizing for America gave their time and energy to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures and make just as many calls to Congress, helping to pass a budget that creates jobs, reduces our deficit, and makes crucial investments in energy, health care, and education. Write a letter to the editor to share that success in your neighborhood, and bolster this movement the same way it has grown from the beginning -- neighbor to neighbor. Passing this budget was no small task, but we always knew it wouldn't be easy. The fights ahead will be tougher, and the stakes will be higher. With the special interests gearing up to block or water down the President's agenda, we'll need to count on your active involvement to defeat them, and we'll need to get even more people involved if we hope to succeed. Write a letter to the editor now to show the power of the movement that helped pass the President's budget, and how much is yet to come. Thank you, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
Last month, President Obama proposed a dramatic shift in how the government operates student loan programs -- a change that would make college more affordable for millions of Americans. Private banks are currently making huge profits by taking taxpayer money and acting as the middleman for millions of students, a practice that President Obama has proposed ending. By cutting out the banks and lenders as middlemen, the government will save billions over the next decade funds that can be used to expand Pell Grants, to offer tuition tax credits, and to launch college completion programs for students who need it.
Today, Organizing for America Political Director Addisu Demissie sent a message encouraging supporters to send a message to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Education Committees:
You know how important financial assistance is for students across America who dream of a brighter future. That's why we need your help to fix a broken system. Right now, taxpayers are paying a massive subsidy to the banks that currently make most student loans. It's a system that wastes taxpayer dollars -- money that could instead help students afford college -- while helping banks make massive profits. That's money that we can't afford to waste, which is why President Obama wants to use it to expand Pell Grants, offer tuition tax credits, and launch college completion programs for students who need it. Watch the President lay out his vision for a new student loans system and tell Congressional leaders that you support it: President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act already dramatically increased college affordability, providing relief to as many as 13 million families with currently enrolled students. But President Obama's plan for federal direct lending will build on these gains and help provide steady funding to ensure that the door to college is open to every American. The special interests -- bankers, lenders, and their lobbyists -- are lining up against this plan, and that's why I'm asking for your help. Stand with the President now. Please contact the leaders in Congress who can make a real difference -- add your voice. Thanks, Addisu Addisu Demissie Political Director Organizing for America
You know how important financial assistance is for students across America who dream of a brighter future. That's why we need your help to fix a broken system. Right now, taxpayers are paying a massive subsidy to the banks that currently make most student loans. It's a system that wastes taxpayer dollars -- money that could instead help students afford college -- while helping banks make massive profits. That's money that we can't afford to waste, which is why President Obama wants to use it to expand Pell Grants, offer tuition tax credits, and launch college completion programs for students who need it. Watch the President lay out his vision for a new student loans system and tell Congressional leaders that you support it:
President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act already dramatically increased college affordability, providing relief to as many as 13 million families with currently enrolled students. But President Obama's plan for federal direct lending will build on these gains and help provide steady funding to ensure that the door to college is open to every American. The special interests -- bankers, lenders, and their lobbyists -- are lining up against this plan, and that's why I'm asking for your help. Stand with the President now. Please contact the leaders in Congress who can make a real difference -- add your voice.
Thanks, Addisu Addisu Demissie Political Director Organizing for America
Earlier today, President Obama announced his proposal to crack down on the individuals and the corporations who dodge their duty to pay taxes by hiding money in off-shore accounts, as well as the financial institutions who abet in such tax scams. Closing this loophole and making other long overdue tax reforms, President Obama estimated, will save taxpayers roughly $210 billion over the next 10 years.
In his own words...
Now, for years, we've talked about stopping Americans from illegally hiding their money overseas, and getting tough with the financial institutions that let them get away with it. The Treasury Department and the IRS, under Secretary Geithner's leadership and Commissioner Shulman's, are already taking far-reaching steps to catch overseas tax cheats -- but they need more support.And that's why I'm asking Congress to pass some commonsense measures. One of these measures would let the IRS know how much income Americans are generating in overseas accounts by requiring overseas banks to provide 1099s for their American clients, just like Americans have to do for their bank accounts here in this country. If financial institutions won't cooperate with us, we will assume that they are sheltering money in tax havens, and act accordingly. And to ensure that the IRS has the tools it needs to enforce our laws, we're seeking to hire nearly 800 more IRS agents to detect and pursue American tax evaders abroad.
Today, under the leadership of Representatives Barney Frank, Carolyn Maloney, and Luis Gutierrez, members of both parties in the House of Representatives came together to protect American consumers, paving the way toward real, meaningful credit card reform. While Americans have a responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe, credit card companies have a responsibility to set rules that are fair and transparent. The principles I have long supported would help ensure that these responsibilities are met: strong and reliable consumer protections; credit card forms and statements that have plain language in plain sight; tools that can help people make an informed choice about what credit card to use; and beefed up monitoring, enforcement, and penalties. And building on what we have achieved today, I will work with Congress in the weeks to come so that I can sign a credit card reform bill into law that upholds these principles and upholds the interests of the American people.
After consulting with my Auto Task Force, I can report that the necessary steps have been taken to give one of America's most storied automakers, Chrysler, a new lease on life.This is a company that has a particular claim on our American identity. It's a company founded in the early years of the American automobile industry; a company that helped make the 20th century an American Century; and that came to embody, along with the two other members of the Big Three, the ingenuity, the industriousness, and the indomitable spirit of the American people.
Read his full remarks...
