Obama HQ

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:55:08 EST

President Obama on Thursday ordered intelligence agencies to take a series of steps to streamline how terrorism threats are pursued and analyzed, saying the government had to respond aggressively to the failures that allowed a Nigerian man to ignite an explosive mixture on a commercial jetliner on Christmas Day.
The president also directed the Homeland Security Department to speed the installation of $1 billion in advanced-technology equipment for the screening of passengers, including body scanners at American airports and to work with international airports to see that they upgrade their own equipment to protect passengers on flights headed to the United States.
He said intelligence reports involving threats would be distributed more widely among agencies. He instructed the State Department to review its visa policy to make it more difficult for people with connections to terrorism to receive visas, while making it simpler to revoke visas to the United States when questions arise.
“We are at war,” Mr. Obama said, releasing an unclassified version of a report on the attempted attack.
He pledged not to “succumb to a siege mentality” sacrificing the country’s civil liberties for security, but he called for expanding the criteria for adding people to terrorism watch lists.
It was the second time this week that the president delivered public remarks on the attempted bombing and the intelligence lapses. Administration officials said human error led to perhaps the biggest lapse of all: the failure to put Mr. Abdulmutallab on the no-fly list despite the government’s having information that showed him to be not only a threat, but also a threat with a visa to visit the United States.
The internal report, conducted by Mr. Brennan, blamed a host of errors for the intelligence lapse, including a misspelling of Mr. Abdulmutallab’s name. The mistake led officials at the State Department to the erroneous conclusion that Mr. Abdulmutallab did not have a visa.
“The intentional redundancy in the system should have added an additional layer of protection in uncovering a plot like the failed attack on Dec. 25,” the review found. “However, in both cases, the mission to ‘connect the dots’ did not produce the result that, in hindsight, it could have…”

From the Los Angeles Times:

National healthcare legislation in Congress could slow the growth of medical costs, allowing employers to create 250,000 to 400,000 new jobs a year over the next decade, economists from Harvard University and USC are predicting.
Wading into the hotly debated issue of whether the legislation is a job creator or a job killer, researchers from the two universities say that the reforms under consideration would slow the rate of cost increases and free up money for companies to raise wages and hire more workers.
Specifically, healthcare savings could be achieved through proposals for greater competition in insurance markets, better coordination of care and shrinking administrative expenses, they said in a report to be released today. With those changes, employers could then reallocate money now spent on ever-growing premiums to other business priorities.
"We could achieve huge productivity gains," said Harvard economist David Cutler, one of the study's authors and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank…
The Harvard-USC report could be a boost for President Obama, who has made the economic benefits of health reform a top selling point in his administration's efforts to forge public support for the overhaul.

The president's Council of Economic Advisors said healthcare reform would increase domestic growth, raising family incomes substantially and leading to significant new hiring.

The Harvard-USC economists concluded that industries with high rates of employer-sponsored insurance -- including manufacturing, utilities and financial services -- would see some of the largest employment gains.

"If you have a strong bill that will promote control of healthcare costs, there will be an effect on the number of jobs," said Neeraj Sood, director of international programs at USC's Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics…

From The Hill:

Senate Democrats are crafting a job creation bill that would boost funding for small businesses, public services, infrastructure projects and energy efficiency programs.
An aide to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Democrats are looking at proposals in those four main areas. But the aide said that senators have yet to finalize their specific proposals.
Durbin, who is writing the bill with Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), has said the Senate will take up the bill soon after they return later this month from the holiday break.
They are considering new transit and highway spending and efforts to help stave off public employee layoffs, as well as a new tax credit for businesses hiring new workers and a program providing incentives for homeowners to retrofit their homes, according to a source off Capitol Hill.
That would be similar to the jobs bill passed by Democrats in the House last month. The House bill did not include the tax credit and “cash for caulkers” proposals, which are supported by President Barack Obama.
The Durbin aide said suggestions of specific provisions in the jobs bill at this point are "pure speculation." The aide noted that Durbin and Dorgan are still sifting through 121 ideas offered by Democratic senators.
The $174 billion House bill included $48 billion for public works projects and $28 billion to help state and local governments avoid laying off workers. It also provides money for more unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits for the jobless and a full-year extension of the current transportation authorization bill…

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:51:42 EST

From the Wall Street Journal:

The White House supports an effort to tweak the health bill so it makes insurance more affordable for the lowest earners…
President Barack Obama met with top Democrats for the second consecutive day Wednesday to hash out the final legislation. The White House is using the more moderate health bill passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve as the basis for a final bill, while adapting some provisions from the more liberal version the House passed Nov. 7.
Rep. Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, suggested that much work remained. "The president has been very patient with his time and understanding that we have to get 218 votes and we really have to be able to sell it, not just to our Democratic caucus but to the American people," the New York Democrat said, referring to the number of votes the House needs to pass a bill...
Mr. Obama's message to the House leaders Wednesday was "get it done," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee…

From USA Today:

White House national security adviser James Jones says Americans will feel "a certain shock" when they read an account being released Thursday of the missed clues that could have prevented the alleged Christmas Day bomber from ever boarding the plane.
President Obama "is legitimately and correctly alarmed that things that were available, bits of information that were available, patterns of behavior that were available, were not acted on," Jones said in an interview Wednesday with USA TODAY…
The White House plans to release an unclassified report Thursday on what went wrong in the incident involving a 23-year-old Nigerian man who tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight…
In Detroit Wednesday, the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was indicted on charges that include attempted murder and trying to use a weapon of mass destruction to kill nearly 300 people.
Abdulmutallab, who faces life in prison if convicted, is to appear for the first time in federal court Friday.
"We know what happened, we know what didn't happen, and we know how to fix it," Jones, a retired four-star Marine general, said in an interview in his West Wing office. "That should be an encouraging aspect. We don't have to reinvent anything to make sure it doesn't happen again…"

ICYMI: OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird’s piece in Huffington Post:

Twelve months ago Organizing for America was little more than a big idea. Yes, we had the Obama for America email list – an incredible tool – but what we wanted to do was unprecedented. For the first time ever, we set out to transform a political campaign into a long-term grassroots effort driven by issues and a commitment to organizing at the local level.
Back then – before the Recovery Act fight, the health care battle and the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor – we liked to say we were building the plane as we flew it. And we were. We had thousands of volunteers, but not one staffer in the states. Today, we have permanent offices in all 50 states and active volunteers in every congressional district. We’ve built a lasting infrastructure that’s already translated into success in legislative organizing, and we’re eager to train our fire on the elections later this year.
Like most organizers, I’m usually focused on the next step, the next campaign; but in this first week of a new decade, I think it’s the perfect time to remember who OFA is and where we came from...

Organizing for America: Looking Back, Marching Ahead

Christopher Hass — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:17:48 EST

Organizing for America Deputy Director Jeremy Bird contributed an exclusive story to the Huffington Post this morning, taking stock of OFA's progress so far:

Twelve months ago Organizing for America was little more than a big idea. Yes, we had the Obama for America email list – an incredible tool – but what we wanted to do was unprecedented. For the first time ever, we set out to transform a political campaign into a long-term grassroots effort driven by issues and a commitment to organizing at the local level.

Back then – before the Recovery Act fight, the health care battle and the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor – we liked to say we were building the plane as we flew it. And we were. We had thousands of volunteers, but not one staffer in the states. Today, we have permanent offices in all 50 states and active volunteers in every congressional district. We’ve built a lasting infrastructure that’s already translated into success in legislative organizing, and we’re eager to train our fire on the elections later this year.

...Last month we held more than 200 volunteer trainings across the country. I traveled to four events in Colorado: two in Denver, one in Fort Collins and another in Golden. At every stop I met volunteers who saw the need for change in their communities and chose to organize with us to make it happen. I met volunteers who took ownership over their turf and relished their seat at the leadership table with OFA staff. The people at our trainings are the folks you rarely read about in the news or see on TV, but they’re the ones building support for the President’s agenda through old fashioned shoe leather and meticulous reporting. They know change won’t come easy and they know it isn’t always pretty, but they’re doing it anyway – neighbor by neighbor and block by block.

...On a campaign, you measure success by winning elections, and by doing it in a way that leaves more behind than when you started. The metrics of success are clear (win more votes) and the end date (Election Day) is certain. Legislative organizing isn’t so clear cut. You measure success by winning on issues, but “winning” is a little messier and more ambiguous than tallying election night results; and as we’ve seen in the health care debate, the finish line is almost never a sure thing.

... The fact is, every policy President Obama pursued in 2009 has either been passed by Congress, or is on the cusp of becoming reality. Did we get every single thing we wanted? Nope. The Rolling Stones were right – you can’t always get what you want. But I am incredibly proud of what OFA accomplished in 2009 thanks to the leadership of our volunteers and our incredibly talented staff of organizers. The millions who continued the fight for change – either by organizing with OFA or another organization – have a unique story to tell about 2009. It’s a story of incredible legislative successes, unparalleled cooperation between groups, unheard of activism in an off-off election year, and continued technological advancement in grassroots organizing.

OFA has taken our lumps and we know we’ve still got a lot to learn – but we’ve come a long way from a big idea. We’re committed to strengthening our infrastructure and fine-tuning our strategy and tactics, which is why every OFA organizer is in the process of conducting one-on-one meetings with their volunteer leaders to evaluate 2009. Right now, we are surveying our supporters about their top priorities in 2010. And OFA state directors are planning another series of listening tours in the next few months.

Six days into 2010, I can tell you President Obama’s grassroots army is enormously proud of what we’ve accomplished. A year ago, the cynics didn’t think we’d make it – just as many pundits prematurely panned Barack Obama’s candidacy. With discipline and diligence, we’ve built a strong, volunteer-based infrastructure. We’ve kept working, kept the conversation going, and expanded our base of support, all the while mounting victory after victory. With a win on health reform in our sites, new legislative battles looming and important elections ahead, I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the New Year.

Read the full story, complete with a look inside the numbers of what OFA supporters have accomplished so far . . .

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:10:40 EST

From the Washington Post:

President Obama said Tuesday that U.S. intelligence agencies could have prevented the attempt to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day, and used a grim and forceful White House statement to demand rapid improvements in efforts to protect Americans from attack.
"This was not a failure to collect intelligence," Obama said after meeting with senior national security and intelligence officials, "it was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already had. That's not acceptable, and I will not tolerate it…"
A White House official quoted Obama using even more blunt language in the Situation Room meeting. "This was a screw-up that could have been disastrous. We dodged a bullet, but just barely," he reportedly said.
In his public statement, at a lectern set up in the Grand Foyer of the White House, Obama listed steps that have been taken, including expansion of the U.S. "no-fly" list to include people with Abdulmutallab's profile; enhanced screening for anyone flying to the United States from an expanded list of "countries of interest"; additional screening and security on all domestic or U.S.-bound international flights; and an automatic check of terrorism suspects to determine whether they possess valid U.S. visas.
"In the days ahead," Obama said, "I will announce further steps to disrupt attacks, including better integration of information and enhanced passenger screening for air travel." A summary of the ongoing review of the terrorist watch-listing system that did not identify Abdulmutallab, he said, will be made public "within the next few days."

From The Hill:

House and Senate leaders have formally agreed to bypass a bicameral conference committee to merge two healthcare bills, and have opted to instead “ping-pong” the Senate bill over to the House and back again, according to House leadership aides.

Aides said the agreement was reached during a Tuesday evening meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and the top two Democrats from each chamber.
The Senate bill will serve as the vehicle by which Democrats hope to send a healthcare bill to Obama to sign into law. Under the “ping-pong” strategy, the House will take up the Senate bill and amend it, then send it back to the Senate for final approval…
Other issues – such as differences in language prohibiting federal dollars from paying for abortion coverage, and tax provisions designed to raise revenue to pay for the bill – will still need to win consensus in one or the other chamber. And where Pelosi signaled an acceptance of the Senate’s approach to the mechanism for providing coverage to millions of Americans, she signaled just as strongly that she much prefers the House’s tax structure, which increases income taxes on the wealthiest Americans in lieu of levying taxes on high-cost insurance plans, as the Senate’s bill does.

Congressional aides also said that Obama told House and Senate leaders that he wanted to strengthen the affordability measures beyond those in the Senate bill, a signal that House Democrats interpreted to mean that Obama will urge the Senate to warm up to the House’s more generous and more widely available – but also more expensive – subsidies designed to help Americans afford health insurance that will be newly mandated.

From the Associated Press:

President Barack Obama is prodding House and Senate Democrats to get him a final health care bill as soon as possible, encouraging them to bypass the usual negotiations between the two chambers in the interest of speed.
Obama delivered the message at an Oval Office meeting Tuesday evening with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his No. 2, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., joined in by phone.
They agreed that rather than setting up a formal conference committee to resolve differences between health bills passed last year by the House and Senate, the House will work off the Senate's version, amend it and send it back to the Senate for final passage, according to a House leadership aide, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private meeting.
Obama himself will take a hands-on role, convening another meeting with congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday. Pelosi, along with four other Democratic committee chairs, are expected to attend.
The aim is to get a final bill to Obama's desk before the State of the Union address sometime in early February.
Obama agreed at Tuesday evening's meeting to help strengthen affordability measures beyond what's in the Senate bill, the aide said.

From the Huffington Post:

In a season when the political punditry stampeded its way into prognostications of Democratic political disaster this fall, it is well to remember that Democrats -- and the Obama political operation -- have a weapon, the importance of which Washington types don't fully understand: Organizing for America (OFA)…
Organizing for America (OFA) -- formerly Obama for America -- was reorganized after the 2008 election with the object of creating a permanent army of ordinary Americans that could create the grassroots fire necessary to pass Obama's change agenda. Over the first months of 2009, the organization hired staff, set up local operations, began to transform itself from a purely electoral operation into one that could simultaneously line up Congressional votes for Obama's initiatives -- and demonstrate to Members of Congress that it would have their backs next November.
It was built upon the premise that fundamental change is impossible without massive grassroots activity. After all, the insurance companies, big Wall Street banks, energy industry and the Chamber of Commerce had no plans to roll over and play dead just because Obama had been elected with a mandate for change.
The correctness of that assumption became starkly clear in August when the right wing organized -- and big business financed -- the Tea Party movement to try to put a stake in the heart of health insurance reform.
For those of us working to pass health insurance reform it was like the cavalry arriving over the hill. OFA chaired a task force of progressive organizations -- and mobilized thousands of health care reform supporters to attend town meetings across the country. That effort turned the tide in the last weeks of August and saved health insurance reform…
…To its core, the Obama field operation was committed to excellence in execution - to the proposition that no stone could ever be left unturned -- that no task was ever too small to be done right. That's why it won caucuses in tiny states. That's why it never left votes on the table.
In my 40 years of work doing grassroots organizing for issue and electoral campaigns I have never seen a better field operation that the one created by OFA. It was, without doubt, the best field program in American political history.
Many of the same organizers who build OFA during the campaign have created the new OFA. They have crafted a growing infrastructure that will allow millions of everyday people to team up with MoveOn members, rank and file union activists, and leaders from the faith, minority and women's communities to take on the vested interests in every corner of America. Just as it did in the Iowa caucuses, that infrastructure could well provide the foundation for surprising victories - both in Congress and the November elections -- that the Washington pundits think are impossible. After all, surprising the pundits is what OFA does best.

Editorial Boards Around the Country Support Health Insurance Reform

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:09:15 EST

The Senate passed its version of health insurance reform legislation on Christmas Eve and now final negotiations are underway between the House and Senate to determine the details of a final reform bill. Since the passage of the Senate bill editorial boards of newspapers from around the country have used their pages to advocate for reform. A few examples:

Kansas City Star: “A major step toward a fairer health care system”

Health reform as practiced by the 111th Congress has been downright ugly. But with the Senate’s passage of its reform bill on Thursday, the prospects for a fairer, better-performing delivery system are finally looking good.
Provisions in the separate bills approved by the House and Senate would bring security to millions of Americans. Middle-income families would pay less for coverage, and small businesses would find it easier to insure their workers.
Americans could not be denied policies or overcharged or refused treatment because they have the misfortune of being sick. Those are long overdue reforms…
If congressional leaders merge the best aspects of each bill, the result will be more than an improvement over the status quo. It will be a transformational step toward fixing a broken system.

Asheville-Citizen Times: “Health bill isn't perfect but is a huge advance”

The U.S. Senate took a giant step Christmas Eve toward making the future healthier for millions of people. Some difficult work remains, but the biggest hurdle has been cleared.
The final vote, as did all previous votes, fell along straight party lines, with 58 Democrats and 2 Independents voting for the bill and 39 Republicans voting against…
Differences aside, the bill that emerges will be the most significant social legislation since creation of Medicare in 1965. Some 15 million people will be added to the Medicaid rolls under the Senate plan, even more under the House plan. Some 30 million more people will be insured, and most people will be required to have insurance…
It's not clear whether there will be a formal conference committee, or whether the two houses will select Democratic leaders to negotiate the final bill. In any case, there is no reason to expect Republicans to be heavily invested in the talks, as they have shown clearly they have no serious interest in crafting this legislation. Only one Republican voted for either bill.
The existing U.S. health care system is a national disgrace. More than 20,000 people — perhaps even twice that number — die each year because they cannot afford the health care necessary to keep them alive. Health costs throw once-productive people onto the welfare rolls.
No society that prides itself on being moral can allow such a situation to continue.
Is either of these bills perfect? No. What bill is? But they represent a start, and they can always be adjusted as problems appear. The important thing now is to continue the task of making affordable health care universally available.

Toledo Blade: “A historic vote”

Christmas and health-care reform have this in common: Not everybody receives the presents they want. But any disappointment concerning the legislation that cleared the U.S. Senate in the early hours of Monday morning should take into account the value of the offering and the extraordinary nature of the moment.
As President Obama rightly said Monday, this was both an historic vote and big victory for the American people. All the misrepresentations, the howling of special interests, and the lockstep determination of the Republicans couldn't stop this Congress from doing what no other could do - pass a health-care reform bill that finally confronts problems that the nation can no longer afford to ignore…
While it is a pity that no Republican wanted to take part in making history, the vote is a holiday gift to many millions of Americans.

Las Vegas Sun: “History in the making”

…The Republican critics of the health care legislation are just trying to divert attention from the real issue. There are more than 31 million people in the country without health insurance who would eventually be eligible for coverage. The critics don’t like to talk about the human toll. What do people without insurance do when they get seriously sick or injured? Suck it up? Face overwhelming bills — and potentially bankruptcy?
These same critics also fail to mention the high cost to the taxpayers who bear the cost of the uninsured using medical services that either get passed on to the taxpayers or the insured in the form of higher costs. When someone who does not receive routine medical care finally goes to see a doctor, the costs are likely to be significantly higher because the health problems are often exacerbated because they haven’t been previously treated.
What many people are missing is the historic nature of the legislation and the incredible effort it took to accomplish it. President Barack Obama noted that seven presidents, Democrats and Republicans, have taken up the cause of health care reform since Teddy Roosevelt called for it in 1912…
…Let the critics say what they will, but the health care bill will go down as one of the momentous pieces of legislation in the history of Congress.
Some observers have compared Reid’s work with other great leaders in the Senate’s history, particularly Lyndon B. Johnson, who was able to muscle the Civil Rights Act through Congress. Like the health care bill, the civil rights legislation was criticized and not perfect, but it significantly addressed a major issue in America that had been ignored for too long…

San Francisco Chronicle: “Senate takes historic vote”

It came after 24 consecutive days of exhausting debate, and the ideas approved promise to affect the life of every American. The Democrats in both the House and the Senate - the Republicans in both houses opted out of the chance to make history - should be proud of their determination…
…What President Obama called "the most important piece of social legislation since the Social Security Act" passed the Senate on Thursday morning, with all the drama befitting a historic moment. It was the first time in more than a century that the Senate had taken a roll call vote on Christmas Eve.

Sacramento Bee: “Health bill, in sum, offers real reform”

After 87 years of fits and starts, this country finally is close to extending health care coverage to most Americans. And this nation soon may be a leader, not a laggard, in stanching soaring medical costs…
It's so close, you can almost touch it. The House passed a bill in November; the Senate on Christmas Eve The key elements in the bills are nearly identical. President Barack Obama believes "reconciling them is not going to be as difficult as some people may anticipate…"
The bill has no master plan, no one-time fix for reducing costs. But as Harvard surgeon Atul Gawande pointed out in a recent New Yorker article, that is as it should be. Almost half of the bill, he writes, is devoted to programs that test "almost every approach that leading health-care experts have suggested" for curbing costs and increasing quality…

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:51:47 EST

From Politico:

The health care debate resumes in earnest on Tuesday after more than a week of quiet following Senate passage of its landmark bill on Christmas Eve.

The four relevant House chairmen will meet with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team at 1 o'clock in the speaker's Capitol office to start setting the parameters for negotiations with the Senate.

Then, Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Nev.) will head to the White House for an early-evening meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss the final bill, according to Democratic officials. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and party Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will participate in the meeting via conference call because neither has returned to Washington from the holiday break…

Democrats in the House are expected to push for increased subsidies for the lowest-income Americans who don't qualify for Medicaid. On the eve of the Senate vote, Democratic aides in the House also suggested they would push for a blend of new taxes to help pay for the subsidies and new programs created by the bill. That could include a tax on high-end insurance plans at a higher threshold organized labor could accept along with a tax on the wealthiest Americans...

From the Boston Globe:

The recession dramatically slowed U.S. health care spending to $2.3 trillion in 2008, but it still grew much faster than the economy as a whole, accounting for more than 16 percent of the nation's economic output, says a new federal analysis.

The eye-popping figure of $2.3 trillion -- that's $7,681 per person -- underscores the challenges confronting President Barack Obama and lawmakers seeking to overhaul the system. Obama has repeatedly cited spiraling health costs as one of the main reasons Congress needs to pass his health plan, and administration officials said the findings highlighted the need for quick action.

"This report contains some welcome news and yet another warning sign," said Jonathan Blum, a top official at the government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "Health care spending as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product) is rising at an unsustainable rate. It is clear that we need health insurance reform now…"

From the National Journal:

Aside from the DCCC, there is no organization more crucial to Dems' chances in '10 than [Organizing for America,] the organizing offshoot of Pres. Obama's '08 campaign. DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen and DSCC chair Bob Menendez have been increasingly vocal in urging the WH to get involved, saying the Obama agenda rests on the ability of Dems to keep big majorities in both chambers. Simply put, if the group is able to turn out many of the same voters Obama attracted 2 years ago, Dems will survive in several key races…

From the Associated Press:

President Barack Obama is announcing new measures Tuesday to beef up airline security after an alleged terrorist attempt to destroy a Detroit-bound U.S. airliner on Christmas Day…

Obama scheduled a meeting Tuesday afternoon with high-ranking government officials charged with carrying out two reviews he ordered after the botched attack — on screening for airline passengers and on the U.S. terror watch-list system.

After the meeting, to which 20 officials were invited, Obama will talk to the public about his findings, as well as a series of new steps to improve the watch lists and thwart future terrorist attacks, the White House said…

The government also has added dozens of names to its lists of suspected terrorists and those barred from U.S.-bound flights. The addition of names to the government's terrorist watch list and the no-fly list came after U.S. officials scrutinized a larger database of suspected terrorists, an intelligence official said Monday…

People on the watch list are subject to additional scrutiny before they are allowed to enter this country, while anyone on the no-fly list is barred from boarding aircraft in or headed for the United States…

ICYMI: from the editorial page of the New York Times:

Reforming this country’s broken health care system is an urgent and essential task…
President Obama and Democratic leaders have a strong case. They need to make it now. Here are compelling reasons for all Americans to root for the reform effort to succeed and urge Congress to complete the job:

THE HEALTH OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS The fact that 46 million people in this country have no health insurance should be intolerable. Every other major industrial country guarantees health coverage to its citizens, yet the United States, the richest of them all, does not…

MORE SECURITY FOR ALL Horror stories abound of people — mainly those who buy individual policies — who were charged exorbitant premiums or rejected because of pre-existing conditions or paid out for years and then had their policies rescinded when they got sick.

Such practices would be prohibited completely in three or four years under the reform bills. Before that, insurers would be barred from rescinding policies retroactively and the bills would establish temporary high-risk pools to cover people with pre-existing conditions….

CUTTING COSTS Americans are justifiably concerned about the rising cost of health insurance and of the medical care it covers. The reform bills won’t solve these problems quickly, but they would make a good start.

Despite overheated Republican claims that the reforms would drive up premiums, the Congressional Budget Office projected that under the Senate bill the vast majority of Americans (those covered by employer policies) would see little or no change in their average premiums or even a slight decline. Those who buy their own policies would pay somewhat more — but for greatly improved coverage...

THE TIME HAS COME For decades, presidents from both parties have tried in vain to reform the health care system and cover the uninsured. Still many Americans wonder, given the deep recession, whether it makes sense to do it now. The first thing to keep in mind is that the C.B.O. says that the reform bills are paid for over the next 10 years and would actually reduce future deficits…

2010

Christopher Hass — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:10:22 EST

From David Plouffe:

Last Friday marked our passage into a new year, and a new decade.

2010 will be a year of new, exciting challenges. We'll be working hard with President Obama to finish the fight for health insurance reform, put more Americans back to work, and get our economy running strong. We'll fight to protect consumers and our economy from Wall Street abuses, improve transparency in Washington to elevate the voices of the American people, and create a vibrant, clean energy economy. And we'll stand up for the President's allies at the ballot box.

As we've always known, change this big must come from the bottom up. Organizing for America was founded last year based on your feedback, and OFA supporters are at the core of everything we do.

So as we wrap up one year and prepare for the next, we want to hear your reflections on our work together in 2009 and how you want OFA to move forward in the new year.

Can you take a minute to fill out our quick survey on what's next in 2010?
There's no limit to what we can accomplish this year, if we keep working together.

Can't wait to get started:

http://my.barackobama.com/2010

Happy New Year,

David Plouffe

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:44:39 EST

The President's Weekly Address

Christopher Hass — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:18:06 EST

A Message for the New Year from the President

Christopher Hass — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:19:56 EST

Before leaving Washington for Hawaii, President Obama recorded a special message for the New Year:

"Tonight, as Americans across the country gather with family and friends, I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.

This is always a hopeful time, as we celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. And while 2009 was difficult for many Americans, we must also look back on this year with the knowledge that brighter days are ahead of us – that although our challenges are great, each of us has the courage and determination to rise up and meet them.

It is that spirit that has kept the American Dream alive for generations, and it is that spirit that will keep it alive for generations to come. Happy New Year, everyone.

2009

Christopher Hass — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:54:17 EST

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

Looking back at 2009, it turns out you were right.

Early this year, millions of you chose to keep working together and create Organizing for America, to build on the momentum of the Obama campaign, take on the defenders of the status quo, and make change happen.

Special interests thought they could steamroll you with hundreds of millions of dollars in lobbying and attack ads. Meanwhile, you built a massive organization, driven by local leadership, that reached out to millions of fellow Americans and made your voices heard to Congress in record numbers.

This has been a remarkable year for the movement you've built from the ground up, and I wanted to take a moment at year's end to reflect on everything you've accomplished.
Beth Kimbriel, a mother of four from Richmond, Virginia, has no formal political experience. But every week, as an OFA "Community Organizer," she trains and manages other volunteer leaders to organize effectively around the President's agenda. Hundreds of her fellow OFA Community Organizers around the country have already volunteered more than 200,000 hours doing similar work. Thousands more have taken on other leadership positions in every single state. And we're still growing -- nearly a million people who had never volunteered for the presidential campaign have signed up with OFA this year.

Supporters spread the word throughout our communities, with more than a million conversations with neighbors on the phone and at the doorstep, and 250,000 letters to the editor about how President Obama's policies would help ordinary Americans.

And when Congress was making crucial decisions, you spoke out more powerfully than the special interests ever could. In the last few months, you've made more than 1 million calls to Congress -- including more than 300,000 on one amazing day in October that created huge momentum for health reform. Thousands of supporters attended town halls to counter the shouting mobs and speak out in person. And you even held 37,107 events in every congressional district -- bus tour rallies, phonebanks and forums to inform your neighbors.

These incredible efforts have powered victories on a wide range of issues. OFA volunteers provided a huge boost to help pass the Recovery Act, President Obama's historic budget, an expansion of children's health care, credit card and student loan reform. Your voices helped pass a historic green jobs and energy bill in the House, and the confirmation of the nation's first Latina Supreme Court justice, Sonia Sotomayor, in the Senate. And of course, you were instrumental in passing comprehensive health reform through both houses of Congress for the first time in American history.

With every phone call to a member of Congress, every door knocked on a rainy day, every event held in a town center, you've helped to push this country forward.
Thanks for making it all possible,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Here's a look at just some of the incredible events that OFA supporters took part in this year:

"It starts with you"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:46:15 EST

Earlier this month, Organizing for America held more than 200 volunteer trainings across the country in one weekend. Local volunteers gathered in living rooms, community centers, and coffee shops to learn the skills needed to step up and become leaders. It's the kind of story that rarely registers on the national news radar, but it's this kind of tireless, methodical organizing that is the foundation of OFA.

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:26:09 EST

Merry Christmas from the President and the First Lady

Christopher Hass — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:23:40 EST

For the first time in a weekly address, the President is joined by the First Lady as they celebrate Christmas. They both honor those serving overseas, those who have sacrificed for their country, and the families that stand by them.

You can find ways to lend our troops and their families a home through DOD’s Military Homefront, OurMilitary.mil, and of course the USO.

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:03:43 EST

Message from the President: "A historic moment"

Christopher Hass — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:20:53 EST

Shortly after the Senate vote this morning, President Obama sent out the following email to supporters:

Although it's Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill.

In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.

There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they'll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.

If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.

In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can't be revoked at a moment's notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control.

When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you're making -- a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.

There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law -- a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House -- and I'm counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

President Barack Obama

P.S. -- Organizing for America supporters are signing a note of appreciation to all the senators who have worked so hard to make this possible. I hope you'll join them.

Early Reactions to the Senate's Historic Vote

Cloe Axelson — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:50:26 EST

Washington Post, “Senate approves landmark health-care bill”:

The Senate passed a landmark health-care bill Thursday morning that would provide coverage to more 30 million people and begin a far-reaching overhaul of Medicare and the private insurance market. Vice President Biden presided over the 60-39, party line vote. Thursday's vote -- which came on the first Senate session on Dec. 24 in more than five decades -- brings Democrats closer than ever to realizing their 70-year-old goal of universal health coverage. For the first time, most Americans would be required to obtain health insurance, either through their employer or via new, government-regulated exchanges. Those who can't afford insurance plans would receive federal subsidies. And Medicaid would be vastly expanded to reach millions of low-income children and adults.

AP, “Senate OKs health care measure, reaching milestone”:

Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country's history. The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Vice President Joe Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted "yes." Republicans unanimously voted "no." The tally far exceeded the simple majority required for passage.

Los Angeles Times, “Senate OKs sweeping healthcare bill”:

Senate Democrats this morning passed a sweeping healthcare overhaul bill, setting the stage for reconciliation early next year with similarly historic legislation passed by the House last month… The bill, which is President Obama's top domestic priority, would extend insurance to about 30 million people who now lack it, expand the reach of Medicaid for the poor, and impose new rules on health insurance companies. It would cost about $871 billion over 10 years, but raise more than that in new taxes and fees and cuts in Medicare… The Senate bill would lead to the largest transformation of the country's healthcare system since the creation of Medicare in 1965. It would require all Americans to have health insurance, either through their jobs, through the government or through the private market, and it would penalize those who do not comply.

Wall Street Journal, “Senate Passes Sweeping Health-Care Bill; 60-39 Vote Is Landmark in Effort to Expand Insurance Coverage”:

The Senate approved sweeping health-overhaul legislation on Thursday, a landmark moment for White House-led efforts to expand insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans. The bill, approved by a 60-39 vote, would deliver on a long-promised Democratic goal of extending coverage to nearly every American, and would represent the biggest expansion of the federal safety net since the 1965 creation of Medicare, the health-insurance program for the elderly and disabled. Thursday's vote was a victory for President Barack Obama, who made the issue his top domestic priority despite lingering divisions among Democrats and the fierce opposition of Republicans.

PBS, “Senate Passes Historic Health Care Reform Legislation”:

The Senate passed historic health care reform legislation in an early-morning vote Thursday, just making Democratic leaders' self-imposed Christmas deadline after a marathon 25 straight days in session. ‘This morning isn't the end of the process, it's merely the beginning,’ Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on the Senate floor before the vote. ‘But that process cannot begin unless we start today.

Talking Points Memo, “DONE DEAL Senate Passes Health Care 60-39”:

Presiding over the Senate, in a rare appearance, was Vice President Joe Biden. As Senate chair, the Vice President can serve as the tie-breaking vote in the event of a 50-50 deadlock. But tonight's victory for Democrats was never in doubt. Over the course of this week, Democrats have passed several test votes--set at a 60-member, supermajority threshold. The only question this morning was, would they keep all of their members united for the final vote. In the end they did.

Ron Brownstein, Atlantic Media, “Historic achievement...Largest Democratic legislative achievement since Medicare”:

Well I think there are two big points about it. First, this is - whatever you think about the underlying bill - an historic achievement. Up until this year no universal coverage bill had ever even reached the floor of the House or the Senate, much less passed it. It has defeated every other President who has tried it. Truman, Nixon, Clinton, FDR. This will be, as it now seems inevitable to reach the President's desk, this will be the largest Democratic legislative achievement since Medicare in 1965 and it will be achieved in an atmosphere that is very difficult to operate in simply because you now need 60 votes to do almost everything. There have been more cloture votes in the Senate this year than there were in the entire decade of the 1960s.

Ezra Klein, Washington Post, “No previous health-care reform bill has come anywhere near this far”:

On December 24th, in an early morning vote, the United States Senate voted to pass health-care reform. It was the first time the body had been in session on the 24th since 1963. That's fitting, as it's arguably the most important piece of legislation the body has passed since 1963. It's become difficult to write these milestone posts. Health-care reform, by this point, has had a lot of milestones. It has cleared five committees. It has come through the House of Representatives. It has been merged into a single bill in the Senate. It has passed through the Senate. No previous health-care reform bill has come anywhere near this far. But there are more milestones left to achieve: The House and Senate need to agree on a bill. That bill has to pass both chambers again. And then the president has to sign the legislation.

Politico, “HISTORIC VOTE”:

Before the sun comes up on Christmas Eve, Senate Democrats will gather to pass a sweeping health reform bill, then scatter to long-delayed holiday vacations with a victory for the party and President Barack Obama in hand.

Senate Passes Health Reform Bill

Christopher Hass — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:16:41 EST

Shortly after 7:00 A.M. this morning, the Senate passed its version of the health reform bill by a vote of 60-39, with all Republican senators voting against. We'll have more details shortly.

UPDATED 7:48 A.M. President Obama is scheduled to deliver remarks on this morning's vote at 8:45 A.M. You can watch live onine at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATED 8:12 A.M. The Associated Press reports:

Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill Thursday that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country's history.

The 60-39 vote on a cold Christmas Eve morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Vice President Joe Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted "yes." Republicans unanimously voted "no."

The tally far exceeded the simple majority required for passage.

Senate Clears Final Hurdle to Set Up Christmas Eve Vote on Health Reform

Christopher Hass — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:30:00 EST

With a vote of 60-39 (with all Republicans against), the Senate cleared the final procedural hurdle this afternoon to set up an up or down vote on health reform tomorrow morning. Tomorrow's vote will be the first vote held on Christmas Eve since Dec. 24, 1895.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:31:11 EST

From the Associated Press:

Jubilant Democrats are ready to push President Barack Obama's health care overhaul past one last 60-vote hurdle to final Christmas Eve passage, and Republicans concede they're powerless to stop it…

At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs declared, "Health care reform is not a matter of if, health care reform now is a matter of when."

Obama himself said the Senate legislation accomplishes 95 percent of what he wanted. "Every single criteria for reform I put forward is in this bill," the president told The Washington Post.

The third procedural vote comes Wednesday afternoon, when Democrats will have to put up 60 votes for the last time to cut off debate on the legislation. Democrats are also expected to turn back points of order raised against the bill by Republicans, including one questioning the constitutionality of requiring most every American to buy health insurance. Final passage on the sweeping bill, which will extend health coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans, is set for 8 a.m. Thursday, Christmas Eve….

From the Washington Post:

President Obama outlined Tuesday a first-year legislative record that he said rescued the economy and placed it on a path of long-term growth, even as he acknowledged that some unfinished items would probably be more difficult to achieve heading into a midterm election year.

In an Oval Office interview with The Washington Post, Obama rejected criticism that he has compromised too much to secure health-care reform or turned over too much authority to congressional leaders in pursuing his broad legislative agenda…

"Overall, if you had a checklist of promises made, a lot of those promises have been kept," Obama said. "When those things are complete, and I think they will be, we will have achieved a fundamental shift in health care, energy, education and our financial regulatory system that will put this economy on a firmer footing to grow over the long term…"

Although Obama noted in the interview that "the most important thing we did this year was to ensure that the financial system did not collapse," health-care reform dominated his agenda and will stand as at least one pillar of the legacy he leaves behind…

In the interview, Obama vigorously defended the legislation, saying he is "not just grudgingly supporting the bill. I am very enthusiastic about what we have achieved."

"Nowhere has there been a bigger gap between the perceptions of compromise and the realities of compromise than in the health-care bill," Obama said. "Every single criteria for reform I put forward is in this bill."

In listing those priorities, he cited the 30 million uninsured Americans projected to receive coverage, estimated savings of more than $1 trillion over the next two decades, a "patients' bill of rights on steroids," and tax breaks to help small businesses pay for employee coverage...

From the New York Times:

...The assistant majority leader, Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, said Democrats would clear every procedural hurdle thrown at them by Republicans and complete work on the legislation.

“Thirty million Americans who currently don’t have health insurance have the peace of mind of knowing that they have health insurance,” Mr. Durbin said. He added, “This is a real debate over whether or not health care is going to be a right or a privilege in America.”

With that, the clerk called the roll.

The votes were all along party lines, with Senator James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma absent, leaving the Republicans with 39 votes in opposition…

Party leaders announced an agreement on Tuesday afternoon to hold the final health care vote beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, allowing lawmakers to race to the airport to get home for Christmas.

Lawmakers were growing increasingly anxious about their holiday travel plans and family obligations.

“I have a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old who are convinced that Santa Claus can be in both Washington and Connecticut,” said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut. “That’s our latest challenge. I sent an e-mail to Santa.”

At the news conference after the votes, Democratic advocacy groups cheered and applauded as Mr. Reid, Mr. Dodd, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, and Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, entered the ornate Mansfield Room.

Mr. Reid, visibly relieved after securing the votes needed to complete the bill by Christmas, unfolded an elaborate baseball metaphor. He described Mr. Baucus as the speedy lead-off hitter, compared Mr. Dodd to Joe Morgan as the versatile No. 2 in the lineup, likened Mr. Harkin to Lou Gehrig batting third, and, in a rare moment of boastfulness, put himself in Babe Ruth’s cleanup spot.

But Mr. Reid quickly returned to modesty. “For me, for once in my life, I’m batting cleanup,” Mr. Reid said. “Because when I played baseball, I couldn’t bat cleanup. But by the time it got to me through Baucus, Dodd and Harkin, it was pretty easy.”

"What's really at stake"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:21:57 EST

From David Plouffe:

Any day now, health insurance reform will come up for a vote in the Senate.

We're hearing a lot about what's at stake with this vote for President Obama, the Democrats who are fighting alongside him, and the Republicans who have lined up in opposition.

But let's talk about what's really at stake for America. The Senate health reform bill will:
-- Extend coverage to 31 million Americans, the largest expansion of coverage since the creation of Medicare.

-- Ensure that you can choose your own doctor.

-- Finally stop insurance companies from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

-- Make sure you will never be charged exorbitant premiums on the basis of your age, health, or gender.

-- Guarantee you will never lose your coverage just because you get sick or injured.

-- Protect you from outrageous out-of-pocket expenditures by establishing lifetime and annual limits.

-- Allow young people to stay on their parents' coverage until they're 26 years old.

-- Create health insurance exchanges, or "one-stop shops" for individuals purchasing insurance, where insurance companies are forced to compete for new customers.

-- Lower premiums for families, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office -- especially for struggling folks who will receive subsidies.

-- Help small businesses provide health care coverage to their employees with tax credits and by allowing them to purchase coverage through the exchanges.

-- Improve and strengthen Medicare by eliminating waste and fraud (without cutting basic benefits), beginning to close the Medicare Part D donut hole, and extending the life of the Medicare trust fund.

-- Create jobs by reining in costs -- fostering competition, reducing waste and inefficiency, and starting to reward doctors and hospitals for quality, not quantity, of care.

-- Cut the deficit by over $130 billion in the next 10 years.
It's a long list. But that's only because this bill represents the most significant health reform our nation has seen since the creation of Medicare.

And it's important that every American knows what's really at stake this holiday season.

So please pass this email along to friends, family, and neighbors today -- or click below to share this list on Facebook and Twitter, or print out a copy to share with others:

http://my.barackobama.com/SenateReformBill

We wouldn't be this close to enacting these powerful reforms without all your hard work. Now, we're in the final stretch -- let's keep it up.

Thank you,

David Plouffe

OFA Political Update: Delivering Health Reform for the Holidays

Erica Sagrans — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:45:41 EST

With the Senate poised to vote on health reform any day now, OFA National Political Director Addisu Demissie sat down to give an update on where we’re at and what’s next.

“We have a long way to go, but as you’ve seen, we’ve made it really far. Now we need you to stay active, so as you go home with your families this holiday season, tell them a little more about what this bill’s actually going to do for them.

And then come back in the new year, we’re going to have to talk to our members of Congress, both on the House and the Senate side, and let them know that we’re behind them and we thank them for getting us this far, and we need them to get us across the finish line.

So that’s where we are, and that’s where we’re going. I want you all to have a happy holidays, and hopefully we’re going to be delivering the gift of health insurance reform to this country this holiday season.”

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:25:07 EST

New York Times Editorial:

The health care reform bill that Senate Democratic leaders have cobbled together to win support from all 60 members of their fractious caucus — the filibuster-proof majority needed to ensure passage — has drawn scornful attacks from a united Republican opposition. It is causing anguish among liberals who fear too much has been given away to a handful of conservatives.
The bill, which is moving toward a climactic vote this week, has some imperfections but is worthy of support from lawmakers who care about health care reform.
There is a lot to like in the bill. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it would cover more than 30 million of the uninsured and would, by 2019, result in 94 percent of all citizens and legal residents below Medicare age having health insurance. That is a big improvement from the current 83 percent.
It also estimates that the bill would reduce deficits over the next decade by $132 billion and even more in the following decade. Despite all the exaggerated Republican rhetoric that the bill will lead to fiscal disaster, it has been carefully and responsibly drafted so that it is fully paid for without busting future budgets.

Bloomberg:

Democrats moved closer to passing the most sweeping health-care legislation in four decades, clearing their second major hurdle in the Senate and winning the endorsement of the American Medical Association.
Democrats today won another procedural vote, keeping the measure on the path to final Senate approval later this week. Party lawmakers united with the two independents who caucus with them on the 60-39 vote, with the Republicans opposed. The last procedural vote is planned for tomorrow, with a final vote on passage due at the latest on Dec. 24. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he was trying to work out a way with Majority Leader Harry Reid to wrap up the session in a way that was acceptable to both parties.
“This is a real debate over whether or not health care is going to be a right or privilege in America,” Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, a member of the Democratic leadership, said before the vote. “If you believe it’s a privilege for the rich, then you’ll vote against this. If you believe it’s a right, then I hope you’ll vote with us.”
The Chicago-based AMA, the doctors’ lobby, yesterday said the Senate measure would make it easier for Americans to buy affordable health insurance, prevent insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, and provide doctors and patients with information about which treatments work best.
“This bill advances many of our priority issues for achieving the vision of a health system that works for patients and physicians,” AMA President-Elect Cecil Wilson said.

Washington Post Oped by Eugene Robinson:

When all is said and done -- and, yes, there is a bit more saying and doing to endure, which means that anything can happen -- the health-care reform legislation that President Obama now seems likely to sign into law, while an unlovely mess, will be remembered as a landmark accomplishment.
The bill making its way through the Senate by the slimmest of margins is imperfect, to say the least. But before listing its many flaws, let's consider the measure's one great virtue: For the first time, we will enshrine the principle that all Americans deserve access to medical care regardless of their ability to pay. No longer will it be the policy and practice of our nation to ration health according to wealth.
When you blow away all the smoke, that's what this fight is about. The Senate bill lacks a public health insurance option, the House bill is burdened by gratuitous abortion restrictions and the final product of a House-Senate conference will probably have both those failings. But once the idea of universal health care is signed into law, it will be all but impossible to erase. Over time, that idea will be made into reality.
The loose ends are so many and varied, in fact, that it will probably be necessary to revisit the health-care issue sooner rather than later. Even if it takes years to get it right, eventually is better than never. History suggests that major new social initiatives have to be perfected over time -- and that basic entitlements, once established, are rarely taken away…
So this isn't the end of a process that leads to a rational, sustainable, more efficient health-care system. It's the beginning. But when a reform bill passes, as now seems likely, Obama and congressional leaders will have achieved a goal that progressives have sought for decades. They will have established that quality health care should be for all, not just for those who can afford it.

Message from the President: "Where we stand"

Christopher Hass — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:44:19 EST

Earlier tonight, President Obama sent out the following email to supporters:

Early this morning, the Senate made history and health reform cleared its most important hurdle yet -- garnering the 60 votes needed to move toward a final vote in that chamber later this week.

This marks the first time in our nation's history that comprehensive health reform has come to this point. And it appears that the American people will soon realize the genuine reform that offers security to those who have health insurance and affordable options to those who do not.

I'm grateful to Senator Harry Reid and every senator who's been working around the clock to make this happen. And I'm grateful to you, and every member of the Organizing for America community, for all the work you have done to make this progress possible.

After a nearly century-long struggle, we are now on the cusp of making health insurance reform a reality in the United States of America.

As with any legislation, compromise is part of the process. But I'm pleased that recently added provisions have made this landmark bill even stronger. Between the time when the bill passes and the time when the insurance exchanges get up and running, insurance companies that try to jack up their rates do so at their own peril. Those who hike their prices may be barred from selling plans on the exchanges.

And while insurance companies will be prevented from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions once the exchanges are open, in the meantime there will be a high-risk pool where people with pre-existing conditions can purchase affordable coverage.

A recent amendment has made these protections even stronger. Insurance companies will now be prohibited from denying coverage to children immediately after this bill passes. There's also explicit language in this bill that will protect a patient's choice of doctor. And small businesses will get additional assistance as well.

These protections are in addition to the ones we've been talking about for some time. No longer will insurance companies be able to drop your coverage if you become sick and no longer will you have to pay unlimited amounts out of your own pocket for treatments that you need.

Under this bill families will save on their premiums; businesses that would see their costs rise if we don't act will save money now and in the future. This bill will strengthen Medicare and extend the life of the program. Because it's paid for and gets rid of waste and inefficiency in our health care system, this will be the largest deficit reduction plan in over a decade.

Finally, this reform will extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans who don't have it.

These are not small changes. These are big changes. They're fundamental reforms. They will save money. They will save lives.

And your passion, your work, your organizing helped make all of this possible. Now it's time to finish the job.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

David Plouffe Speaks with OFA Volunteers: “This is something we can all be proud of”

Erica Sagrans — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:59:13 EST

“I want to thank you for what you’ve done on health care. What you’ve done is really remarkable, and it’s a big reason we’re on the precipice of a big victory for the American people. It’s in many ways harder than what you did on the campaign – the metrics aren’t as accessible, sometimes the tangibility of it isn’t as clear – but what you’re doing out there is answering questions for people, building support, and fighting back against some of these mistruths.” – David Plouffe to OFA Volunteers

On Friday afternoon, former Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe joined an Organizing for America conference call with volunteers to discuss the current state of the health reform bills, and the accomplishments they represent. Here are a few highlights from the call:

On the need to continue moving the current health reform bill forward:

“We have to solve this problem. It’s a moral issue, it’s obviously a health issue, and I believe it’s the chief economic issue that we’re confronting right now in the long term…I know there’s a lot of arguments out there, the insurance companies are spending a lot of money, there’s even some well-principled people in our party who’ve got some concerns. But we have to stay focused on the wonderful impact this legislation is going to have on the future of this country.”

In response to a question from a volunteer named Anita, about how to talk with and re-engage folks who were active during the campaign but have since become upset over compromises that have been made to the health reform bills:

“First of all, let’s take them back. The President was very clear in his campaign about what he wanted to do on health care – it’s contained in what we’re on the precipice of passing. I think we need to remind them that we want to cut costs for families, middle class, businesses, small businesses, the government – well, that’s what’s in this bill.

“When Barack Obama spent 2007 and 2008 talking to the American people about hope and change, remind those people who are upset that this is what he was talking about. He was talking about after 100 years, taking on the insurance countries, doing something nobody thought was possible.
“This is something we can all be proud of…remind people exactly what’s in this bill, exactly what the President promised, and remind them of the stakes.”

You can isten to the full call here.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:26:52 EST

From Politico:

The Democratic Party’s decades-long push to remake the U.S. health care system cleared a major hurdle early Monday morning, with the Senate voting to advance a massive $871 billion bill to extend coverage to nearly all Americans and tighten regulations on private insurers.
Less than two days after releasing a bill with 383 pages of changes, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) corralled his politically diverse caucus and delivered the 60 votes necessary for the most crucial test vote in the legislative process so far — effectively assuring the reform package will clear the Senate later this week.
The final tally was a straight party-line vote, 60-40. All Democrats and two independents voted yes and all Republicans voted no – and each side bitterly accused the other of trying to thwart true reform through petty gamesmanship.
The senators voted just after 1 a.m. while seated at their desks, a rarely used practice implemented only for historic votes.
Adding to the sense of history: the late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s widow, Victoria Kennedy, watched the vote from the Senate gallery, then accepted hugs from a parade of Democratic senators who had just cast votes to move the nation toward Kennedy’s dream of universal health care.
"I feel fantastic," Kennedy told a small group of reporters. "This is an enormous victory."
Alongside Kennedy, White House health reform czar Nancy-Ann DeParle and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius also watched the Senate vote, a victory for President Barack Obama on his top legislative priority."We're excited and moving on to the next vote," DeParle told POLITICO.

Editorial from The New Republic:

…Since the first campaign for publicly guaranteed health insurance in the early twentieth century, opportunities for serious health reform have come only rarely and fleetingly. If this opportunity passes, it will be very long before the chance arrives again. Many Americans will be gravely hurt by the delay. The most progressive president of my generation--the generation that came of age in the anti-government shadow of Ronald Reagan--will be handed a crippling loss. The party he leads will be branded as unable to govern.
The public option was always a means to an end: real competition for insurers, an alternative for consumers to existing private plans that does not deny needed care or shift risks onto the vulnerable, the ability to provide affordable coverage over time. I thought it was the best means within our political grasp. It lay just beyond that grasp. Yet its demise--in this round--does not diminish the immediate necessity of those larger aims. And even without the public option, the bill that Congress passes and the President signs could move us substantially toward those goals.
As weak as it is in numerous areas, the Senate bill contains three vital reforms. First, it creates a new framework, the “exchange,” through which people who lack secure workplace coverage can obtain the same kind of group health insurance that workers in large companies take for granted. Second, it makes available hundreds of billions in federal help to allow people to buy coverage through the exchanges and through an expanded Medicaid program. Third, it places new regulations on private insurers that, if properly enforced, will reduce insurers’ ability to discriminate against the sick and to undermine the health security of Americans.
These are signal achievements, and they all would have been politically unthinkable just a few years ago…

From The Hill:

Healthcare reform entered the inevitability stage in the Senate during the wee hours of Monday morning as Democrats came together on a party-line vote to all but lock in passage of the legislation on Christmas Eve.
Though only a procedural vote, the 60-40 tally represents the first opportunity for Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to demonstrate the he united his entire caucus of 58 Democrats and two independents in advancing President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy initiative.
Reid sought to place the moment in a human and historical context. “With this vote, we are rejecting a system in which one class of people can afford to stay healthy while another cannot. It demands for the first time in American history that good health will not depend on great wealth,” he said. “It acknowledges, finally, that healthcare is a fundamental right -- a human right -- and not just a privilege for the most fortunate.”
Amid a solemn atmosphere on the Senate floor, senators cast their votes from their desks, a custom traditionally reserved for only the weightiest matters…
The legislation would spend $871 billion over 10 years to extend health insurance coverage to 31 million people while cutting Medicare and other program spending by $483 billion, raising $614 billion in new tax revenue and cut the federal budget deficit by $132 billion. The measure would create health insurance exchanges with subsidies for low- and middle-income people, expand Medicaid eligibility, enact strict new regulations on health insurers and put in place measures to reform the way healthcare services are delivered…
Looking down from the gallery was Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), the “Lion of the Senate” and lifelong champion of healthcare reform who died this year.
After the vote, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chris Dodd, (D-Conn.) and others greeted her with embraces. “He’s smiling,” she said to Dodd. “You made history tonight…”

First Cloture Vote on the Senate Health Reform Bill Passes 60-40

Christopher Hass — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:18:34 EST

Shortly after 1:00 A.M. this morning, the Senate voted 60-40 to invoke cloture on the manager’s amendment to the health reform bill offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid on Saturday. The vote was 60-40, with no Republicans voting in favor.

This was the first of several votes that will take place over the next few days, but it represents a crucial step towards passing a health reform bill out of the Senate. The next vote to move the bill forward will likely take place Tuesday night.

Inside the Manager’s Amendment to the Health Reform Bill

Erica Sagrans — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:17:48 EST

With all of the developments on health reform in the Senate this weekend, it can be challenging to keep track of what is and what isn’t in the latest version of the bill. Senator Harry Reid’s “manager’s amendment,” released Saturday morning, combined a number of key changes into a single amendment, many of which made strong improvements to the initial Senate bill. Taken together, this amendment and the underlying Senate bill it affects represent the most significant health reforms since the introduction of Medicare in the mid-1960s.

Though it does not contain every measure that OFA supporters have pushed for, the bill would make many sweeping changes that would save lives and finally bring about fundamental reforms that advocates have spent nearly a century fighting for. In an op-ed in this morning’s New York Times, Vice President Joe Biden wrote:

“While it does not contain every measure President Obama and I wanted, I would vote yes for this bill certain that it includes the fundamental, essential change that opponents of reform have resisted for generations.”

We thought it would be useful to put together a rundown of where things stand, and what’s changed over the course of negotiations this week. Here are a few of the key details:

• The state “opt-out” version of the public option was replaced with a series of national, privately run plans. These plans would be under the supervision of the Office of Personnel Management, the same entity that oversees health plans for members of Congress. At least one of these plans must be a non-profit plan.

• Health insurers would be required to spend more of their revenue on providing you health care (between 80% and 85%) rather than on administrative costs and salaries. Currently, the amount spent on patient claims is sometimes as low as 66%.

• Insurance companies that jack up their premiums before the health care exchanges begin would be excluded from participating – creating a strong incentive to keep premiums affordable.

• Starting immediately, insurers would not be able to deny children coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Discrimination on the basis of pre-existing conditions for everyone would be banned once the exchanges are open in 2014 – in the meantime, the bill creates a high-risk pool where adults with pre-existing conditions can buy affordable coverage.

• Patients will have the opportunity to appeal denials of health care coverage, with states ensuring the availability of an external, independent process that holds insurance companies accountable.

• Lifetime limits on health care would be banned – and starting in 2014, annual limits for care would be banned as well.

The limited Medicare buy-in, for those between ages 55 and 64, that had been discussed earlier in the month was not included in the amendment. Additionally, unlike the current House bill, the manager's amendment to the Senate bill does not ban plans in the exchange from offering abortion services – instead, it allows states to choose whether to prohibit abortion in their exchanges and requires segregation of private and public funds. If the Senate is able to pass its version of the bill, this and other discrepancies between the two bills (including the public option, which is included in the House bill) would still have to be worked out in conference committee.

The first cloture vote on the manager’s amendment is scheduled for 1:00 A.M. tonight.

Joe Biden: Why the Senate Should Vote Yes on Health Care

Christopher Hass — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:56:36 EST

In an op-ed in the New York Times today, Vice President Joe Biden explains why, if he were still a senator today, he would vote "yes" on the current health reform bill:

While it does not contain every measure President Obama and I wanted, I would vote yes for this bill certain that it includes the fundamental, essential change that opponents of reform have resisted for generations.

We have been here before. In the past, as the moment of decision drew nearer, criticism from both the left and the right grew louder. Compromises were derided. The perfect became the enemy of the good.

Most recently, in 1993, Democrats had a chance to forge a compromise with Senator John Chafee, Republican of Rhode Island, on a health care reform bill. Congress’s failure to pass health care reform that year led to 16 years of inaction — and 16 years of exploding health care costs and rising numbers of uninsured Americans.

We can’t let that happen again. While it is not perfect, the bill pending in the Senate today is not just good enough — it is very good. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions or drop coverage when people get sick. Charging exorbitant premiums based on sex, age or health status will be outlawed. Annual and lifetime caps on benefits will be history. Those who already have insurance will be able to keep it, and will gain peace of mind knowing they won’t be priced out of the market by skyrocketing premiums. And more than 30 million uninsured Americans will gain access to affordable health care coverage.

The Vice President also addressed the disappointment that many feel over the removal of a public option from the Senate bill, but warned that there would be no second chance to vote yes for reform:

I share the frustration of other progressives that the Senate bill does not include a public option. But I’ve been around a long time, and I know that in Washington big changes never emerge in perfect form.

Those in our own party who would scuttle this bill because of what it doesn’t do seem not to appreciate the magnitude of what it has the potential to accomplish.

...Is America better off today because a chance at a compromise health bill was missed in 1993? For my friends on the left, the rising toll of the uninsured provides an emphatic no. For my friends on the right, the soaring share of federal spending on health care likewise provides a no. Let’s not make the same mistake again.

If the bill passes the Senate this week, there will be more chances to make changes to it before it becomes law. But if the bill dies this week, there is no second chance to vote yes. What those who care about health insurance reform need to realize is that unless we get 60 votes now, there will be no health care reform at all. Not this year, not in this Congress — and maybe not for another generation.

Read the full op-ed . . .

Health Insurance Reform Legislative Update

Addisu from Washington, DC — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:41:51 EST

At approximately 4:00 P.M. this afternoon, Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on his manager's amendment to the Senate health reform bill. Folks, we are nearing the finish line.

Today's events mark a crucial first step towards having an up-or-down vote in the Senate on health insurance reform. After months of back and forth in committee and weeks of debate on the floor, this morning Senator Reid filed a motion to end debate and vote on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The Senate version of health insurance reform would achieve the goals President Obama set out at the beginning of this debate. It would provide more stability and security to people who have insurance by ending some of the insurance companies worst practices like denying someone coverage because of a pre-existing condition or canceling someone's coverage when they get sick. It will extend coverage to 31 million more Americans, providing coverage options for the uninsured through a new health insurance exchange, while making that coverage affordable through generous subsidies. And it would lower costs for families and businesses by increasing choice and competition. This legislation will reduce the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars in the next 10 years, and it will bend the cost curve downward.

What happens now? Sixty senators must vote to end debate, and then 51 Senators must vote to pass this historic bill. The exact timeline is anyone's guess, but Senate Democrats are working around the clock to pass the bill before Christmas.

Once the bill passes, the action moves to conference committee. Members of the House and Senate conference committee will create a final piece of legislation (blending elements of House and Senate bills) that will be voted on one more time by both chambers. Upon final passage, Congress will send that final bill to President Obama's desk for his signature.

While we have a few steps left to take and some twists and turns to go, here's what we can be sure of: President Obama will sign into law the most significant piece of social and economic legislation since Social Security, and the largest expansion of health care coverage since the creation of Medicare in 1965.

The work OFA volunteers and supporters have done and continue to do to ensure President Obama has the opportunity to sign this historic legislation into law is nothing short of amazing. Millions have taken action as part of OFA health insurance reform campaign since we kicked-off our effort on June 6th. And since August, Organizing for America has generated over 1,000,000 calls to members of Congress to demonstrate support for reform.

You've written, you called, you've visited, you haven't given up. Thank you. This holiday season, we're going to give America the gift of health insurance reform. We are going to get this done.

Addisu Demissie is the national political director for Organizing for America.

Senate Health Reform Bill is a "Major Step Forward"

Cloe Axelson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:12:58 EST

President Obama spoke to reporters in the Diplomatic Reception Room this afternoon about the historic activities happening around health insurance reform and climate change. Here’s an excerpt from the President's remarks:

…On health care, with today’s developments it now appears that the American people will have the vote they deserve on genuine reform that offers security to those who have health insurance and affordable options to those for do not. And so I want to thank Senator Harry Reid and every senator who’s been working around the clock to make this happen.

There’s still much work left to be done, but not a lot of time left to do it. But today is a major step forward for the American people. After a nearly century long struggle we are on the cusp of making health care reform a reality in the United States of America.

As with any legislation, compromise is part of the process. But I'm pleased that recently added amendments have made this landmark bill even stronger. Between the time the bill passes and the time when the insurance exchange gets up and running there will now be penalties for insurance companies that arbitrarily jack up rates on consumers. And while insurance companies will be prevented from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions once the exchange is open, in the meantime there will be a high risk pool where people with pre-existing conditions can purchase affordable coverage.

And a recent amendment has made these protections even stronger. Insurance companies will now be prohibited from denying coverage to children immediately after this bill passes. There’s also explicit language in this bill that will protect a patient’s choice of doctor. And small businesses will get additional assistance as well.

These protections are in addition to the ones we’ve been talking about for some time. No longer will insurance companies be able to drop your coverage if you become sick and no longer will you have to pay unlimited amounts out of your own pocket for treatments that you need.

Under this bill families will save on their premiums; businesses that will see their costs rise if we don’t act will save money now and in the future. This bill with strengthen Medicare and extend the life of the program. Because it’s paid for and gets rid of waste and inefficiency in our health care system this will be the largest deficit reduction plan in over a decade. In fact, we just learned from the Congressional Budget Office that this bill will reduce our deficit by $132 billion over the first decade of the program, and more than one trillion dollars in the decade after that.

Finally, this reform will make coverage affordable for over 30 million Americans who don’t have it -- over 30 million Americans.

As I said before, these are not small changes. These are big changes. They’re fundamental reforms. They will save money. They will save lives. And I look forward to working with the Senate and the House to finish the work that remains so that we can make this reform a reality for the American people…

“A Meaningful and Unprecedented Breakthrough in Copenhagen”

Cloe Axelson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:10:02 EST

Copenhagen has been the epicenter of intense negotiations for the past two weeks about the necessity for global action to address the threat of climate change. President Obama arrived in Denmark on Friday. After remarks at the morning plenary session and several bilateral meetings, the President helped forge a last-minute agreement with China, India, South Africa and Brazil that now forms the basis of the Copenhagen Accord.

During a press conference Friday night (Copenhagen time), President Obama called the Accord “a meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough” because “for the first time in history all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change.” That fact was echoed by the United Nations' top climate official, Yvo de Boer, who told the Washington Post the Accord was "politically incredibly significant," because so many world leaders personally participated in drafting it. The Accord is not a binding agreement – and in the President’s own words, “we know that this progress alone is not enough” – but it does represent a significant step forward.

The talks hinged on three major issues – transparency (clear goals, monitoring and reporting), mitigation (a commitment to limit a rise in the Earth’s temperature) and financing (to help poorer nations adapt to climate change). From the New York Times:

The accord provides a system for monitoring and reporting progress toward those national pollution-reduction goals, a compromise on an issue over which China bargained hard. It calls for hundreds of billions of dollars to flow from wealthy nations to those countries most vulnerable to a changing climate. And it sets a goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050, implying deep cuts in climate-altering emissions over the next four decades.

Grist has a round up of the provisions included in the Accord:

1. A commitment by developed nations to invest $30 billion over the next three years to help developing nations adapt to climate change and pursue clean energy development.

2. A provisional commitment by developed nations to develop a long-term $100 billion global fund by 2020 to assist developing nations in responding to climate change and become part of the clean energy economic transition.

3. A goal to pursue emissions reductions that are sufficient to keep the rise in global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius.

4. Pledges by nations to commit to concrete emissions reductions, though the specific levels of reduction were not set.

5. A general goal to subject participating countries to international review of their progress under the accord.

6. Diplomatic space for the United States and China to work together to solve climate change.

7. A commitment to complete an assessment of the effectiveness of the accord in reducing emissions by the end of 2015.

According to the New York Times, Senator John Kerry (MA), the lead author of clean energy and climate legislation in the Senate, said the Accord would drive Congress to pass climate change legislation early next year. “This can be a catalyzing moment,” he said Friday. “President Obama’s hands-on engagement broke through the bickering and sets the stage for a final deal and for Senate passage this spring of major legislation at home.”

Read President Obama's full remarks . . .

Vicki Kennedy: "The moment Ted Kennedy would not want to lose"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:54:53 EST

Vicki Kennedy, the widow of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, wrote a passionate op-ed piece for this Sunday's Washington Post, in which she talks about how she believes her husband would have stood on the current health reform bill being debated in the Senate:

My late husband, Ted Kennedy, was passionate about health-care reform. It was the cause of his life. He believed that health care for all our citizens was a fundamental right, not a privilege, and that this year the stars -- and competing interests -- were finally aligned to allow our nation to move forward with fundamental reform. He believed that health-care reform was essential to the financial stability of our nation's working families and of our economy as a whole.

Still, Ted knew that accomplishing reform would be difficult. If it were easy, he told me, it would have been done a long time ago. He predicted that as the Senate got closer to a vote, compromises would be necessary, coalitions would falter and many ardent supporters of reform would want to walk away. He hoped that they wouldn't do so. He knew from experience, he told me, that this kind of opportunity to enact health-care reform wouldn't arise again for a generation.

...The bill before the Senate, while imperfect, would achieve many of the goals Ted fought for during the 40 years he championed access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. If this bill passes:

-- Insurance protections like the ones Ted fought for his entire life would become law.

-- Thirty million Americans who do not have coverage would finally be able to afford it. Ninety-four percent of Americans would be insured. Americans would finally be able to live without fear that a single illness could send them into financial ruin.

-- Insurance companies would no longer be able to deny people the coverage they need because of a preexisting illness or condition. They would not be able to drop coverage when people get sick. And there would be a limit on how much they can force Americans to pay out of their own pockets when they do get sick.

-- Small-business owners would no longer have to fear being forced to lay off workers or shut their doors because of exorbitant insurance rates. Medicare would be strengthened for the millions of seniors who count on it.

-- And by eliminating waste and inefficiency in our health-care system, this bill would bring down the deficit over time.

Health care would finally be a right, and not a privilege, for the citizens of this country. While my husband believed in a robust public option as an effective way to lower costs and increase competition, he also believed in not losing sight of the forest for the trees. As long as he wasn't compromising his principles or values, he looked for a way forward.

...The bill before Congress will finally deliver on the urgent needs of all Americans. It would make their lives better and do so much good for this country. That, in the end, must be the test of reform. That was always the test for Ted Kennedy. He's not here to urge us not to let this chance slip through our fingers. So I humbly ask his colleagues to finish the work of his life, the work of generations, to allow the vote to go forward and to pass health-care reform now.

Read the full op-ed from Victoria Kennedy . . .

The President's Weekly Address: The Patient's Bill of Rights and Health Reform

Christopher Hass — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:42:44 EST

In today's address, President Obama looks back at the bipartisan "Patient's Bill of Rights" – a set of rules intended to protect Americans from some of the worst practices of the health insurance industry, that was defeated time and again in the past, but is now embodied in the current health reform bills:

This Patient’s Bill of Rights never made it into law. It fell victim – again and again – to the same special interest lobbying that has blocked passage of health insurance reform for so many decades. But today, we are being given another chance to make it a reality, because each of these rights, and many more, are incorporated in the health insurance reform bill that recently passed the House of Representatives and in the bill that is currently making its way through the Senate.

Both the House and Senate bills would make it against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition or illness. Both would stop insurers from charging exorbitant premiums on the basis of age, health, or gender. Both would prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage when you get sick. And both would put a limit on how much you have to pay out of pocket for the treatments you need in a year or lifetime.

Simply put, the protections currently included in both the health insurance reform bill passed by the House and the version currently on the Senate floor would represent the toughest measures we’ve ever taken to hold the insurance industry accountable. Anyone who says otherwise simply hasn’t read the bills.

...But now – for the first time – there is a clear majority in the Senate that’s willing to stand up to the insurance lobby and embrace lasting health insurance reforms that have eluded us for generations. The question is whether the minority that opposes these reforms will continue to use parliamentary maneuvers to try and stop the Senate from voting on them.

Whatever their position on health insurance reform, Senators ought to allow an up or down vote. Let’s bring this long and vigorous debate to an end. Let’s deliver on the promise of health insurance reforms that will make our people healthier, our economy stronger, and our future more secure. And as this difficult year comes to a close, let’s show the American people that we are equal to the task of meeting our great challenges.

Senate to Release Amendment to Health Reform Bill Saturday Morning

Christopher Hass — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:37:21 EST

Early Saturday morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to unveil a "manager's amendment" to the health reform bill that will contain a comprehensive list of changes that have been arrived at over the past week. This would then pave the way for the final vote in the Senate.

The Hill reports:

Reid will unveil his amendment with a cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shortly after the Senate votes at around 7:30 Saturday morning to clear a Defense spending bill.

“That’s the plan, soon after that vote because we want to file cloture on that quickly,” said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

...Durbin said it was necessary to unveil Reid’s amendment and file a motion to cut of a GOP filibuster on Saturday morning to set up a preliminary vote at 1 a.m. Monday.

Lawmakers must vote early Monday to cut off debate on Reid’s amendment if they are to stick to a timeline that would set a final vote on the healthcare bill after 7 pm on Christmas Eve.

President Obama Calls for Action on Climate in Copenhagen

Cloe Axelson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:37:19 EST

This morning, President Obama addressed a plenary session of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

The President called on world leaders to come together, seize the moment and forge an agreement on climate. As the New York Times reported:

“President Obama speaking to world leaders gathered here at the frenzied end of two weeks of climate talks, urged them to come to an agreement — no matter how imperfect — to address global warming and monitor whether countries are in compliance with promised emissions cuts.”

President Obama reaffirmed America’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis and pledged to move keep moving forward, at home – by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in a clean energy economy – and abroad, by helping to build a $100 billion fund that would assist poorer countries adapt to climate change.

Here’s an excerpt from his remarks:

…So I want this plenary session to understand, America is going to continue on this course of action to mitigate our emissions and to move towards a clean energy economy, no matter what happens here in Copenhagen. We think it is good for us, as well as good for the world. But we also believe that we will all be stronger, all be safer, all be more secure if we act together. That's why it is in our mutual interest to achieve a global accord in which we agree to certain steps, and to hold each other accountable to certain commitments.
After months of talk, after two weeks of negotiations, after innumerable side meetings, bilateral meetings, endless hours of discussion among negotiators, I believe that the pieces of that accord should now be clear…
Mitigation. Transparency. Financing. It's a clear formula -- one that embraces the principle of common but differentiated responses and respective capabilities. And it adds up to a significant accord -- one that takes us farther than we have ever gone before as an international community.
The time for talk is over. This is the bottom line: We can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward, continue to refine it and build upon its foundation. We can do that, and everyone who is in this room will be part of a historic endeavor -- one that makes life better for our children and our grandchildren.
Or we can choose delay, falling back into the same divisions that have stood in the way of action for years. And we will be back having the same stale arguments month after month, year after year, perhaps decade after decade, all while the danger of climate change grows until it is irreversible.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is no time to waste. America has made our choice. We have charted our course. We have made our commitments. We will do what we say. Now I believe it's the time for the nations and the people of the world to come together behind a common purpose.
We are ready to get this done today -- but there has to be movement on all sides to recognize that it is better for us to act than to talk; it’s better for us to choose action over inaction; the future over the past -- and with courage and faith, I believe that we can meet our responsibility to our people, and the future of our planet…

After the plenary session, President Obama met leaders from around the world, including officials from European nations, India, China and Mexico. The two-week conference ends tonight. Here’s a roundup from the Washington Post.

"The time for political games is over"

Christopher Hass — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:50:21 EST

Last night at 1:00 A.M., the Senate was narrowly able to overcome a Republican filibuster of a key defense spending bill. On Saturday at midnight, money for the Department of Defense is set to run out – including the money that funds our troops overseas. Republicans had sought to use filibustering of defense funding as a way to delay further debate on health reform.

The New York Times reported:

With Democrats trying to inch toward a final vote on the health care plan before Christmas, Republicans are using every tactic at their disposal to try to thwart progress. Delaying a final vote on the Pentagon measure was just the latest and probably not the last.

Republicans acknowledged their resistance to the Pentagon measure was due to their desire to prolong the debate over the Democratic health care overhaul.

... Asked if he would vote for the defense bill, which Republicans routinely support, Senator Sam Brownback Republican of Kansas, replied bluntly: “No. I don’t want health care.”

The Senate needed to dispose of the Pentagon measure to clear the decks for an effort to overcome a series of procedural hurdles and try to pass a health care measure before leaving for the holidays.

Money for military operations is due to run out Friday under a stop-gap bill and the Senate needs to either complete the bill or pass another extension while the spending bill is completed.

The defense spending measure also includes a two-month extension of unemployment benefits and health insurance for out-of-work Americans.

This morning, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer wrote that "This is not a controversial bill – nearly 400 house members supported it and the vast majority of Republicans are expected to vote for it. It’s political gamesmanship at its worst."

The Senate is expected to resume debate on health reform tomorrow morning.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:43:12 EST

From the Washington Post:

The Obama administration named 18 projects Thursday that would receive a portion of the $7.4 billion in stimulus funds set aside to bring high-speed Internet to poor and rural areas that have been overlooked by Internet service providers…
Analysts say the first batch of funds suggests the federal government is targeting "middle mile" projects that may not bring lines directly to the home, but could have even greater impact by connecting entire communities that have been off the Internet grid…
Vice President Biden announced the awards during a speech in Dawsonville, Ga. The government plans to distribute about $2 billion over the next 2 1/2 months. The remainder of the $7.4 billion has been spent on mapping projects or will be distributed in a final round of grants in coming months.
"New broadband access means more capacity and better reliability in rural areas and underserved urban communities around the country. Businesses will be able to improve their customer service and better compete around the world," Biden said. "This is what the Recovery Act is all about -- sparking new growth, tapping into the ingenuity of the American people and giving folks the tools they need to help build a new economy in the 21st century…"

From the New York Times:

President Obama called on world leaders to come to an agreement on climate change, no matter how imperfect, and pressed for an accord that would monitor whether countries — primarily China — are complying with promised emissions cuts.
Speaking just hours after arriving here for what is supposed to be the last day of difficult talks to address global warming, and clearly frustrated by the absence of any agreement, Mr. Obama was both emphatic and at times impatient.
“The time for talk is over,” he said.
Mr. Obama arrived here prepared to lend his political muscle to secure an agreement on climate change that has eluded world leaders for two weeks. But the tone of his remarks to the plenary session at the Bella Center on Friday indicated that the accord was still plagued by distrust over how nations would hold each other accountable.
“I don’t know how you have an international agreement where you don’t share information and ensure we are meeting our commitments,” he said. “That doesn’t make sense. That would be a hollow victory…”
In his speech to the plenary session, Mr. Obama expressed his urgency to secure a climate deal, no matter how “imperfect” it might have to be.
“We are running short on time,” Mr. Obama warned. “And at this point, the question is whether we will move forward together, or split apart. Whether we prefer posturing to action.”
“We can again choose delay, falling back into the same divisions that have stood in the way of action for years.” But, he warned that such a course would leave leaders “back having the same stale arguments month after month, year after year, perhaps decade after decade—all while the danger of climate change grows until it is irreversible.”
And in a challenge to the assembled national leaders, though not mentioning China directly, he said that America is “ready to get this done today...”

From the Washington Post:

Former president Bill Clinton waded in the debate on the health-care reform bill Thursday, urging support for its passage and warning "America can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good."
"This is a good bill," he wrote in a statement released by the William J. Clinton Foundation. "It increases the security of those who already have insurance and gives every American access to affordable coverage; and contains comprehensive efforts to control costs and improve quality, with more information on best practices, and comparative costs and results. The bill will shift the power away from the insurance companies and into the hands of consumers…"
"Take it from someone who knows: these chances don't come around every day. Allowing this effort to fall short now would be a colossal blunder -- both politically for our party and, far more important, for the physical, fiscal, and economic health of our country."

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:08:44 EST

From the Washington Post:

Senate Republicans vowed Wednesday to use every available tactic to delay voting on the health-care bill as Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) scrambled to unify Democrats in support of the legislation.
Meanwhile, on the Senate floor, Republicans showed they were prepared to extend the health-care debate as long as possible, with Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.) demanding that a Senate clerk read aloud a 767-page Democratic amendment sponsored by Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.).
The GOP bid was foiled about three hours later, when Sanders withdrew his long-shot proposal to create a Canadian-style single-payer system. But Republicans are expected to make a similar move when Reid introduces the revised Senate bill, which is likely to top 2,000 pages and which cannot be similarly withdrawn…
Democrats decried the maneuver and predicted that the stalling effort would fail. "The decision by the Senate Republican leadership today to have the Sanders amendment read clearly tells us what their strategy is," said Democratic Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.). "It is to slow down or stop this bill at any cost."
Durbin said the Dec. 25 deadline for passage remains in place, provided Reid can lock down the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster. "I think that we can get this done in time for each of us to be home for Christmas. That's our goal," Durbin said.

From ABC News:

Obama administration officials tonight outlined how the next six months of the $787 billion stimulus program will focus on infrastructure projects - such as roads, water projects, broadband, and housing – as the push continues to create jobs across the country.
The two-year program has three phases – relief, recovery, and reinvestment – and with the first two parts of the program coming to a close as the one-year anniversary of the stimulus approaches in February, the focus will now turn to reinvestment. Most of the $394 billion spent as of December 4 has been payments in the form of direct aid to states, cities, and individuals in need, but the second half of the funds will be geared towards projects, with monthly spending on projects more than tripling in 2010…
“This is sort of like jumpstarting your car,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. “Your car has stalled, you’ve hooked up the jumper cables – this isn’t a one-shot jolt to get your engine going. This is a sustained stimulus. It’s a sustained jolt into the economy because you don’t want to get to this point where after only a short period of time you’ve injected everything in and then you fall short.”
Administration officials also vigorously defended the program’s progress up to this point, noting a recent report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office that said the Recovery Act has saved or created as many as 1.6 million jobs as of the end of the third quarter. The nation’s economy grew during the third quarter and job losses have slowed from 652,000 in March to only 11,000 in November.
"There is no question in my mind that the private-sector US economy will begin generating robust employment at some point in the near future," said Jared Bernstein, chief economist to Vice President Joe Biden. "Precisely when that is, no one can say, but what we can say is that point is a lot closer now because of the Recovery Act."

From the Plum Line:

This seems significant: Obama’s political operation, Organizing for America, is on track tonight to make its one-millionth call to members of Congress since last August, OFA spokesman Brad Woodhouse confirms to me.
It’s a reminder that even as the the infighting among Dems over health care grew to a dull media roar in recent days, OFA has been quietly plugging away — and is now on track to reach a milestone. The question is whether it can put enough general pressure on Congress to get them to overcome their specific differences.

From Salon:

Organizing for America, the post-campaign version of the Obama for America campaign's juggernaut website/mailing list/organizing tool that compiled and rallied more than 3 million supporters during Obama's 2008 presidential run, is asking its supporters to help rally their home-state senators on the health care reform package with calls to Washington.
A version of the script found here has gone out by direct email, and those who go to the OFA site are immediately greeted by an appeal to take action. That script reads in part:
If we don't pass health reform, millions of Americans will be trapped in a broken status quo, unable to pay their bills or see a doctor when they need one.
More and more employers will drop coverage for employees. And Medicare and Medicaid will blow a hole through our budget.
There's too much at stake not to get this done. That's why, as of this morning, OFA supporters have made 849,856 calls to Congress in support of health reform since August.
And that's why today, with the Senate locked in last-minute negotiations, our goal is to hit one million calls.
OFA says it's approaching a million calls, which is impressive…

Click here to call your Senators and ask them to ring in Health Reform.

Over 1,008,426 Calls

Christopher Hass — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:17:47 EST

From the Barack Obama twitter feed:

Federal Deficits the Legacy of Bush Era Policies

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:58:08 EST

An analysis released today by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities determined that the nation’s current budget deficits are largely a consequence of the previous administration’s policies. According to the Center, the Bush-era tax cuts, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the economic downturn account for almost the entire deficit over the next 10 years:

…The events and policies that have pushed deficits to astronomical levels in the near term, however, were largely outside the new Administration’s control. If not for the tax cuts enacted during the Presidency of George W. Bush that Congress did not pay for, the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that began during that period, and the effects of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression (including the cost of steps necessary to combat it), we would not be facing these huge deficits in the near term…

The Center continues:

Some commentators blame recent legislation — the stimulus bill and the financial rescues — for today’s record deficits. But those costs pale next to other policies enacted since 2001 that have swollen the deficit…
Just two policies dating from the Bush Administration — tax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — accounted for over $500 billion of the deficit in 2009 and $7.1 trillion in 2009 through 2019, including the associated debt-service costs. These impacts easily dwarf the stimulus and financial rescues. Furthermore, unlike those temporary costs, these inherited policies (especially the tax cuts) do not fade away as the economy recovers.
Without the economic downturn and the fiscal policies of the previous Administration, the budget would be roughly in balance over the next decade. That would put the nation on a much sounder footing to address the demographic challenges and the cost pressures in health care that darken the long-run fiscal outlook…

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report confirms what conservative and independent sources have already reported. David Leonhardt of the New York Times wrote: “President Obama’s agenda, ambitious as it may be, is responsible for only a sliver of the deficits, despite what many of his Republican critics are saying… The story of today’s deficits starts in January 2001, as President Bill Clinton was leaving office.” And recent analysis by the right-wing CATO Institute agreed arguing, “don’t blame Obama for Bush’s 2009 deficit.”

The Center also determined President Obama’s first budget proposed responsible steps that will help to reduce deficits by approximately $750 billion over the next 10 years.

One Million Calls

Christopher Hass — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:09:35 EST

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

If we don't pass health reform, millions of Americans will be trapped in a broken status quo, unable to pay their bills or see a doctor when they need one.

More and more employers will drop coverage for employees. And Medicare and Medicaid will blow a hole through our budget.

There's too much at stake not to get this done. That's why, as of this morning, OFA supporters have made 849,856 calls to Congress in support of health reform since August.

And that's why today, with the Senate locked in last-minute negotiations, our goal is to hit one million calls.

Can you help? Please call your senators now and help "ring in reform."
This holiday season, millions of Americans will go without desperately needed care simply because they can't afford insurance.

But insurance lobbyists are desperate to pull apart the bill and derail reform, so your voice is needed now.

Just call your senators' offices, then tell the staffers who answer where you live -- so that they know you are a constituent -- and that you support reform.

Click here to make sure you call is counted in the race to a million.

Thanks for standing up,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:43:32 EST

From the New York Times:

At the White House, Mr. Obama declared himself “cautiously optimistic” after a meeting with the entire Senate Democratic caucus, where he urged senators to put aside their differences and “seize the moment,” to pass a measure that would extend health coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans.
“Now, let’s be clear,” Mr. Obama said after the hourlong private meeting. “The final bill won’t include everything that everybody wants. No bill can do that. But what I told my former colleagues today is that we simply cannot allow differences over individual elements of this plan to prevent us from meeting our responsibility to solve a longstanding and urgent problem for the American people.”
The meeting underscored the sense of urgency for Mr. Obama, who has made passing a health care overhaul his highest legislative priority. He is leaving on Thursday night for Copenhagen to attend a conference on climate change, and he acknowledged that “there are still disagreements that have to be ironed out” and “work to be done in the next few days.”
In the Senate, Democratic leaders said they were confident they could resolve those disagreements because liberals seemed willing to make concessions to get a bill passed…
“We are very disappointed,” said Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, who is a leading liberal in the Senate. Still, Mr. Brown said, “I’m going to vote for the bill — there’s too much at stake.”

From the Washington Post blogs:

The core of this legislation is as it always was: $900 billion, give or take, so people who can't afford health-care insurance suddenly can. Insurance regulations paired with the individual mandate, so insurers can't discriminate against the sick and the healthy can't make insurance unaffordable by hanging back until the moment they need medical care. The construction of health insurance exchanges so the people currently left out of the employer-based market are better served, and the many who will join them as the employer system continues to erode will have somewhere to go…
A lot of progressives woke up this morning feeling like they lost. They didn't. The public option and its compromised iterations were a battle that came to seem like a war. But they weren't the war. The bill itself was. When liberals talked about the dream of universal health-care insurance 10, 20 and 30 years ago, they talked about the plight of the uninsured, not the necessity of a limited public option in competition with private insurers.
"This is a good bill," Sen. Sherrod Brown said on Countdown last night. "Not a great bill, but a good bill." That's about right. But the other piece to remember is that more than it's a good bill, it's a good start. With $900 billion in subsidies already in place, it's easier to add another hundred billion later, if we need it, than it would be to pass $1 trillion in subsidies in 2011. With the exchanges built and private insurers unable to hold down costs, it's easier to argue for adding a strong public option to the market than it was before we'd tried regulation and a new competitive structure. With 95 percent of the country covered, it's easier to go the final 5 percent. And with a health-care reform bill actually passed, it's easier to convince legislators that passing such bills is possible.

From USA Today:

As President Obama heads to Copenhagen this week to convince world leaders of the United States' commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he's getting help from an unexpected quarter.
In the Senate, where partisan feuding engulfs Obama's health care bill, an unusual group of lawmakers is working across party lines on a compromise bill that would boost domestic energy production while reducing pollution that causes global warming.
Described by participants as "tripartisan," the effort unites Sens. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat; Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent; and Lindsey Graham, an outspoken South Carolina Republican…
The three are touting their alliance as proof that Congress is prepared to approve significant reductions in carbon emissions…
Kerry has a pointed message of his own for the Chinese in a speech he plans to deliver in Copenhagen today after an all-night flight from Washington.
"Some of my colleagues in Washington remain — like some leaders elsewhere — reluctant to grapple with a climate crisis mostly measured in future dangers and parts per million, when they're confronted every day with the present pain of hard-working people in a tough economic time," Kerry says, in remarks prepared for delivery.
"To pass a bill, we must be able to assure a senator from Ohio that steelworkers in his state won't lose their jobs to India and China because those countries are not participating in a way that is measureable, reportable and verifiable," he adds.
Obama has offered a 17% reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The House approved the same target in June, with just eight GOP votes and 44 Democrats opposed.
On Tuesday in Copenhagen, former vice president Al Gore— a Democrat who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change — called on Congress to approve a climate change bill by April 22, the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day.

"The most significant reform of our health care system since the passage of Medicare"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:44:30 EST

Earlier today President Obama hosted what he described as a "very productive" meeting with Democratic Senators on the final stages of health care reform. Following the meeting, the President spoke briefly to the press on the current state of the debate:

There are still some differences that have to be worked on. This was not a roll call. This was a broad-based discussion about how we move forward. But whatever differences remain, there is broad consensus around reforms that will finally, number one, protect every American from the worst practices in the health insurance industry. No longer will these companies be able to deny you coverage if you have a preexisting illness or condition. No longer will they be able to drop you from coverage when you get sick. No longer will you have to pay unlimited amounts out of your own pocket for the treatments that you need. We are all in agreement on those reforms.

We agree on reforms that will finally reduce the costs of health care. Families will save on their premiums; businesses that will see their costs rise if we do nothing will save money now and in the future. This plan will strengthen Medicare and extend the life of that program. And because it gets rid of the waste and inefficiencies in our health care system, this will be the largest deficit reduction plan in over a decade.

...These aren't small changes. These are big changes. They represent the most significant reform of our health care system since the passage of Medicare. They will save money. They will save families money; they will save businesses money; and they will save government money. And they're going to save lives. That's why this reform is supported by groups like the AARP who represents most of America's seniors. That's why this reform has to pass on our watch.

Now, let's be clear. The final bill won't include everything that everybody wants. No bill can do that. But what I told my former colleagues today is that we simply cannot allow differences over individual elements of this plan to prevent us from meeting our responsibility to solve a longstanding and urgent problem for the American people. They are waiting for us to act. They are counting on us to show leadership. And I don't intend to let them down, and neither do the people standing next to me. There's too much at stake for families who can't pay their medical bills, or see a doctor when they need to, or get the treatment they need. The stakes are enormous for them.

...So there are still disagreements that have to be ironed out. There is still work to be done in the next few days... [But] I am absolutely confident that if the American people know what's in this bill and if the Senate knows what's in this bill that this is going to pass, because it's right for America. And I'm feeling cautiously optimistic that we can get this done and start rolling up our sleeves and getting to work improving the lives of the American people.

Read the President's full remarks . . .

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:03:18 EST

From the New York Times:

President Obama pressured the heads of the nation’s biggest banks on Monday to take “extraordinary” steps to revive lending for small businesses and homeowners, prompting assurances from some financial institutions that they would do more even as they continued to shed their supplicant status in Washington.
Meeting with top executives from 12 financial institutions, Mr. Obama sent a clear message that the industry had a responsibility to help nurse the economy back to health and do more to create jobs in return for the huge federal bailout last year that kept Wall Street and the banking system afloat…
During the hourlong meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Mr. Obama prodded the executives to stop fighting the regulation legislation intended to deal with the problems that led to the financial crisis, White House officials said.
“I made very clear that I have no intention of letting their lobbyists thwart reforms necessary to protect the American people,” Mr. Obama said in remarks after the meeting. “If they wish to fight common sense consumer protections, that’s a fight I’m more than willing to have…”

From the Wall Street Journal:

Senate Democrats on Monday evening dropped a plan to expand Medicare, winning the support of moderates and the reluctant acquiescence of liberals, in another major step toward building enough support to pass a health-care overhaul…
At an evening caucus of all 58 Democrats and the two independents who sit with the party, including Sen. Lieberman, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) and other party leaders made clear they wanted to head off the dispute.
Sen. Evan Bayh (D., Ind.) said Democrats agreed that the dispute over Medicare shouldn't hold up legislation that would extend coverage to tens of millions of Americans.
"There are a lot of good things here," he said. "To use an old cliché, the general consensus was we shouldn't make the perfect the enemy of the good..."
Mr. Reid wants to vote on the legislation by Christmas, setting the stage for House-Senate negotiations on a final compromise bill in January. Among other things, the bill would expand Medicaid, which serves the poor, and create tax subsidies to help families purchase insurance…
Senate Democrats are set to visit the White House Tuesday to meet President Barack Obama, who is also pressing for action before Christmas…
Liberal Democrats suggested they would reluctantly go along with Mr. Lieberman's position. "There's enough good in this bill...that we ought to move it," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa)…

From USA Today:

A solid majority of Americans support the idea of a global treaty that would require the United States to reduce significantly greenhouse gas emissions, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, although many also express concern about the potential impact on the economy.
The results provide some encouragement for President Obama, who attends the United Nations conference on climate change in Copenhagen on Friday. By 55%-38%, those surveyed endorse a binding accord to limit the gases tied to global warming…
There's a lot of public support for various climate policy approaches that diminishes as you begin to put a specific dollar figure with it," says Barry Rabe, a University of Michigan political scientist who studies public opinion on the environment. He says the findings show many Americans open to persuasion…
Young people, those 18 to 29 years old, are by far the most supportive of a treaty, backing the idea by 66%-26%...

From the Michigan Post-Bulletin:

This holiday season children are not the only ones writing letters with their Christmas wishes.
Supporters and opponents of the Democrats' health care reform proposals are launching holiday letter-writing campaigns. Organizing for America, a political group run by the Democratic National Committee, has set up a Web site where supporters can send lawmakers an e-mail that says, "I am a constituent, and this holiday season, my wish is for health reform…"

President to Meet with Senate Democratic Caucus Today

Christopher Hass — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:32:28 EST

President Obama is scheduled to meeting with members of the Senate Democratic Caucus at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building today, in order to discuss the ongoing negotiations and debate on health reform. Following the meeting, the President will make a statement to the press. The meeting will begin at 1:40 P.M., with the President's remarks expected around 3:00 P.M. Eastern.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:26:21 EST

From the Wall Street Journal:

President Barack Obama lashed out at Wall Street, calling bankers "fat cats" who don't get it, in an escalation of tensions with the industry.
Mr. Obama, speaking on the eve of Monday's meeting with the heads of major banks at the White House, said he would try to persuade bankers to free up more credit to businesses, with the aim of boosting job growth. But the president also expressed frustration with banks that the government has assisted.
"I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street," Mr. Obama said in an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" program on Sunday.
"They're still puzzled why is it that people are mad at the banks. Well, let's see," he said. "You guys are drawing down $10, $20 million bonuses after America went through the worst economic year that it's gone through in -- in decades, and you guys caused the problem. And we've got 10% unemployment."
Mr. Obama is scheduled on Monday morning to meet with bankers to exchange ideas on ways to increase lending; to review the financial-industry regulatory bill moving through Congress; and to discuss bankers' compensation, the White House and industry representatives said…
White House economic adviser Larry Summers also criticized Wall Street Sunday. "Here is what I think they don't get...It was their irresponsible risk-taking in many cases that brought the economy to collapse," Mr. Summers, who chairs the National Economic Council, said on CNN's "State of the Union."
Mr. Summers knocked big banks for opposing the bill in Congress that would tighten regulatory controls over the financial industry. The House passed a version of the measure on Friday.

From the New York Times oped page, by Paul Krugman:

…with the meltdown caused by a runaway financial system still fresh in our minds, and the mass unemployment that meltdown caused still very much in evidence — every single Republican and 27 Democrats voted against a quite modest effort to rein in Wall Street excesses.
Let’s recall how we got into our current mess.
America emerged from the Great Depression with a tightly regulated banking system. The regulations worked: the nation was spared major financial crises for almost four decades after World War II. But as the memory of the Depression faded, bankers began to chafe at the restrictions they faced. And politicians, increasingly under the influence of free-market ideology, showed a growing willingness to give bankers what they wanted…
Given this history, you might have expected the emergence of a national consensus in favor of restoring more-effective financial regulation, so as to avoid a repeat performance. But you would have been wrong.
Talk to conservatives about the financial crisis and you enter an alternative, bizarro universe in which government bureaucrats, not greedy bankers, caused the meltdown. It’s a universe in which government-sponsored lending agencies triggered the crisis, even though private lenders actually made the vast majority of subprime loans…
But it also reflects the extent to which the modern Republican Party is committed to a bankrupt ideology, one that won’t let it face up to the reality of what happened to the U.S. economy.
So it’s up to the Democrats — and more specifically, since the House has passed its bill, it’s up to “centrist” Democrats in the Senate. Are they willing to learn something from the disaster that has overtaken the U.S. economy, and get behind financial reform?

From the Seattle Times:

They gathered, 300 strong, in Seattle's Occidental Park to rally for President Obama's health care reform today.
"The most humane way is to give everyone the same set of benefits and pay for it together," said Congressman Jim McDermott, speaking to the crowd. "Obama is creating a house of health. We're going to get a bill."
The Seattle rally was one of nine statewide put on by Organizing for America, a group formed by Obama and working to support his proposals, as health care reform…
Those at the rally waved their signs, "health care can't wait," and volunteers collected Christmas cards addressed to Washington Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, urging them to support health care reform…
"It's taking us too long to address it," said Seattle mayor-elect Mike McGinn. "But now it's within reach."

Tonight: President Obama on '60 Minutes'

Christopher Hass — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:05:51 EST

President Obama sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes recently, which airs tonight. The President discusses his plans for Afghanistan, the economy, jobs and financial reglatory reform. In a preview of the interview, CBS News reports:

President Obama is irked by the idea that bankers at companies that the U.S. government propped up with loans and policy only months ago will still get massive annual bonuses.

..."I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street," Obama says.

Check your local listings for time and channel.

The President's Weekly Address

Christopher Hass — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:27:42 EST

Political Update on the Progress Towards Health Reform

Christopher Hass — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:04:42 EST

Addisu Demissie, National Political Director for Organizing for America, sat down to give a quick update on the progress towards health reform and the work supporters have done so far to get us to where we are today:

House Passes Financial Regulatory Reform

Cloe Axelson — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:16:58 EST

This afternoon the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4173, the Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act. The bill passed 223 to 220, with no Republican votes.

The Act takes on the “reckless risk-taking unrestrained by regulation” at the root of financial crisis last fall that is still wreaking havoc on our economy. The New York Times said the bill is “the most significant legislative act to confront the financial crisis that exploded last year.” According to the Times:

The bill’s principal provisions establish a process for dismantling large, failing financial institutions; set up a council to identify and regulate firms that are so big, interconnected or risky that they need heightened supervision to keep them from bringing down the whole financial system; create a new consumer financial-protection agency to squelch unfair and abusive practices; and for the first time, regulate over-the-counter derivatives markets. The bill also contains provisions on executive pay, investor protection, credit ratings, hedge funds and insurance.

The Washington Post said the Act’s passage “marked a milestone in the Obama administration's efforts to rein in the abuses that contributed to the current crisis and to revamp the current patchwork of regulators to prevent similar failures in the future." In a statement released to the press, President Obama said:

I commend the House of Representatives for passing The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009. This legislation brings us another important step closer to necessary, comprehensive financial reform that will create clear rules of the road, consistent and systematic enforcement of those rules, and a stronger, more stable financial system with better protections for consumers and investors.
The Senate is working on similar legislation, and I urge both houses of Congress to pass this necessary reform as quickly as possible on behalf of the American people. I look forward to signing a strong bill that establishes and enforces clear rules; closes the loopholes that allowed Wall Street firms and other creditors to game the system and evade accountability; protects consumers and investors from predatory lending and deceptive financial practices; and gives the government the necessary tools to prevent any institution from posing a risk to the whole system or making the American taxpayer collateral damage in the event of future turmoil.
The crisis from which we are still recovering was born not only of failure on Wall Street, but also in Washington. We have a responsibility to learn from it, and to put in place reforms that will promote sound investment, encourage real competition and innovation, and prevent such a crisis from ever happening again. That's how we will build a stronger foundation for our lasting growth.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:21:49 EST

From the Wall Street Journal:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed support Thursday for a Senate Democratic proposal to expand Medicare, raising prospects that the two chambers of Congress can work out differences on health-care legislation.
The proposal would open Medicare to some people ages 55 to 64, and is a key feature of a deal among senior Senate Democrats that would abandon efforts to enact a big government-run health-insurance program. The deal would also empower the government's Office of Personnel Management to contract with private insurers to offer new low-cost insurance plans….
Ms. Pelosi (D., Calif.) stopped short of endorsing the full Senate compromise, saying she needed to see "something in writing." But she said "there is certainly a great deal of appeal" in expanding Medicare…
The House speaker said she would be willing to begin negotiations on a House-Senate compromise bill the weekend of Dec. 19-20 if the Senate is done by then…
Ms. Pelosi said the House and Senate bills "are probably 75% compatible," and suggested efforts to reconcile differences could go quickly. "We have just a few issues we have to deal with," she said.

From the Associated Press:

President Barack Obama entered the pantheon of Nobel Peace Prize winners with humble words Thursday, acknowledging his own few accomplishments while delivering a robust defense of war and promising to use the prestigious prize to "reach for the world that ought to be."
Just nine days after ordering 30,000 more U.S. troops into battle in Afghanistan, Obama delivered a Nobel acceptance speech that he saw as a treatise on war's use and prevention. He crafted much of the address himself and the scholarly remarks — at about 4,000 words — were nearly twice as long as his inaugural address…
The president laid out the circumstances where war is justified — in self-defense, to come to the aid of an invaded nation and on humanitarian grounds, such as when civilians are slaughtered by their own government or a civil war threatens to engulf an entire region…
He also emphasized alternatives to violence, stressing the importance of both diplomatic outreach and sanctions with teeth to confront nations such as Iran or North Korea that defy international demands to halt their nuclear programs or those such as Sudan, Congo or Burma that brutalize their citizens.

WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO:

Thousands of people braved the cold over the last two days to come to a free health care clinic at Bartle Hall. But the event is also stirring up a lot of political debate about national health care reform.
For many people attending the free clinic, politics took a back seat to more immediate health care concerns.
"I'm 50 and haven't had a physical in probably 20 years," said patient Ron Thompson, who says that he doesn't qualify for insurance at his job yet…
Outside of Bartle Hall, the group Organizing for America rallied in support of health care reform legislation.
"There are so many Missourians who don't have access to health care, whether it's due to pre-existing conditions or high premiums," said Dan Herman, Missouri director of Organizing for America.
Casey Pointer of Organizing for America says that he was diagnosed with cancer at age 26, and was fortunate to have health insurance. But he says that he is now speaking out for those who aren't so fortunate.
"There's no doubt in my mind that I would not be alive today to be here had it not been for the generosity of my employer," said Pointer…

WFLX-TV in Albany, GA:

Southwest Georgian women gathered to let their voices be heard about the healthcare debate and what’s at stake for Southwest Georgia women. Tens of millions of Americans are not insured, and thousands lose coverage every day…
Women were the center of attention for many reasons says Dr. Tania Smith.
“Women are the backbone, women are the people who also that are neglected in healthcare because they’re constantly taking care of other people and also they’re working part time and they’re not receiving full benefits,” said Dr. Smith.

Your Holiday Wish

Christopher Hass — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:28:32 EST

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

This year, when you're writing holiday cards to your friends and loved ones, there are two more people who need to hear from you: your Senators .

With the Senate deep in final negotiations -- and a compromise just introduced that increases choice and drives costs down -- your senators need to understand how urgent reform really is.

So we've come up with a unique way for you to get the message across -- by sending your senators a card with your holiday wish for the season.

Send a holiday card to your senators, telling them that your wish this season is for them to pass health insurance reform.

Since the full Senate began debating reform just over two weeks ago, approximately 224,000 Americans have lost their health insurance, while spiraling costs have forced countless more into bankruptcy or foreclosure.

That's a big number -- it's as many people as live in a city like Baton Rouge, and more than live in Reno.

This crisis affects everyone in our community. It could be a father down the street who now won't be able to pay for care when his son breaks his leg playing soccer, or a daughter who must watch helplessly as her newly-uninsured mother gets a breast cancer diagnosis she can't afford to treat.

Every day brings thousands more stories of heartbreak and struggle that just shouldn't be in a nation as blessed as ours.

So please take a moment to cut through the noise in D.C. with your simple holiday wish: affordable, quality health care for every American family.

Send your holiday card for health reform today.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

President Obama in Oslo: "Let us reach for the world that ought to be"

Christopher Hass — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:07:45 EST

"Somewhere today, in the here and now, in the world as it is, a soldier sees he's outgunned, but stands firm to keep the peace. Somewhere today, in this world, a young protestor awaits the brutality of her government, but has the courage to march on. Somewhere today, a mother facing punishing poverty still takes the time to teach her child, scrapes together what few coins she has to send that child to school -- because she believes that a cruel world still has a place for that child's dreams. Let us live by their example." -- President Obama

President Obama traveled to Oslo, Norway, to accept the Nobel Peace Prize this morning. In his speech, he described the Nobel Peace Prize as "an award that speaks to our highest aspirations," proof that, "our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice." But the President also acknowledged that, even as he receives this prize, he is the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars:

One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by 42 other countries -- including Norway -- in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I'm responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill, and some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the costs of armed conflict -- filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

...I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work, and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations -- acting individually or in concert -- will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.

I make this statement mindful of what Martin Luther King Jr. said in this same ceremony years ago: "Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones." As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King's life work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there's nothing weak -- nothing passive -- nothing na-- in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.

But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism -- it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

Despite these harsh realities, President Obama concluded with a call to "reach for the world that ought to be."

We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. Clear-eyed, we can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that -- for that is the story of human progress; that's the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.

Read the full remarks . . .

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:13:25 EST

Washington Post:

In a brief appearance shortly before the ceremony, Obama reiterated his surprise at being chosen to receive the prestigious [Nobel Peace Prize] less than nine months after becoming president, and said he would use the honor "to continue on the path" of pushing for nuclear disarmament, addressing climate change and mobilizing an international coalition to fight terrorism around the globe.

…I have no doubt that there are others who may be more deserving," Obama told reporters covering his trip. “The goal has been to advance America's interests, to strengthen our economy at home, and to make ourselves a continuing force for good in the world."

Aides said the speech he will deliver after receving the award will confront the seeming paradox of receiving the prestigious peace prize while serving as a war president. Aides said the president will also explain his duty to pursue both security and peace -- goals that sometimes make war unavoidable.

"He will address at the very beginning of his speech being a president involved in two wars accepting an award for peace," press secretary Robert Gibbs said in an interview…

In his speech, Obama is expected to repeat a point he made after the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee stunned him and many others by selecting him for the award less than nine months into his presidency: that he is being recognized less for his achievements than for his aspirations.

"I know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement," Obama told reporters hours after winning the award Oct. 9. "It's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes."

Aides said the president views the award -- which has gone in the past to such luminaries as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Elie Wiesel -- as a call to action…

New York Times:

Rank-and-file Democrats said the preliminary agreement — reached among a group of 10 senators, 5 liberals and 5 centrists — suggested that they would be able to resolve some seemingly intractable differences over the public plan, insurance coverage for abortions and other disputes, including how to pay for the nearly$1 trillion bill.

President Obama was more enthusiastic. He hailed the tentative deal as a breakthrough and said he would support it.

“The Senate made critical progress last night,” he said, “with a creative new framework that I believe will help pave the way for final passage and a historic achievement on behalf of the American people…”

Syracuse News 10:

It's a grass roots effort by seniors, aimed at other seniors. And it's part of the campaign to win approval of health care reform.

Mirroring efforts at homes across the country, seniors in the Syracuse area gathered to create their own phone bank, contacting people in others states, urging them to support the bill now making its way through the U.S. Senate.

"There's a lot of disinformation out there and the AARP itself has said that there are scare tactics being used against seniors. And so our purpose is to inform people of the actual facts regarding what's going on with health care reform," said Jane Humbert…

Los Angeles Times:

The Treasury Department formally extended the life of the controversial $700-billion bailout fund to October, saying it planned to sharply scale back use of the money, even as a government audit found the program lost $41.4 billion in the last fiscal year.

The Troubled Asset Relief Program had major losses through September on some of its highest-profile investments -- $30.4 billion on the bailout of American International Group and another $30.4 billion combined on investments in General Motors and Chrysler, according to a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office.

But those losses were offset by about $19.4 billion in income from dividends, interest, early repayments and the sale of stock warrants given to the government when it injected money into banks.

Over the next 10 years, the administration estimates that TARP will lose about $141 billion. But that is about $200 billion less than projected in August, giving the administration the ability to spend more on new job-creation efforts without increasing the huge budget deficit…

In a brief talk Wednesday morning, President Obama, pushing for job-creation legislation, said the administration was winding down TARP.

"This program has served its original purpose, and the cost has been much lower than we expected, giving us a chance to pay down the deficit faster than we thought at the time, and also allowing us to invest in job creation on Main Street rather than on Wall Street," he said.

Fighting for Medicare

Christopher Hass — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:33:39 EST

Over the past week, much of the health reform debate in the Senate has centered around Medicare -- from proposed savings and reforms, to the possibility of allowing more Americans to "buy in" to the program at an earlier age. Yesterday, the White House released a video message from Vice President Joe Biden, in which he discussed the Democratic Party's history of fighting for Medicare, from it's inception under Lyndon Johnson to the present day.

"It's kind of an irony now, that all those who are the successors of the people who opposed the creation of Medicare, who have tried for years to let it whiter on the vine, are now saying to you that they are going to protect it.

...After all these years of defending Medicare, I'm not about to do anything to weaken it, to reduce your benefits, or to hurt the integrity of the Medicare Trust Fund."

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:27:10 EST

From the Washington Post:

President Obama outlined a response to the nation's intensifying job crisis Tuesday that encourages businesses to hire new workers by easing the flow of credit and implementing a series of tax cuts, but leaves important details -- including the cost of the plan -- to be hashed out by Congress.
Obama's job-creation ideas build largely on elements of the $787 billion economic stimulus package passed this year, including tax cuts for small businesses, incentives to hire new workers and a fresh round of infrastructure spending.
The president also recommended that Congress pass a "cash for caulkers" plan that would offer financial incentives for home weatherization. Senior administration officials said the program, based on the popular "cash for clunkers" automobile rebate program, would leverage hiring in construction and manufacturing -- sectors especially hard hit by the recession -- while promoting energy efficiency, resulting in long-term savings for homeowners…

From the New York Times:

The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, said Tuesday night that he and a group of 10 Democratic senators had reached “a broad agreement” to resolve a dispute over a proposed government-run health insurance plan, which has posed the biggest obstacle to passage of sweeping health care legislation…
Under the agreement, people ages 55 to 64 could “buy in” to Medicare. And a federal agency, the Office of Personnel Management, would negotiate with insurance companies to offer national health benefit plans, similar to those offered to federal employees, including members of Congress.
If these private plans did not meet certain goals for making affordable coverage available to all Americans, Senate Democratic aides said, then the government itself would offer a new insurance plan, somewhat like the “public option” in the bill Mr. Reid unveiled three weeks ago…
The White House praised the announcement. “Senators are making great progress, and we’re pleased that they’re working together to find common ground,” said Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director…

From the Boston Globe:

Attorney General Martha Coakley easily captured the Democratic nomination for the US Senate last night and took a giant step toward smashing the state’s political glass ceiling, as she parlayed her straightforward style and strong appeal among women into an overwhelming victory against a trio of male opponents.
Rolling up large margins in nearly every community in the state, Coakley, 56, became the first woman nominated by a major party for the US Senate in Massachusetts. She will face state Senator Scott P. Brown, who won the Republican Party’s nomination yesterday, in a Jan. 19 special election to fill the seat held for 47 years by the late Edward M. Kennedy…
“They said that women don’t have much luck in Massachusetts politics - we believed that it was quite possible that that luck was about to change. And change it did tonight!’’ Coakley told jubilant supporters at the Sheraton Boston, spurring enthusiastic applause and chants of “Martha!’’ “Martha!’’
Coakley asked the crowd to acknowledge Kennedy not with a moment of silence, but with a round of applause. The crowd obliged…

"We will not back down"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:50:54 EST

Earlier today, President Obama sent the following message to OFA supporters:

As we head into the final stretch on health reform, big insurance company lobbyists and their partisan allies hope that their relentless attacks and millions of dollars can intimidate us into accepting the status quo.

So I have a message for them, from all of us: Not this time. We have come too far. We will not turn back. We will not back down.

But do not doubt -- the opponents of reform will not rest. So I need you, the members of Organizing for America, to fight alongside me.

We must continue to build out our campaign -- to spread the facts on the air and on the ground, and to bring in more volunteers and train them to join the fight. I urgently need your help to keep Organizing for America's 50-state movement for reform going strong.

Please donate $5 or whatever you can afford today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/FinalStretch

Let's win this together,

President Barack Obama

"We have not let up" - President Obama Announces Broad New Proposals to Spur Job Growth

Christopher Hass — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:34:09 EST

This morning, President Obama spoke at the Brookings Institution to announce a set of broad new proposals to spur job growth. The President explained that steps the administration has taken so far have reduced the expected cost of the TARP program by more than $200 billion, providing additional resources that will now be put towards job creation and deficit reduction.

In his remarks, the President explained:

Even as the Recovery Act has created jobs and spurred growth, we have not let up in our efforts to take every responsible action to get the economy growing and America working...

Partly as a result of these and other steps, we’re in a very different place today than we were a year ago. We can safely say that we are no longer facing the potential collapse of our financial system and we’ve avoided the depression many feared. Our economy is growing for the first time in a year – and the swing from contraction to expansion since the beginning of the year is the largest in nearly three decades.

...But our work is far from done. For even though we have reduced the deluge of job losses to a relative trickle, we are not yet creating jobs at a pace to help all those families who have been swept up in the flood. There are more than seven million fewer Americans with jobs today than when this recession began. That’s a staggering figure and one that reflects not only the depths of the hole from which we must ascend, but also a continuing human tragedy. And it speaks to an urgent need to accelerate job growth in the short term while laying a new foundation for lasting economic growth.

President Obama then outlined three broad steps to accelerate job growth:

First, we’re proposing a series of steps to help small businesses grow and hire new staff. Over the past fifteen years, small businesses have created roughly 65 percent of all new jobs in America. These are companies formed around kitchen tables in family meetings, formed when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream, formed when a worker decides its time she became her own boss. These are also companies that drive innovation, producing thirteen times more patents per employee than large companies... That’s why it is so important that we help small business struggling to open, or stay open, during these difficult times. Building on the tax cuts in the Recovery Act, we’re proposing a complete elimination of capital gains taxes on small business investment along with an extension of write-offs to encourage small businesses to expand in the coming year. And I believe it’s worthwhile to create a tax incentive to encourage small businesses to add and keep employees and I’m going to work with Congress to pass one.

...Second, we’re proposing a boost in investment in the nation’s infrastructure beyond what was included in the Recovery Act, to continue modernizing our transportation and communications networks. These are needed public works that engage private sector companies, spurring hiring across the country. Already, more than 10,000 of these projects have been funded through the Recovery Act... Even so, there are many more worthy projects than there were dollars to fund them.

...Third, I’m calling on Congress to consider a new program to provide incentives for consumers who retrofit their homes to become more energy efficient, which we know creates jobs, saves money for families, and reduces the pollution that threatens our environment. And I’m proposing that we expand select Recovery Act initiatives to promote energy efficiency and clean energy jobs which have proven particularly popular and effective. It’s a positive sign that many of these programs drew so many applicants for funding that a lot of strong proposals – proposals that will leverage private capital and create jobs quickly – did not make the cut. With additional resources, in areas like advanced manufacturing of wind turbines and solar panels, for instance, we can help turn good ideas into good private-sector jobs.

Finally, as we are moving forward in these areas, we should also extend the relief in the Recovery Act, including emergency assistance to seniors, unemployment insurance benefits, COBRA, and relief to states and localities to prevent layoffs. This will help folks weathering these storms while boosting consumer spending and promoting jobs.

Read the President's full remarks, as prepared for delivery . . .

President Obama to Announce Proposals to Accelerate Job Growth

Christopher Hass — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:45:56 EST

President Obama will deliver a speech at the Brookings Institution today, in which he is expected to announce new proposals to accelerate job growth. The speech is scheduled to begin at 11:15 A.M. Eastern, and can be viewed live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:08:58 EST

From the Washington Post:

The Obama administration moved closer Monday to issuing regulations on greenhouse gases, a step that would enable it to limit emissions across the economy even if Congress does not pass climate legislation…
In Monday's much-anticipated announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency said that six gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, pose a danger to the environment and the health of Americans and that the agency would start drawing up regulations to reduce those emissions.
"These are reasonable, common-sense steps," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said, adding that they would protect the environment "without placing an undue burden on the businesses that make up the better part of our economy…”

From the New York Times:

President Obama on Tuesday will announce three proposals intended to turn around the nation’s beleaguered job market, including strengthening investments to small businesses that have struggled to expand because of the credit crunch in America…
The speech, according to a senior administration official, will outline a series of steps to help small businesses grow and hire new staff. The president also will call for increasing the investment in infrastructure through building and modernizing highways, railways, bridges and tunnels. He also will propose a new program that provides rebates for consumers who retrofit their homes to become more energy efficient…

From the Los Angeles Times:

President Obama is looking to use bailout money that banks are returning to the government to help tackle two of the nation's biggest problems -- unemployment and the budget deficit.
As he prepared to unveil job creation ideas in a major economic speech today, Obama said he was considering tapping the $700-billion Troubled Asset Relief Program to pay for some of them. Additional money flowing back into TARP, leading to new projections lowering the fund's long-term cost, would help reduce the ballooning deficit…
Major banks are returning the bulk of the money given them more quickly than anticipated. Bank of America Corp. said last week that it won federal approval to return $45 billion it had received, raising to $116 billion the amount expected this year from banks.
"It means that some of that money can . . . be devoted to deficit reduction," Obama said. "And the question is, are there selective approaches that are consistent with the original goals of TARP -- for example, making sure that small businesses are still getting lending -- that would be appropriate in accelerating job growth?…"
Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com, sees little difference between using the TARP money to pay for job-creation programs and using it to reduce the deficit, which would then force Congress to appropriate more money for job programs. The net result is the same, he said…

EPA Moves As Copenhagen Begins

Cloe Axelson — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:17:23 EST

Today was a big day in environmental news. Three things:

First, former Vice President Al Gore met with President Obama about climate change this afternoon in a private meeting in the Oval Office. Gore is one of the most prominent Americans and thought leaders in favor of U.S. action on climate change.

Second, today the much anticipated U.N. Climate Conference in Copenhagen got underway. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the White House announced that President Obama would join the U.S. delegation to Copenhagen (last weekend, officials said the President would be in Copenhagen on December 18, instead of December 9). President Obama is expected to commit the United States to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Senator John Kerry (MA), who has been spearheading the effort to craft bipartisan legislation in the Senate, said the Administration’s decision to target specific climate goals amounts to, “a global game changer with big reverberations here at home."

From the New York Times:

A much-anticipated global meeting of nearly 200 nations - all seeking what has so far been elusive common ground on the issue of climate change - began here on Monday with an impassioned airing of what leaders here called the political and moral imperatives at hand.
“The clock has ticked down to zero,” said the United Nations' climate chief, Yvo de Boer. “After two years of negotiation, the time has come to deliver.”
From now until December 18, delegates will try to hammer out some of the most vexing details involved in the pursuit of a global climate accord…
Jonathan Pershing, the State Department’s special climate envoy, who represented the United States at the opening plenary, said he saw strong signs that the conference would prove critical in getting traction on curbing emissions and helping poor countries that are urgently threatened by climate change — particularly given the decision by more than 100 leaders, including President Obama, to attend.

And third, today the Environmental Protection Agency finalized its “endangerment finding” on greenhouse gas emissions, formally declaring that carbon and other greenhouse gases are harmful to the public’s health and welfare. The finding lays the groundwork for the future regulation of greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide, including mobile (e.g. transportation) and stationary (e.g. power plants, factories) sources.

From Politico:

"The threat is real,” [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson] said. “Climate change has now become a household issue.”
Monday’s ruling forces the EPA to begin mandating greenhouse gas emissions reductions from industrial polluters like power plants, factories, and auto makers. The EPA, Jackson said, “is now authorized and obligated to make reasonable efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Energy Act.”
The EPA announcement comes two and half years after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Bush administration to reconsider whether greenhouse gas emissions are pollutants. The EPA then ruled that the emissions endangered public welfare, but the White House refused to sign off on the decision, leaving it in regulatory limbo until the Obama administration took office last January.

And from the Washington Post:

"There are no more excuses for delay," [Jackson] said. "This administration will not ignore science and the law any longer.
Jackson will speak at the U.N.-sponsored climate conference Wednesday; her address is titled "Taking Action at Home." President Obama, who will attend the end of the U.N. talks Dec. 18, has sent a series of recent signals to the international community that the United States will curb its carbon output as part of a new global climate deal.
The endangerment finding stems from a 2007 Supreme Court decision in which the court ordered the EPA to determine whether greenhouse gases qualify as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. It could trigger a series of federal regulations affecting polluters, from vehicles to coal-fired power plants.

Senate Health Debate Wrap Up: Week 1

Christopher Hass — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:41:24 EST

The Senate concluded its first full week of debate on the health reform bill yesterday -- a busy week that saw lawmakers working through the weekend. In addition to debate, voting began on the first of almost one hundred potential amendments that have been offered up so far. Early amendments covered a range of issues, from preventive care to home health benefits, as well as a proposal by Republicans that would have effectively ended the debate and sent the bill back to committee.

The Democrats.org blog has a post up recapping some of the early action.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:23:12 EST

From USA Today:

President Obama used a rare meeting on Capitol Hill on Sunday to urge Senate Democrats to consider the historic significance of revamping the nation's health care system as his legislation faced a crucial second week of debate…
“That wasn't a negotiation, that was a pep talk," Obama said later. "They're doing great..."
Still, divisions remain in the Democratic caucus over how to structure the proposed government insurance program, known as the public option. Moderates, such as Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., oppose the idea while Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other liberals say it is necessary to provide competition to private insurance companies.
Lieberman said Obama, who was joined by Vice President Biden, did not discuss the issue in detail Sunday despite a new proposal circulating among senators to create non-profit insurance plans administered by the federal government. Lieberman said he is waiting to see details of the idea…
"Progress is being made and that's not just talk," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said after leaving the meeting with Obama…

From Bloomberg:

The Obama administration expects the cost of the Troubled Asset Relief Program to be $200 billion less than projected, helping to reduce the size of the budget deficit, a Treasury Department official said yesterday.
The administration forecast in August that the TARP would ultimately cost $341 billion, once banks had repaid the government for capital injections and other investments. Congress authorized $700 billion for the program in October 2008.
Banks have paid back $71 billion so far, and a planned repayment by Bank of America Corp. would bring that figure to $116 billion. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in an interview last week that he expects the TARP to get as much as $175 billion in repayments from banks by the end of 2010.
“The fact that they are spending less TARP money means that recovery is better and stronger than expected, and that’s all positive for growth,” said Mitul Kotecha, Hong Kong-based head of global foreign-exchange strategy at Calyon, the investment banking unit of France’s Credit Agricole SA. “It shows that things are progressing in the right direction…”

From Burnt Orange:

It's heartbreaking to think that in a nation as wealthy as ours, there are so many folks struggling to meet their most basic needs here in our communities.
Luckily, here in Central Texas, some of our grassroots volunteers have put together a way to make a difference for some needy families. A group of activists, working with Organizing for America, Texans for Obama, and the Travis County Democratic Party, have organized a really wonderful "HOPE for the Holidays" project to encourage our local volunteers to help many folks in need across Central Texas this winter. These all-star volunteers have partnered with non-profits and faith-based organizations across our city to help under-served communities have a happy holiday season.
Tube socks. Sleeping bags. A chocolate bar. The very basic things that folks across our community have asked for is humbling. A bus pass. Gloves. Gas cards. Children's shoes. Very basic necessities-even food and underwear…
Rosanne, one of the organizers, said that as she collected the lists of needed items, it was hard to see the desperate level of need of many folks in our community. "The bad part about this is that I see this stuff, and I just want to buy everything these people ask for. I am so blessed…”

President Obama Calls on Senate Democrats to "Finish the job"

Christopher Hass — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:43:10 EST

With the Senate preparing to enter its second full week of debate on health reform legislation, President Obama made a visit to Capitol Hill today to urge Senate Democrats to seize this moment and answer the call of history. The New York Times reported:

President Obama exhorted Senate Democrats on Sunday to put aside their fierce policy differences and to make history by passing landmark health care legislation.

Making a rare Sunday visit to the Capitol as Republicans and Democrats spent the weekend clashing over the health care bill on the Senate floor, Mr. Obama urged the Democrats in a private meeting “to finish the job” and warned that the “most costly outcome for all is a failure to finish,” according to officials in the room.

“His message was very simple,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the assistant majority leader. “He reminded us why we are here. He reminded us why we run for office. And he reminded us how many people are counting on us to come through.”

Mr. Durbin added: “He urged us to get the job done and said he is ready to help us.”

Talking Points Memo added:

A number of senators suggested Obama's remarks provided the party and the legislation with much-needed momentum.

"I think it helped, more than significantly," said Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).

"I can tell you, it would be very hard to have listened to the president's presentation and not have been persuaded of the historic importance of what's being discussed here," said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND). "It was a powerful speech."

OFA National Training in Cottonwood, AZ

Matthew Saniie — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:31:48 EST

This weekend, Organizing for America is holding more than 200 trainings with volunteers and community organizers across the country. OFA National Director, Mitch Stewart, came to Cottonwood, Arizona today to participate in our OFA training of Community Organizers and Neighbor Team Leaders. He spoke about how the Obama volunteer model was developed:

For years I worked on campaigns where everything was so top-down. Volunteers were basically punching a clock. When we formulated how we were going to go about then Senator Obama’s presidential campaign, we decided very early on that we were going to create a volunteer model that empowered volunteers and gave them critical leadership roles within the organization.

Volunteers listened intently and shared their experiences on how they had seen this model work with OFA. They asked questions, and Mitch offered his battle tested advice. Coleen, a neighborhood leader who was new to political activism, asked Mitch, “How do you talk to a neighbor who believes the proposed legislation does not go far enough?” Mitch answered that debate is good but at the end of the day we have to remember that the proposed legislation is constantly being worked on, and there is agreement on nearly 80% of what is being proposed. Mitch added that your voice is always stronger when united with others working toward a common goal.

Attendees broke out into small groups and made plans for the next steps they were going to take in their communities. Everyone walked away from the training feeling fired up and ready to get to work.

Trainings will be taking place all weekend long. Click here to find a Sunday training near you.

The President's Weekly Address: Pushing Forward on Jobs

Christopher Hass — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:39:05 EST

"The best jobs report we’ve seen since 2007"

Christopher Hass — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:00:04 EST

The Labor Department released its monthly employment survey today, and though the U.S. lost 11,000 jobs in November, that number was nearly 115,000 fewer than was forecast. The overall unemployment rate decreased, and the report found that nearly 160,000 fewer jobs had been lost over the last two months than had been previously thought. The New York Times called this "the strongest employment report since the recession began nearly two years ago."

Speaking at an event in Allentown, Pennsylvania today, President Obama explained:

This is good news, just in time for the season of hope. But I want to keep this in perspective. We still have a long way to go. I still consider one job lost one job too many. And as I said yesterday at a jobs conference in Washington, good trends don't pay the rent. We need to grow jobs and get America back to work as quickly as we can.
The journey from here will not be without setbacks or struggle. There will be more bumps in the road. But the direction is clear. When you think about how this year began, today’s report is a welcome sign that there are better days ahead.

Following yesterday's White House Forum on Jobs and Growth, the President is scheduled to speak next Tuesday about the proposals he will be sending to Congress to help jumpstart private sector hiring and get Americans back to work.

Morning News

Christopher Hass — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:10:10 EST

The Hill:

President Barack Obama backed a push for job creation measures despite long-term concerns about the deficit at a White House jobs summit Thursday.

One day ahead of an unemployment report expected to show the jobless rate still in double digits, Obama called on business executives, labor leaders and economic experts who attended the summit to deliver a message to politicians skeptical of more spending. The president argued that the immediate concern for lawmakers should be over unemployment, not curtailing spending and other measures that were aimed at rebuilding the economy.

Obama is expected to press for more action on the employment front when he visits Allentown, Pa., for a jobs event Friday and gives a speech on the economy at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday…
The White House billed Thursday's "Forum on Jobs & Economic Growth" as a chance for the president to solicit ideas to include in the coming jobs bill. Obama voiced support for a number of ideas, including increased credit for small businesses and fiscal aid for state and local governments…
"So we've got about as difficult a economic play as is possible, which is to press the accelerator in terms of job growth, but then know when to apply the brakes in the out years and do that credibly," he said…

New York Times editorial:

The health insurance industry frightened Americans — and gave Republicans a shrill talking point — when it declared in October that proposed reform legislation would drive up insurance costs for virtually everyone by as much as thousands of dollars a year. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office persuasively contradicted that claim this week.

Undaunted, the industry issued a rebuttal report, claiming again that premiums would soar. We find this second industry report no more persuasive than the first.

In its long-awaited study, the C.B.O. estimates that most Americans would pay the same or less in premiums in 2016, after reforms have kicked in, than they would pay under current law. Those who work for large employers (more than 50 workers) would, on average, see their premiums hold steady or drop by up to 3 percent per person covered. Those who work for small employers would also not see much change — anywhere from a 1 percent increase to a 2 percent reduction...

...And we have far more confidence in the C.B.O.’s expertise in evaluating a wide array of databases and in its objectivity. The chief message Americans should derive from the C.B.O.’s analysis is that tens of millions of uninsured Americans can be covered without driving up costs for everyone else.

Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist:

Healthcare reform hangs in the balance. Its fate rests with a handful of “centrist” senators — senators who claim to be mainly worried about whether the proposed legislation is fiscally responsible.
But if they’re really concerned with fiscal responsibility, they shouldn’t be worried about what would happen if health reform passes. They should, instead, be worried about what would happen if it doesn’t pass. For America can’t get control of its budget without controlling health care costs — and this is our last, best chance to deal with these costs in a rational way...
First, the uninsured in America are, on average, relatively young and healthy; covering them wouldn’t raise overall health care costs very much.
Second, the proposed health care reform links the expansion of coverage to serious cost-control measures for Medicare. Think of it as a grand bargain: coverage for (almost) everyone, tied to an effort to ensure that health care dollars are well spent.
Are we talking about real savings, or just window dressing? Well, the health care economists I respect are seriously impressed by the cost-control measures in the Senate bill, which include efforts to improve incentives for cost-effective care, the use of medical research to guide doctors toward treatments that actually work, and more…
The fact that we’re seeing the first really serious attempt to control health care costs as part of a bill that tries to cover the uninsured seems to confirm what would-be reformers have been saying for years: The path to cost control runs through universality. We can only tackle out-of-control costs as part of a deal that also provides Americans with the security of guaranteed health care.

White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth Underway Now

Christopher Hass — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:36:18 EST

Today's White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth is underway now -- you can follow along throughout the afternoon at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATED: WhiteHouse.gov is currently streaming six different breakout sessions. Follow along at:

Green Jobs: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/innovation-agenda-and-green-jobs-future

Exports: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/expanding-job-opportunities-american-workers-through-exports

Small Business: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/paving-road-small-business-job-growth

Infrastructure: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/creating-jobs-through-rebuilding-america-s-infrastructure

Business Investment: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/encouraging-business-competitiveness-and-job-creation

Main Street Workers: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/preparing-workers-and-strengthening-main-street

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:07:21 EST

From USA Today:

…Obama convenes a summit here [in Washington] on jobs, then flies Friday to Allentown, PA, for the first in what will be periodic listening tours on the economy. The goal is to develop new spending and tax proposals to help many of the nation's nearly 16 million unemployed people find work in 2010.
"Though the job losses we were experiencing earlier this year have slowed dramatically, we're still not creating enough new jobs each month to make up for the ones we're losing," Obama said last week. "For families and communities across the country, this recession will not end until we completely turn that tide."
The new focus on jobs comes as the first stimulus plan's impact remains unclear. The Obama administration says more than 640,000 jobs have been saved or created by employers who received funds. The Congressional Budget Office this week put the figure at 600,000 to 1.6 million after considering other factors, such as the impact on consumer demand from tax cuts, unemployment insurance extensions and spending by the newly employed. It said unemployment would have been up to 0.9 percentage points higher without the stimulus…

From the New York Times:

A month ago, Donnie Jones, a 40-year-old Republican who lives outside Dallas, told pollsters that he was not sure President Obama had a plan for the war in Afghanistan. But after hearing the president speak Tuesday night, Mr. Jones feels reassured that Mr. Obama not only has a plan, but also one he can generally support.
Margaret Gilbert, 62, a Democrat from Portsmouth, Va., told the same pollsters that she did not want the United States to send more troops to Afghanistan. But after listening to Mr. Obama, Ms. Gilbert now believes that he has no choice…
Mr. Obama intended his speech on Tuesday at West Point to rally Americans behind his plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and to set an 18-month timetable for starting a withdrawal. And interviews on Wednesday suggested that, while opinions on the war remained wildly diverse, Mr. Obama managed to persuade a significant number of people on both sides of the political aisle, though it was impossible to know how many.
Many Democrats who opposed the war said they now understood the need for escalation, in some cases to the point of supporting it. And Republicans who had thought Mr. Obama unwilling or unable to send more troops praised his decision, though many also criticized him for articulating a timetable for bringing troops home…

Also from USA Today:

Scaring seniors about losing their Medicare benefits is deceptive and irresponsible, but it's a political winner… it's Republicans who are doing it, and it's as if they're trying to set a new, lower bar for demagoguery.
How else to explain why Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a doctor who ought to know better, would warn seniors that the Medicare cuts in the health reform plan being debated in the Senate mean "you're going to die sooner." Or why Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., would plead: "Don't cut Grandma's Medicare…"
Tellingly, even the nation's leading advocacy group for the aging, AARP, opposes McCain's amendment, noting that the Senate plan "does not reduce any guaranteed Medicare benefits…"
…What's scary isn't what will happen to seniors and their Medicare benefits. They'll be fine. What's frightening is how many people will continue to suffer with bad insurance or none at all if the scare tactics succeed.

From the Lehigh Express Times:

Brew Works co-owner Jeff Fegley said he offers health insurance to his employees because it would be immoral if he didn't.
When his family business at the start of this year faced an unaffordable $65,000 cost increase to cover 200 employees, he said, he found a different, cheaper policy -- one that still cost him $15,000 more than he paid last year. He took it.
"We felt it was the morally right thing to do to continue to offer insurance to our staff," said Fegley, whose family owns the brew pubs and restaurants in the city and Bethlehem.
"How do I just say, 'I'm not going to let you be on my plan because it would cost too much?'" he asked. "I sleep better at night knowing that, gosh, if something did happen to one of my employees, at least I did what I should."
Fegley and other small-business owners in the Lehigh Valley say the U.S. government should adopt a similar standard.
Organizing for America, a Democratic National Committee organization that advances President Barack Obama's agenda, held a roundtable on health care reform among five small-business owners Wednesday at Allentown Brew Works. The roundtable was held in advance of Obama's visit Friday to the Lehigh Valley…

Live at WhiteHouse.gov: The President's Jobs and Economic Growth Forum

Christopher Hass — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:51:10 EST

This afternoon, President Obama will host a Jobs and Economic Growth Forum at the White House, with many of the discussions and events throughout the day streamed live online at WhiteHouse.gov. The forum is an opportunity for the President and the economic team to hear from some of the leading CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders, nonprofit heads and thinkers about ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work.

The President is scheduled to deliver opening remarks at 1:20 P.M. Eastern. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and the Vice President will also be on hand to speak. Following the opening session, senior administration officials will host discussions on job creation and expanding the economy. WhiteHouse.gov will be providing multi-channel live streams of the breakout sessions throughout the afternoon. Here’s a brief rundown of the discussion groups:

• The Innovation Agenda and Green Jobs of the Future: A breakout group to discuss new and additional ideas for creating green jobs, including through encouraging energy efficiency and investment in renewable technologies. Moderator: Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, Carol Browner

• Paving the Road for Small Business Job Growth: A chance for small business leaders and others to discuss what additional steps would be most effective in encouraging small businesses to taking the next step in hiring. Moderator: Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner and Small Business Administration Administrator, Karen Mills

• Creating Jobs through the Rebuilding of America’s Infrastructure: A breakout group focusing on the best ways to make infrastructure investment a longer term commitment to helping the economy continue on a path to recovery. Moderator: Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood and Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag

• Expanding Job Opportunities for American Workers Through Exports: A breakout group focusing on how we can continue to take advantage of the rebound in global trade and how to change the tide from consumption driven to export driven growth. Moderator: Director of the National Economic Council, Lawrence Summers and President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Fred Hochberg

• Encouraging Business Competitiveness and Job Creation: A substantive discussion on ways to encourage businesses to invest and create jobs. Moderator: Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, Christina Romer

• Preparing Workers and Strengthening Main Street: A session focusing on the challenges facing main street as it seeks to prosper, grow and create jobs. Moderator: Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis and Director of White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes

Watch live beginning at 1:20 P.M. Eastern at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

The Way Forward in Afghanistan

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:16:53 EST

In a live address to the nation last night from the Military Academy in West Point, NY, President Obama laid out his decision for the way forward in Afghanistan. The President committed an additional 30,000 troops to the war, said the era of “blank checks” was over and articulated a clear plan for the transition of responsibility to Afghan security forces.

Here are several excerpts from the President’s remarks. You can read the full text of his address and watch it here.

On how we got to this point in Afghanistan:

Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them -- an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to nothing. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 -- the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda’s terrorist network and to protect our common security.
Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy -- and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden -- we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the U.N., a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.
Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war, in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq war is well-known and need not be repeated here. It's enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq war drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention -- and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world…

On the current challenge in Afghanistan and the region:

Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to control additional swaths of territory in Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating attacks of terrorism against the Pakistani people…
Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There's no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe havens along the border. And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan security forces and better secure the population. Our new commander in Afghanistan -- General McChrystal -- has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: The status quo is not sustainable…
Since 9/11, al Qaeda’s safe havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.
These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies.

On the decision:

I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war now for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources. Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home…
If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow…
I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. And this danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.

On the way forward:

Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future..
To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaeda a safe haven. We must reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces and government so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan's future…
The 30,000 additional troops that I'm announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 -- the fastest possible pace -- so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They'll increase our ability to train competent Afghan security forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans…
We will work with our partners, the United Nations, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security. This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over…
The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They've been confronted with occupation -- by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand -- America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country…
We're in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That's why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.
In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect, and mutual trust…
These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.

On financing the effort:

As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, or our interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I don't have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I'm mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who -- in discussing our national security -- said, "Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs."
Over the past several years, we have lost that balance. We've failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our neighbors and friends are out of work and struggle to pay the bills. Too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we can't simply afford to ignore the price of these wars.
All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly $30 billion for the military this year, and I'll work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.

On America’s role in the world:

Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents and great-grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions -- from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank -- that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings.
We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades -- a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, and markets open, and billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress and advancing frontiers of human liberty.
For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation’s resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for -- what we continue to fight for -- is a better future for our children and grandchildren. And we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity.
As a country, we're not as young -- and perhaps not as innocent -- as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. And now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age…
It's easy to forget that when this war began, we were united -- bound together by the fresh memory of a horrific attack, and by the determination to defend our homeland and the values we hold dear. I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again. (Applause.) I believe with every fiber of my being that we -- as Americans -- can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment -- they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, as one people…

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:04:23 EST

From the New York Times:

President Obama announced Tuesday that he would speed 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in coming months, but he vowed to start bringing American forces home in the middle of 2011, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment.
Promising that he could “bring this war to a successful conclusion,” Mr. Obama set out a strategy that would seek to reverse Taliban gains in large parts of Afghanistan, better protect the Afghan people, increase the pressure on Afghanistan to build its own military capacity and a more effective government and step up attacks on Al Qaeda in Pakistan.
“America, we are passing through a time of great trial,” Mr. Obama said. “And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering…”
The scene in the hall was striking and somber: row after row of cadets, in their blue-gray uniforms, listening intently to a strategy that could put many of them in harm’s way. “If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow,” Mr. Obama said. “So no, I do not make this decision lightly.” He called on foreign allies to step up their commitment, declaring, “This is not just America’s war.”
He delivered a pointed message to Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, saying, “The days of providing a blank check are over.”
Addressing critics who have likened Afghanistan to Vietnam, Mr. Obama called the comparison “a false reading of history.” And he spoke directly to the American people about the tough road ahead…

From the Washington Post:

Senators prepared to cast their first votes Wednesday on health-care reform, but even as partisan divisions hardened and contentious amendments stacked up, Democrats increasingly expressed optimism that they would succeed in passing a bill before Christmas…
Centrist Democrats, who will probably decide the fate of the bill, appeared to be reassured by a Congressional Budget Office report released Monday refuting insurance industry assertions that the Senate bill would add thousands of dollars to the average family's insurance bill. The CBO found that Reid's package would leave premiums unchanged or slightly lower for most Americans who get coverage through their jobs…
Despite their differences, Democrats said they remained optimistic that they can move quickly. "We're all talking to one another right now," Schumer said. "Every Democrat, every single one, wants to get a bill done. Everyone realizes that we're going to have to come together on a whole myriad of different issues."

From CBS News:

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says he's "absolutely supportive" of the 18-month timeline for President Obama's troop surge even if Taliban forces try to wait out the increased U.S. commitment.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal told reporters Wednesday that even if the Taliban lay low, the 18-month period allows time to bolster Afghan military and governing capability to make it harder for the militants to return…
Shortly after Obama's speech, Gen. Stanley McChrystal told reporters, "I am absolutely supportive of the timeline," and that the time ahead would be used to build up Afghan forces to convince the people of this war-ravaged country that they can eventually take care of their own security.
"In a counterinsurgency, what we're really trying to do is protect the people," he said. McChrystal added that if the Afghan government used the time to increase its capabilities "then it makes it much more difficult for the insurgents returning…"
"I really believe that everybody's got a focus now that's sharper than it was 24 hours ago…"

The President's Address to the Nation: "The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:45:07 EST

Here's the full video of last night's speech at West Point:

President Obama Address the Nation on Afghanistan

Christopher Hass — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:55:47 EST

President Obama will address the nation on his plan for Afghanistan in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point tonight. The speech is scheduled to begin at 8:00 P.M. Eastern, and will be covered live on all of the major television news networks and can be viewed online at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

CBO Report on the Recovery Act: Up to 1.6 Million Jobs Saved or Created So Far

Christopher Hass — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:10:23 EST

The independent, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report late Monday on the economic impact of the Recovery Act. The CBO determined that, between its inception in February of this year and the end of September, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has:

    • Saved or Created up to 1.6 Million Jobs
    • Added up to 3.2% to the Growth of Real GDP
    • Reduced the Unemployment Rate by as Much as 0.9 Percentage Points

Earlier today, Vice President Biden released the following statement in response to the report:

“This new report from the Congressional Budget Office is further evidence of what private forecasters and government economists have been saying: the Recovery Act is already responsible for more than 1 million jobs nationwide. From independent economists to Congress’s own nonpartisan research body, the experts have spoken and the debate is no longer whether the Recovery Act is creating and saving jobs, but how we provide even more opportunities to drive growth and support American workers. This early progress less than halfway through the program is encouraging, but we’re just getting started. In the coming months, we’ll break ground on thousands of infrastructure projects, launch multi-billion dollar broadband and high speed rail initiatives and make critical investments in our nation’s schools and businesses through the Recovery Act that will help put America back to work and lay a foundation for long-term economic growth.”

World AIDS Day

Christopher Hass — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:56:13 EST

Every December 1st, since 1988, people around the globe have united behind World AIDS Day in an effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. Last week, President Obama released a presidential proclamation in support of World AIDS Day, encouraging to join in remembering those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease:

Our Nation joins the world in celebrating the extraordinary advancements we have made in the battle against HIV and AIDS, and remembering those we have lost. Over the past three decades, brave men and women have fought devastating discrimination, stigma, doubt, and violence as they stood in the face of this deadly disease. Many of them would not be here today, but for the dedication of other persons living with HIV, their loved ones and families, community advocates, and members of the medical profession. On World AIDS Day, we rededicate ourselves to developing a national AIDS strategy that will establish the priorities necessary to combat this devastating epidemic at home, and to renewing our leadership role and commitments abroad.

Though we have been witness to incredible progress, our struggle against HIV/AIDS is far from over. With an infection occurring every nine-and-a-half minutes in America, there are more than one million individuals estimated to be living with the disease in our country. Of those currently infected, one in five does not know they have the condition, and the majority of new infections are spread by people who are unaware of their own status. HIV/AIDS does not discriminate as it infiltrates neighborhoods and communities. Americans of any gender, age, ethnicity, income, or sexual orientation can and are contracting the disease.

Globally, there are over 33 million people living with HIV. While millions have died from this disease, the death rate is slowly declining due, in part, to our Nation's global effort through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. However, HIV remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Women and children around the world are particularly vulnerable due to gender inequalities, gaps in access to services, and increases in sexual violence. While the statistics are distressing, new medications and scientific advancements give us reason for hope.

Tackling this disease will take an aggressive, steadfast approach. My Administration is developing a national HIV/AIDS strategy to bolster our response to the domestic epidemic, and a global health initiative that will build on PEPFAR's success. We will develop a strategy to reduce HIV incidence, improve access to care, and help eliminate HIV-related health disparities. We have already ensured that visitors to our shores living with HIV are not marginalized and discriminated against because of their HIV status. We have also secured the continuation of critical HIV/AIDS care and treatment services. Today, we recommit ourselves to building on the accomplishments of the past decades that have dramatically changed the domestic and global HIV/AIDS landscape.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 1, 2009, as World AIDS Day. I urge the Governors of the States and the territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join in appropriate activities to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:01:28 EST

From the New York Times:

The Congressional Budget Office said Monday that the Senate health bill could significantly reduce costs for many people who buy health insurance on their own, and that it would not substantially change premiums for the vast numbers of Americans who receive coverage from large employers.
The eagerly awaited report, which came as the Senate began debate on the legislation, provided Democrats with ammunition against Republicans who have criticized the bill on the ground that it would raise costs for a majority of Americans.
Centrist Democrats like Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, whose votes are vital to President Obama’s hopes of getting the bill approved, had feared that the measure would drive up costs for people with employer-sponsored coverage. After reading the budget office report, Mr. Bayh said he was reassured on that point…
For most people who get health insurance through employers — five-sixths of the total market — the budget office concluded that there would be little change in their premiums relative to the amounts projected under current law.
Administration officials said the report provided a lift to the bill, which embodies Mr. Obama’s top domestic priority.
“The C.B.O. has rendered a fundamental judgment that this will reduce the deficit and reduce people’s premium costs,” said Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, who huddled with Senate Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill on Monday. “All the Republican leadership will guarantee you is the status quo…”

From the Wall Street Journal:

The Congressional Budget Office late Monday said it estimates that the federal stimulus package sustained between 600,000 and 1.6 million jobs in the third quarter, and raised gross domestic product by 1.2 to 3.2 percentage points higher than it would have been without the program.
The CBO said the figures were estimates made "using evidence about how previous similar policies have affected the economy and various mathematical models that represent the workings of the economy."
CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf, in a blog post, said stimulus recipients have reported that about 640,000 jobs "were created or retained" with stimulus funding through Sept. 30. "However, such reports do not provide a comprehensive estimate of the law's impact on employment in the United States. That impact may be higher or lower than the reported number for several reasons (in addition to any issues about the quality of the data in the reports)," Mr. Elmendorf wrote. The CBO is required to comment on the figures released by stimulus recipients…

From the Los Angeles Times:

After almost a year of maneuvering over policies and politics, the Senate on Monday officially began debate on the landmark legislation to overhaul the nation's healthcare system, but it remained uncertain how long the deliberations would last or how much the bill would change before it comes to a vote…
"While each of us may not say 'yes' to each word in this bill as it currently reads, let us at least admit that simply saying 'no' is not enough," said Reid, opening debate on legislation that marks the most ambitious effort in decades to provide near-universal health insurance coverage, slap new regulations on insurance companies and curb the skyrocketing costs of healthcare…
The CBO, which is the arm of Congress that analyzes federal budget and spending proposals, found that under the Senate bill, premiums for most people -- those in group plans provided by their employers -- would remain unchanged or even drop.
The CBO report was produced at the request of Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and other wavering centrist Democrats whose support for the bill is crucial to passage…

President to Address the Nation on Afghanistan on Tuesday Night

Christopher Hass — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:07:54 EST

On Tuesday night, President Obama will address the nation on his plan for Afghanistan in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The speech is scheduled to begin at 8:00 P.M. Eastern, and will be covered live on all of the major television news networks and can be viewed online at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Attend an OFA National Training Event

Christopher Hass — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:07:44 EST

From Nicole Derse, the OFA National Training Director:

I wanted to invite you to a special OFA National Training we're holding for some of our top volunteers in early December.

The training is a great chance to learn how to make the biggest impact in your community, ask questions, and learn specific skills such as how to talk with your neighbors about health reform and use OFA's technology to organize most effectively.

RSVP now to reserve your spot in an OFA National Training event near you:
During the election last year, we learned that when we build a dedicated community of volunteer leaders, we can bring about powerful change.

This training is part of building our momentum on the ground -- strengthening our community in every part of the country by bringing volunteers together, learning and sharing best practices, and refining our plan to move forward with our vision for the future.

I hope you can make it,

Nicole

Nicole Derse
National Training Director
Organizing for America

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:51:01 EST

From Politico:

A new analysis by a leading MIT economist provides new ammunition for Democrats as the Senate begins formally debating the historic health-reform bill being pushed by President Barack Obama.
The report concludes that under the Senate’s health-reform bill, Americans buying individual coverage will pay less than they do for today's typical individual market coverage, and would be protected from high out-of-pocket costs…
The “microsimulation” analysis is by Jonathan Gruber, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Treasury Department official under President Bill Clinton. Gruber used data from the Congressional Budget Office.
Gruber concludes that people purchasing individual insurance would save an annual $200 (singles) to $500 (families) in 2009 dollars. And people with low incomes would receive premium tax credits that would reduce the price that they pay for health insurance by as much as $2,500 to $7,500…

From the New York Times:

President Obama plans to lay out a time frame for winding down the American involvement in the war in Afghanistan when he announces his decision this week to send more forces, senior administration officials said Sunday.
Although the speech was still in draft form, the officials said the president wanted to use the address at the United States Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday night not only to announce the immediate order to deploy roughly 30,000 more troops, but also to convey how he intends to turn the fight over to the Kabul government.
“It’s accurate to say that he will be more explicit about both goals and time frame than has been the case before and than has been part of the public discussion,” said a senior official, who requested anonymity to discuss the speech before it is delivered. “He wants to give a clear sense of both the time frame for action and how the war will eventually wind down…”

From Bloomberg:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid begins this week pushing for Democratic unity on health-care legislation, which may mean catering to the whims of 60 lawmakers who know that each of their votes is essential…
Without any support from Republicans, Reid has to keep his entire caucus in line on issues big and small on a 2,074-page bill that contains the biggest changes to U.S. health care in more than four decades and is President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority…
Both the House and Senate bills would require that Americans get health insurance or pay a penalty, offering subsidies to help lower-income people and setting up online exchanges for comparison shopping. The bills would also require insurers to accept new customers, regardless of preexisting conditions, and encourage greater use of preventive care…

From the Pine Bluff Commercial:

Twin sisters Glinda Courtney Foots and Linda Courtney Weathers have put their writing and singing skills to work to encourage change. They’ve created and recorded a song entitled “Health Care Reform.”
“It sheds light on the urgency for health care insurance for all Americans,” Weathers said, adding that it pleads to lawmakers to pass legislation immediately. “This song is dedicated to the late Ted Kennedy.”
Foots and Weathers hope their song has had a positive impact on the issue of health care reform.
“We wanted to put a positive spin on the cause of health care reform,” Foots said. “We want the American people to realize the importance of it….”
Weathers was asked by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee, to share her husband’s story with Congressman Glen Nye (D-Va). The organization was delivering 3,000 health care declarations to support the president’s reform efforts. Weathers visited the congressman’s office along with several other supporters of health care reform and shared copies of the song she and her sister had written.
Foots and Weathers co-wrote and recorded the song a month after Thomas Weathers left the hospital.
“It’s our way of getting a message out through song,” Foots said. “We want the message to be loud and clear…"

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:18:11 EST

Video: President Obama Pardons White House Turkey

Christopher Hass — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:06:07 EST

In case you missed it, here's the full video of President Obama granting the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to the Official White House Turkey, in a ceremony that took place Wednesday:

Weekly Address: President Obama Delivers Thanksgiving Greeting

Christopher Hass — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:29:01 EST

Given the holiday, the White House released the President's Weekly Address early this week, and President Obama took the opportunity to call to our attention the men and women in uniform who are away from home, sacrificing time with family to protect our safety and freedom. He also talks about the progress of health care reform, the Recovery Act, and job creation, as we work to ensure that next Thanksgiving will be a brighter day:

Thanksgiving Message from the President

Christopher Hass — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:04:57 EST

Earlier this afternoon, President Obama sent supporters a special Thanksgiving message of thanks and gratitude:

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the country will sit down together, count our blessings, and give thanks for our families and our loved ones.

American families reflect the diversity of this great nation. No two are exactly alike, but there is a common thread they each share.

Our families are bound together through times of joy and times of grief. They shape us, support us, instill the values that guide us as individuals, and make possible all that we achieve.

So tomorrow, I'll be giving thanks for my family -- for all the wisdom, support, and love they have brought into my life.

But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love.

The soldier overseas holding down a lonely post and missing his kids. The sailor who left her home to serve a higher calling. The folks who must spend tomorrow apart from their families to work a second job, so they can keep food on the table or send a child to school.

We are grateful beyond words for the service and hard work of so many Americans who make our country great through their sacrifice. And this year, we know that far too many face a daily struggle that puts the comfort and security we all deserve painfully out of reach.

So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.

It seems like a lifetime ago that a crowd met on a frigid February morning in Springfield, Illinois to set out on an improbable course to change our nation.

In the years since, Michelle and I have been blessed with the support and friendship of the millions of Americans who have come together to form this ongoing movement for change.

You have been there through victories and setbacks. You have given of yourselves beyond measure. You have enabled all that we have accomplished -- and you have had the courage to dream yet bigger dreams for what we can still achieve.

So in this season of thanks giving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you, and my anticipation of the brighter future we are creating together.

With warmest wishes for a happy holiday season from my family to yours,

President Barack Obama

President Obama to Attend Copenhagen Climate Talks

Christopher Hass — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:03:15 EST

The White House announced today that President Obama will travel to Copenhagen on Dec. 9 to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in order to work with the international community to drive progress toward a comprehensive and operational Copenhagen accord. The White House also announced that President Obama is prepared to put on the table a U.S. emissions reduction target in the range of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.

The Washington Post reported that the announcement provides "new momentum" for the talks, saying:

Obama's decision to attend -- and commit to an emission reduction target -- prompted an outpouring of support from the environmental community and its Democratic allies ...

Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry (D-Mass.), who is working to fashion a bipartisan compromise climate bill along with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), said the administration's decision to put specific climate goals on the table at the United Nations-sponsored talks amounts to "a global game changer with big reverberations here at home."

"The Obama administration is now undeniably mustering bonafide leadership on climate change, not merely departing from Bush administration intransigence and ideology," Kerry said. "By announcing a provisional target, contingent on the support of Congress, the president has defined a path to an international agreement that challenges the developed and developing nations of the to fulfill their obligations.

Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America, said it marked the first time Obama has "signaled that he's ready to roll up his sleeves to make a climate change deal happen."

Underscoring President Obama’s commitment to American leadership on clean energy and combating climate change, the White House also announced today that a host of Cabinet secretaries and other top officials from across the Administration will travel to Copenhagen for the conference. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson are all scheduled to attend, along with Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner.

Read the full White House press release...

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:07:30 EST

From the Washington Post:

…The toasts were gracious, of course, but also took note of history and the changing nature of an increasingly interconnected world.

"To the future that beckons all of us. Let us answer its call. And let our two great nations realize all the triumphs and achievements that await us," Obama said.

And Singh reciprocated: "Mr. President, your journey to the White House has captured the imagination of millions and millions of people in India. You are an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of democracy, diversity and equal opportunity."

The menu was supervised by guest chef Marcus Samuelsson of New York's Aquavit, which specializes in Swiss cuisine, one of the few facts related to the evening that doesn't seem to symbolize anything. Samuelsson worked with the White House kitchen staff to create predominantly vegetarian dishes, out of respect for Singh, who does not eat meat…

Also on the bill, jazz vocalist and Chicagoan Kurt Elling and another Chicago native, Jennifer Hudson…

Obama told the assembled crowd that he had chosen India for his first state dinner to reflect "the high esteem in which I and the American people hold your wise leadership. It reflects the abiding bonds of respect and friendship between our people, including our friends in the Indian American community who join us here today," the president said. "But above all, your visit, at this pivotal moment in history, speaks to the opportunity before us -- to build the relationship between our nations, born in the last century, into one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century."
Then Singh spoke briefly, noting that "India and America are separated by distance, but bound together by the values of democracy, pluralism, rule of law and respect for fundamental human freedoms. Over the years, we have built upon these values and created a partnership that is based upon both principle and pragmatism."

"I've come today to build upon these successes and to strengthen our multifaceted relationship," Singh said…

From the New York Times:

Some of the debtors sitting forlornly in this city’s old stone bankruptcy court have lost a job or gotten divorced. Others have been summoned to face their creditors because they spent mindlessly beyond their means. But all too often these days, they are there merely because they, or their children, got sick.

Wes and Katie Covington, from Smyrna, Tenn., were already in debt from a round of fertility treatments when complications with her pregnancy and surgery on his knee left them with unmanageable bills. For Christine L. Phillips of Nashville, it was a $10,000 trip to the emergency room after a car wreck, on the heels of costly operations to remove a cyst and repair a damaged nerve.

Jodie and Charlie Mullins of Dickson, Tenn., were making ends meet on his patrolman’s salary until she developed debilitating back pain that required spinal surgery and forced her to quit nursing school. As with many medical bankruptcies, they had health insurance but their policy had a $3,000 deductible and, to their surprise, covered only 80 percent of their costs…

President Obama, in addressing a joint session of Congress in September, called on lawmakers to protect those “who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy.” He added: “These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle-class Americans.”

The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, made a similar case on Saturday in a floor speech calling for passage of a measure to open debate on his chamber’s health care bill.

The legislation moving through Congress would attack the problem in numerous ways…

From the Wall Street Journal:

The Obama administration's push to solve the nation's energy problems, a massive federal program that rivals the Manhattan Project, is spurring a once-in-a-generation shift in U.S. science.

The government's multibillion-dollar push into energy research is reinvigorating 17 giant U.S.-funded research facilities, from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory here to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. After many years of flat budgets, these labs are ramping up to develop new electricity sources, trying to build more-efficient cars and addressing climate change…

The Office of Science estimates its bigger budget allowed it to create nearly 1,400 research jobs at the 10 labs it oversees in the fiscal year ending in September, up 11% from the previous year's staffing levels. It estimates it created another 1,400 science jobs at universities. In addition, it says, funds from the Obama administration's stimulus package created hundreds more government lab jobs. As a result, the balance of U.S. science is shading a few degrees -- away from the pure research typically practiced at universities, and toward applied science.

These efforts mark a third wave of spending at national labs such as Oak Ridge, a vast complex of woods and research facilities not far from Knoxville, Tenn. Oak Ridge was one of three labs set up to help build the atomic bomb during World War II. It boomed again during America's energy-independence push in the 1970s...

From Insurance News Net:

Women in business in some ways are harder hit than their male counterparts by the nation's broken health care system, paying more for their own health insurance coverage as they struggle to compete in a tough business climate.

For social worker Melinda Merrill-Maguire, it has meant continuing to work full time for a local social services agency and only part time in the private practice she owns with her domestic partner, Charissa. Her full-time job provides the couple and their 3-year-old son with affordable, comprehensive health care benefits - a necessity that would have been out of reach if they had to purchase coverage on their own.

Those valuable "golden handcuffs" keep her tied to her agency job, she said Friday, and limit her ability to develop her own business. Buying a family insurance policy comparable to the coverage she has now would cost more than $2,000 a month, she said.

Merrill-Maguire was one of a handful of area businesswomen attending a small gathering Friday in support of contentious national health care reform legislation pending in Congress. The event was sponsored by Organizing for America Maine, an offshoot of the Democratic National Committee, and Change That Works, an advocacy group affiliated with the Service Employees International Union.

Shelby Wright of Organizing for America Maine said at the meeting that women at age 25 pay about 45 percent more for comprehensive health coverage than their male counterparts. By age 40, the difference is higher, almost 50 percent, she said, so the decision to purchase health care coverage is even more difficult for women than it is for men…

“A Milestone in the Health Care Journey”

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:15:11 EST

Last weekend, Ron Brownstein – a reporter for The Atlantic – wrote that the Senate’s health insurance reform legislation marks a “milestone in the health care journey.”

Brownstein spoke to several leading economists, including MIT health care economist Jonathan Gruber, who agreed that the Senate’s legislation is a major step toward ending the unsustainable growth of costs in our health care system.

Gruber, a self-proclaimed “skeptic on this stuff,” said: “Everything is in here....I can't think of anything I'd do that they are not doing in the bill.” Len Nichols of the non-partisan New America Foundation and Mark McClellan, the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services under George W. Bush, were also positive in their analysis of the bill.

Brownstein digs deep into Majority Leader Reid’s efforts to blend the Senate Finance Committee’s bill with the HELP Committee’s legislation and “bend the curve” by “shifting the medical payment system away from today's fee-for-service model toward an approach that more closely links compensation for providers to results for patients.” The piece also highlights how Reid incorporated four measures identified in a letter from 20 leading economists to President Obama, that are essential to fiscally responsible health insurance reform.

We excerpted the article in the Morning News clips on Monday, but here’s a highlight in case you missed it. It’s worth the read:

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. He was one of almost two dozen top economists who sent President Obama a letter earlier this month insisting that reform won't succeed unless it "bends the curve" in the long-term growth of health care costs. And, on that front, Gruber likes what he sees in the Reid proposal. Actually he likes it a lot.

"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.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:30:52 EST

From Politico:

"It would be a mistake to conclude that the international community's failure to reach a final treaty in Copenhagen is due to a lack of domestic legislation in the United States," said a senior White House official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.
The United States, said officials, plans to propose a near-term emissions reduction target as part of a "meaningful submission" the country will present at the talks.
Just what that meaningful submission will be remains unclear. But the White House on Monday was clearly reaching out trying to change the negative narrative on the climate debate, making senior administration officials available to insist the U.S. will head to the climate change conference in Copenhagen next month with a real plan…
"I think we go into Copenhagen with a very, very strong hand," said one of the officials. "We have done I think more than anyone could have expected us to do in a short time."
The targets, said Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Ed Markey, will demonstrate U.S. leadership on the climate issue and encourage other nations to make firm commitments…

From Bloomberg:

When Hillary Clinton heard that an 8-year-old Saudi girl had been sold to a man in his 50s to pay off her father’s debt, the U.S. secretary of state telephoned Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal to protest.
Clinton’s call -- on the type of issue usually handled by an aide -- symbolized her fervor for making women’s advancement a core part of her national-security efforts, even in dealing with problems such as Iran’s suspected nuclear threat or the Islamist violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“Women are key to our being able to resolve all of those difficult conflicts,” Clinton said in an August speech. Since then, she has pursued initiatives to help women gain political power, personal safety and enough money to help their communities and countries improve economically and transition to democracy.
“There is nothing that has been more important to me over the course of my lifetime than advancing the rights of women and girls,” she said in a Nov. 6 Washington speech. “And it is now a cornerstone of American foreign policy…”

In case you missed it, from the New York Times:

…But with roughly a quarter of the stimulus money out the door after nine months, the accumulation of hard data and real-life experience has allowed more dispassionate analysts to reach a consensus that the stimulus package, messy as it is, is working.
The legislation, a variety of economists say, is helping an economy in free fall a year ago to grow again and shed fewer jobs than it otherwise would. Mr. Obama’s promise to “save or create” about 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010 is roughly on track, though far more jobs are being saved than created, especially among states and cities using their money to avoid cutting teachers, police officers and other workers.
“It was worth doing — it’s made a difference,” said Nigel Gault, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, a financial forecasting and analysis group based in Lexington, Mass.
Mr. Gault added: “I don’t think it’s right to look at it by saying, ‘Well, the economy is still doing extremely badly, therefore the stimulus didn’t work.’ I’m afraid the answer is, yes, we did badly but we would have done even worse without the stimulus.”
In interviews, a broad range of economists said the White House and Congress were right to structure the package as a mix of tax cuts and spending, rather than just tax cuts as Republicans prefer or just spending as many Democrats do. And it is fortuitous, many say, that the money gets doled out over two years — longer for major construction — considering the probable length of the “jobless recovery” under way as wary employers hold off on new hiring…

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:29:20 EST

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.

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...

From the Wall Street Journal:

U.S. President Barack Obama, fresh from his first presidential trip to Asia, called for the U.S. to increase exports to that region, saying even small gains would help put many unemployed Americans back on the job.
"As we emerge from the worst recession in generations, there is nothing more important than to do everything we can to get our economy moving again and put Americans back to work, and I will go anywhere to pursue that goal," Mr. Obama said in his weekly radio address to the nation.
The president's remarks follow his four-nation tour of Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, a trip he said was prompted largely by economic interests. Now back in the U.S., he promised to continue to focus on ways to combat U.S. unemployment.
Mr. Obama warned the U.S. shouldn't return to relying on growth fueled by consumer borrowing, urging the nation to spend less, save more and get the record federal deficit under control. He also called for a greater emphasis on exports, saying a 5% increase in U.S. exports to Asia would result in hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs.
The president touted an upcoming White House forum on jobs and economic growth, where business executives and owners, labor unions, economists and financial experts will discuss ways to spur hiring and get the economy moving again...

A Big Step: Senate Votes to Begin Debate on Health Reform Bill

Christopher Hass — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:27:07 EST

Just a few moments ago, the Senate voted 60-39 to move forward with debate on health reform legislation. OFA Director Mitch Stewart explained:

For the first time ever, the Senate just voted to begin debate on a comprehensive health insurance reform bill. This was the first big hurdle we had to overcome to pass reform through the full Senate.

The decision was close -- and insurance company lobbyists were working overtime to defeat us -- but your calls this week made a huge difference.

There are more fights ahead, but this is a big victory and I wanted to take a minute to thank you for making it possible.

The Senate is expected to begin debate following the Thanksgiving break.

Senate to Vote Tonight on Motion to Proceed to Health Reform Legislation

Christopher Hass — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:08:20 EST

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the Senate version of the health reform bill on Wednesday, and tonight the full Senate is expected to vote on the "motion to proceed," which would clear the way for the Senate to begin debate on the bill. Sixty votes are needed to pass cloture on the motion, after which the bill would move to the floor for discussion.

CNN reports:

Proceedings got under way shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday and will last through the early evening.

Around 8 p.m., the Senate will hold a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture.

Reid needs 60 votes to overcome a certain GOP filibuster attempt and open the chamber's debate on the bill. It also would take 60 votes to close debate that could last for weeks, while final approval of the bill would require only a simple majority.

The President's Weekly Address

Christopher Hass — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:11:39 EST

Now, the Senate

Christopher Hass — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:47 EST

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/SenateVote

Many 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,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:16:07 EST

From the New York Times:

The Senate is expected to vote Saturday on whether to take up [health reform] legislation. The majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, refused to say Thursday whether he had the 60 votes needed to clear that procedural hurdle.
While the guts of the Senate and House bills are similar, Mr. Reid came up with a new method of financing coverage, not found in any other major health bill. His proposal would significantly increase the Medicare payroll tax for high-income people.
The Senate and House bills would provide coverage to millions of the uninsured by expanding Medicaid and subsidizing private insurance for people with moderate incomes.
The Senate bill would spend $821 billion over 10 years on Medicaid and subsidies. The House bill would spend 25 percent more: $1.03 trillion over 10 years...
Mr. Reid and other Democratic leaders said that the unveiling of the bill, hatched in his office, had given them political momentum going into the first test vote. Despite solid Republican opposition, the Democrats said they were confident they could enact some kind of national health insurance program, a goal that has eluded politicians for more than 75 years. But Congress appears highly unlikely to meet President Obama's goal of finishing work on the bill this year.

From Politico:

He doesn’t have the votes — yet — but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and fellow Democrats projected confidence they could clear the first hurdle for health reform, a rare Saturday vote to open debate on the sweeping measure.
Reid also got one piece of good news as Republicans at least tentatively dropped their plans to force a reading of the 2,074-page bill, in exchange for a daylong debate, starting in the morning and culminating with a vote at about 8 p.m. Saturday...
Most senators said they had yet to read through the entire bill — or the summaries that their staff members were preparing. Reid’s plan would expand coverage to 94 percent of Americans through a government-run health insurance option — allowing states to opt out — and other features, all while reducing future federal deficits by $130 billion during the next 10 years, according to a Congressional Budget Office report.
“I just like the numbers,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who pledged to read “every word.” “I love the deficit reduction...

From the Editorial Page of the New York Times:

An expert panel’s recommendation that mammography screening to detect breast cancer be scaled back has caused consternation among women and doctors and prompted some attempts to connect the results to the debate over health care...
It is important to keep the findings and recommendations in perspective. They are guidance for women and doctors. The decision about whether to be screened is properly left to each woman — to determine with the help of her doctor what risks and benefits she is most comfortable accepting...
Opponents of the health care reform bills moving through Congress have seized on the new recommendations as evidence that the government is seeking to put bureaucrats between you and your doctor or that it would ration care by denying coverage for some mammograms that are now covered.
There is virtually no chance that any insurers, either public or private, will deny coverage to anyone based on these recommendations. Government and industry officials have said that explicitly and, in fact, every state but Utah requires private insurers to pay for mammograms for women starting in their 40s...
The only part of the reform bills that could affect mammography would only make them more accessible...

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Cloe Axelson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:56:20 EST

Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled the Senate’s version of the health insurance reform legislation – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – this afternoon at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol.

The bill achieves President Obama’s three principles of reform: more security and stability for people who have insurance; more quality, affordable options to those who don’t; and bringing down the high costs of care for American families, businesses and our government itself.

The bill would extend coverage to 31 million Americans and reduce the deficit by $127 billion in the first ten years, and by $650 billion in the second decade. Here’s an excerpt from President Obama’s statement about the bill:

“…From day one, our goal has been to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don’t, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country. Majority Leader Reid, Chairmen Baucus and Dodd, and countless Senators have worked tirelessly to craft legislation that meets those principles.
Just yesterday, a bipartisan group of more than 20 leading health economists released a letter urging passage of meaningful reform and praising four key provisions that are in the Senate legislation: a fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans, the establishment of an independent Medicare commission, reforms to the health care delivery system, and overall deficit neutrality. The economists said that these provisions ‘will reduce long-term deficits, improve the quality of care, and put the nation on a firm fiscal footing.’ Those are precisely the goals we should be seeking to attain.
The challenges facing our health care system aren’t new – but if we fail to act they’ll surely get even worse, meaning higher premiums, skyrocketing costs, and deeper instability for those with coverage. Today, thanks to the Senate’s hard work, we’re closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems. I look forward to working with the Senate and House to get a finished bill to my desk as soon as possible."

The Senate is expected to vote on a "motion to proceed" - a procedural vote in order for full debate to begin - sometime this weekend.

Morning News

Cloe Axelson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:13:19 EST

From the New York Times:

Democratic leaders in the Senate on Wednesday unveiled their proposal for overhauling the health care system, outlining legislation that they said would cover most of the uninsured while reducing the federal budget deficit.
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said at an evening news conference that the legislation, embodying President Obama’s signature domestic initiative, would impose new regulations on insurers, extend coverage to 31 million people who currently do not have any and add new benefits to Medicare.
Mr. Reid said the bill, despite a price tag of $848 billion over 10 years, would reduce projected budget deficits by $130 billion over a decade because the costs would be more than offset by new taxes and fees and by reductions in the growth of Medicare.
Democrats expressed confidence that they would have the votes needed to move forward when the legislation hits its first test in the Senate, probably later this week. To get past that first procedural hurdle, Mr. Reid will need the votes of all 58 Democratic senators and the two independents aligned with them.

From the Wall Street Journal:

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged Thursday morning to ratify a free-trade agreement with South Korea that has been stuck for two years, challenging the U.S. Congress to separate South Korea from other Asian nations enjoying vast trade surpluses with the U.S.
He also said the U.S. and its allies will draft a package of sanctions "over the next several weeks" to show an intransigent Iran "the importance of having consequences…"
The free-trade agreement, the largest the U.S. has negotiated since the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico in the early 1990s, is expected to boost that more than $80 billion in annual two-way trade between South Korea and the U.S. by $10 billion to $20 billion about five years after ratification. U.S. food producers and auto makers stand to gain the most because Korean trade barriers are currently high in those markets.

From Bloomberg:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled an $849 billion health-care plan that would create new government competition for private insurers, cover almost all Americans and raise a payroll tax on the highest earners.
Reid’s proposal, the most sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health system in four decades, cleared a major hurdle when the Congressional Budget Office said it would cut the federal budget deficit by $127 billion in the first decade. That met a standard set by President Barack Obama and allows Reid to seek a vote as early as Saturday to open the way for Senate debate.
“This legislation is a tremendous step forward,” Reid told reporters at the Capitol last night. “Tonight begins the last leg of this journey…”
“We’re closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House. “I look forward to working with the Senate and House to get a finished bill to my desk as soon as possible…”
“We are now down to the week we have been waiting for,” Massachusetts Senator John Kennedy told reporters. “This is not just a matter of months in the waiting, this has been decades in the waiting.”

From the Boston Globe:

President Barack Obama said Thursday the United States has begun talking with allies about fresh punishment against Iran for defying efforts to halt its nuclear weapons pursuits.
Obama's tough talk came as Iran indicated it would not ship its low-enriched uranium to Russia for processing, the centerpiece of deal aimed at a peaceful resolution to Iran's contested nuclear program.
"They have been unable to get to `yes', and so as a consequence, we have begun discussions with our international partners about the importance of having consequences," Obama said in a brief news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak…

An Open Letter to Rep. Gerlach: Please Reconsider Your “No” Vote on Health Insurance Reform

Kerri — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:22:23 EST

The following is an open letter to Representative Gerlach asking him to reconsider his “No” vote on health insurance reform. A copy of this letter was also hand-delivered to his office.

Representative Gerlach:
On November 4, 2008 I was one of the majority of voters in Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District who voted for President Obama. Like so many others, I voted not only for the man and his leadership qualities, but also for his stance on the critical issues facing our country. I voted to change the status quo and to move this country in a better direction.
One of the critical issues I voted to change is our nation’s health care system. It is widely recognized that the cost of our health insurance system is out of control. Costs continue to rise as quality of care diminishes. Health insurance reform is an economic necessity and it is a moral imperative. Far too many of your constituents go uninsured or underinsured every day.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act, which you voted against, will provide quality, affordable choices for the millions of Americans who are uninsured. And the bill will bring down the high costs of care for American families and businesses, while lowering our deficit. Representative Gerlach: I urge you to reconsider your vote and support this much-needed legislation.
This year, as a volunteer for Organizing for America, I’ve been reaching out to my neighbors in the 6th Congressional District, in support of President’s Health Reform Plan. I can report that the overwhelming majority of constituents with whom I, and dozens of other dedicated volunteers spoke with, support the President’s plan for reform. As you may recall, in September we delivered nearly 5,000 declarations to you from your constituents in support of the President’s plan. I am writing today on behalf of the thousands of your constituents who support the President’s plan to ask you, as our representative in Washington, to put aside partisan differences and vote for reform later this year.
Those of us fortunate enough to have private health insurance through our employers are now in the “open enrollment period”. Two weeks ago, I was notified by my employer that my portion of my health insurance premium payments will increase by 30 percent. Let there be no doubt: I can unequivocally state that my payments are increasing at an alarming and unsustainable rate. Unfortunately, my situation is in no way unique.
Make no mistake – I feel very fortunate to have health insurance coverage. Unlike many of your other constituents, I’ve not had to face the harsh pre-existing conditions clause, the tragic bankruptcy brought on by catastrophic health care issues, or the shocking expense of the Medicare prescription plan “donut-hole.”
But there is hope. As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, I’m thankful that the President, Pennsylvania’s Senators, and the leadership in the House of Representatives all recognize our nation’s urgent need for Health insurance reform. I’m thankful for their diligent efforts to keep what’s working, and fix what’s broken.
Representative Gerlach, I encourage you to join with us, the majority of your constituents, in support of passing meaningful health insurance reform this year. When the House takes up a final health insurance bill later this year, I call on you to listen to your constituents, reconsider your vote, and support the legislation that is consistent with President Obama’s principles of reform.
Respectfully,
Gregory M.
Malvern, PA

A Clean Energy Future

Cloe Axelson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:40:36 EST

After stops in Japan, Singapore and China, and a final stop in South Korea today, President Obama is nearing the end of his first official trip to Asia.

Yesterday, President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced a far-reaching package of measures to strengthen cooperation between the United States and China on clean energy. The White House blog posted a good round up of the six new clean energy measures:

The U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center will facilitate joint research and development of clean energy technologies by teams of scientists and engineers from the United States and China, as well as serve as a clearinghouse to help researchers in each country.
The U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative will include joint standards development, demonstration projects in more than a dozen cities, technical roadmapping and public education projects, all aimed at eventual deployment of electric vehicles to reduce oil dependence.
The U.S. China Energy Efficiency Action Plan will allow the two countries to work together to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, industrial facilities, and consumer appliances, culminating with an annual U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Forum, rotating between the two countries.
The U.S. China Renewable Energy Partnership will facilitate development of roadmaps for wide-spread renewable energy deployment. A new Advanced Grid Working Group made up of American and Chinese developers and strategists will help plan for grid modernization in both countries, and a new U.S.-China Renewable Energy Forum will be held annually, rotating between the two countries.
A 21st Century Coal Initiative, for which the two Presidents pledged to promote cooperation on cleaner uses of coal, will include large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects.
A Shale Gas Initiative, will allow the U.S. and China to use experience gained in the United States to assess China’s shale gas potential, promote environmentally-sustainable development of shale gas resources, conduct joint technical studies to accelerate development of shale gas resources in China, and promote shale gas investment in China through the U.S.-China Oil and Gas Industry Forum, study tours, and workshops.
The U.S. China Energy Cooperation Program will leverage private sector resources for project development work in China across a broad array of clean energy projects, to the benefit of both nations.

You can read the unabridged version and access fact sheets on coal, energy efficiency and electric vehicles here.