Obama Argues Case for Health Care Reform in Weekend Road Trip
On Saturday, President Obama gave a health care address to a crowd of about 15,000 supporters in Minnesota that echoed remarks he gave last week to a joint session of Congress, Roll Call reports (Koffler, Roll Call, 9/12).
Addressing a crowd at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Obama reaffirmed his pledge to lower the cost of care, cover more U.S. residents and bar insurance companies from denying coverage for people with pre-existing conditions (Romm, The Hill, 9/12).
Obama told the crowd, "I will not accept the status quo. Not this time. Not now" (AP/USA Today, 9/14). He continued, "If we do nothing, your premiums will continue to rise faster than your wages," adding, "I may not be the first president to take up the cause of health care reform, but I am determined to be the last."
During the speech, Obama cited recent findings from the Treasury Department, which he introduced earlier in his weekly Internet and radio address. The findings indicate that about half of all U.S. residents will lack health coverage at some point over the next decade (The Hill, 9/12).
The data came from a study that tracked insurance statuses for a sampling of people between 1997 and 2006. According to the data, 57% of people younger than age 21 will find themselves without insurance at some point during a 10-year span, while more than one-third of U.S. residents will go without coverage for short periods that add up to a year or more over the course of 10 years (AP/USA Today, 9/14).
Obama also discussed his support for including a public insurance plan within reform legislation. He acknowledged his recent allowance for alternatives to the public plan but said that he's "not going to back down on the basic principle that if Americans can't find affordable coverage, we're going to provide you a choice" (Lee, Politico, 9/12).
According to the Washington Post, Obama used the rally to begin what some strategists are calling the "closing chapter" in his quest for health reform.
Anita Dunn, the White House communications director, said that after months of debate the administration is "now in the phase where we have to close the deal" (Connolly, Washington Post, 9/13).
Obama To 'Own' Plan
To supplement Obama's renewed charge on reform, he also granted an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday, during which he pledged to "own" any reform bill passed, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The president said, "I intend to be president for a while and once this bill passes, I own it." He added, "And if people look and say, 'You know what? This hasn't reduced my costs. My premiums are still going up 25%, insurance companies are still jerkin' me around,' I'm the one who's going to be held responsible" (Davis, Wall Street Journal, 9/13).
Obama said he believes there are enough votes in Congress to pass "a good health care bill that helps the American people, reduces costs [and] actually over the long term controls our deficit" (Hurst, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 9/14).
Obama Dismisses Health 'Circus'
On Sunday, Obama dismissed the political and media attention given to Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) outburst during the president's speech to a joint session of Congress last Wednesday.
Obama said the uproar following the incident only serves as a distraction from reform efforts. Obama suggested the controversy was an example of "a coarsening of our political dialogue" and said it has become part "of a big circus" (Levey, Los Angeles Times, 9/14).
Broadcast Coverage
NPR's "All Things Considered" reported on Obama's reform push and his speech in Minnesota (Gonyea, "All Things Considered," NPR, 9/12). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.