(Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Associated Press | President Barack Obama accused insurance companies of placing profits over people and said Republicans ignored long-festering problems when they held power as he sought to build support Monday for swift passage of legislation stalled in Congress.
“Let’s seize reform, the need is great,” Obama said at an appearance that had the feel of a campaign rally. The president said dismissively that Republican critics in Congress say they want to do something about rising health care costs, but said they did not when they held power. “You had 10 years. What happened. What were you doing?” he said to applause from an audience at Arcadia University.
“How much higher do premiums have to rise before we do something about it?” said Obama, making the first in an expected string of out-of-town trips to pitch his plan to remake the health care system.
Obama made his appeal as Democratic leaders in Congress worked on a rescue plan for sweeping changes in health care that seemed earlier in the year to be on the brink of passage. The two-step approach calls for the House to approve a Senate-passed bill despite opposition to several of its provisions, and both houses to follow immediately with a companion measure that makes a series of changes.
The White House has said it wants the legislation wrapped up by March 18, but that seems unlikely. The companion bill has not yet been made public, and a protracted debate is expected in the Senate, where Republicans vow to resist even though they will not be able to block passage by mere talk.
Obama’s stated goals across more than a year of struggle has been to extend coverage to millions who lack it, ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions and cut costs.
Republicans dismissed Obama’s argument instantly. “The American people have heard all this rhetoric from the president before, and they continue to say loudly and clearly they do not want a massive government takeover of health care,” said House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio.
Obama has long identified the insurance industry as an obstacle to changes along the lines he seeks, but the administration’s actions and rhetoric seem to have escalated in recent days.
The president’s proposal would give the government the right to rein in excessive premiums increases — a provision included after one firm announced a 39 percent increase in the price of individual policies sold in California. Separately, Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and Human Services, convened a White House meeting with insurance executives last week, and followed up with a letter released in advance of Obama’s speech.
It asked companies to “post on your Web sites the justification for any individual or small group rate increases you have implemented or proposed in 2010.”
In his remarks, Obama referred to a recent report from Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, saying that a lack of market competition makes it beneficial for insurers to drop customers or ignore new business and raise rates on remaining customers instead. Goldman’s conclusions were based on a conference call with an industry expert at a major insurance broker.
Insurers have blamed rising rates on the growing prices of prescription drugs, hospital stays and other medical items.
The president’s remarks came nearly a week after he took command of a final bid to pass his health care legislation and told a White House audience he wanted Congress to vote yes or no within a few weeks.
In the days since, he has met with two groups of wavering Democratic lawmakers, stressed the health care issue in his weekly radio and Internet address, and announced a trip to St. Louis for later in the week.
Full Democratic support is far from certain. Some party moderates are uneasy about the cost of the $1 trillion bill and its language on abortion, and some House Democrats are suspicious of whether their Senate colleagues would follow through on promises to work out the differences in the bills.
The Democratic plan includes greater consumer protections and a ban on discriminating against customers with pre-existing conditions. Small businesses also would receive a tax credit this year. The White House hopes the immediate changes created by the bill would give Democratic candidates a strong platform on which to campaign in the fall.
Though Obama has included some GOP proposals in his plan, Republicans have called for the existing bills to be scratched and for the process to start anew. Party leaders insist they’re on the side of a public that doesn’t want the government-controlled health care they maintain the president’s plan would create.
When is this professional squatter going to vacate our White House? Get out.
This has nothing to do with “reform” and everything to do with a play for power and control.
Obama seeks to continue putting as much of the private economy under government control as possible to create his nanny state utopia where he is king.
Let’s continue to stand strong against Obama’s schemes and get Congress out of the hands of Pelosi and Reid in November.
So much for “Making jobs #1 priority…” I guess once a liar, always a liar….
This is 36th speech from Obama on his hideous health care reform plan.
A whopping 36 speeches. Hey, Champ, no one is listening.
The punchline, of course, is that polls show the public hates ObamaCare even more today than a year ago.
In fact, the only thing less popular than ObamaCare is reconciliation, which is why Obama doesn’t even have the guts to utter the word “reconciliation.”
He’s playing games with us, folks.
The out-of-control spending by Obama and Democrats has to stop now.
How about BO actually listening to what the people really want?
We the people (you know, the voters) do not want and can’t afford a $1,000,000,000,000.00 “reform” bill.
Pity the congressmen who vote “yes” on this pile of doo. They’ll be unemployed very soon.
In addition to Obama’s attempts to steal 1/6 of the economy, here is more bad news for Americans. Obama is a flat-out disaster.
From the New York Times Dot Earth blog:
To meet the Obama administration’s targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, researchers say Americans will have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon.
To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, the cost of driving must simply increase, according to a forthcoming report by researchers at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
The 14 percent target was set in the Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency budget for fiscal 2010.
_______________________
Had enough HopeyDopeyChangey yet?
Hey Joe, which, “we the people” are you speaking of? Not the majority that VOTED FOR CHANGE! The republicans have ruined this country with their fear mongering and obstructionist tactics. You lost! Get over it!
Obama continues his war against the American people by trying to ram this garbage down our throats against the will of the majority.
Rasmussen: 41/56 AGAINST
Newsweek: 40/49 AGAINST
Public Policy Polling: 39/50 AGAINST
Pew: 38/50 AGAINST
Quinnipiac: 35/54 AGAINST
Ipsos/McClatchy: 37/51 AGAINST
NBC/WSJ: 31/46 AGAINST
CNN: 38/58 AGAINST
NPR: 39/55 AGAINST
2012 can’t come soon enough.
So sorry Mr President, but, your healtcare proposals just don’t offer enough Quality-Adjusted Life Years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year ) to justify any more public support!
I fully support the president and his healthcare reform plan, you naysayers do not speak for me and I cant wait for it get implemeted. Healthcare reform is the only reason I voted for him. If you dont have a job you do not have healthcare or are paying an exhorbitant amount for bad coverage. This has to change.
How many screen names are you going to post under today, Denwa?
Time for some new material, troll.
Obama is going to stick it to the American people for god knows how long. What he calls a budget will create $9.8 Trillion dollars of deficit with $5.6 Trillion dollars of interest on that debt. That is in addition to the current $14 Trillion current deficit.
How many hours do how many Americans have to work to pay $5.6 Trillion dollars for NOTHING AT ALL ?
Obama’s health care plan stinks. All he’s really doing is continuing to indulge certain segments of the population in free health care with no personal responsibility – which is a proven failure. And at the same time his plan will further impoverish the middle class. He’s keeping the insurance companies in the mix and giving them captive customers who by law have to buy the products without interstate competition. So there’s NO SAVINGS. And of course the trial lawyers will get their billions too.
He’s also shown his true intention of putting government first as usual by cutting doctor’s pay by 21%. When was the last time you heard of anyone in government taking a 21% pay cut – that would be never.
Obama is the supreme leader of the government for the government and by the government and his policies are an abomination of what America stands for and is proud of.
But much worse is the huge deficit spending that will increase taxes and further drive jobs out of this country.
Americans who work should be able to build a better life for themselves not work their tails off so Obama and his government get to live the good life.
Blah, blah, blah, more blame game. Can ever there be a day when I turn on the TV and not have to see Obama crying about all of the injustice in society? Everyone has been short changed, except those evil rich folks of course – right! The only thing this tyrannical administration has done is to create divisions within our society we have never seen in our nation’s history. It’s getting real old!
Too bad Obama’s own actuaries said this will bend the health cost curve up. And we all know about the 10 years of taxes to pay for 6 years of benefits. The real bummer is we could use real health care reform and real entitlement reform NOW. Before we turn the US into CA, IL, NJ or Greece.
“‘Book of Public Prayer: Man With Out a County”
“For ourselves and our country, O gracious God, we thank Thee, that, not withstanding our manifold transgressions of Thy holy laws, Thou hast continued to us Thy marvellous kindness,’—and so to the end of that thanksgiving. Then he turned to the end of the same book, and I read the words more familiar to me: ‘Most heartily we beseech Thee with Thy favor to behold and bless Thy servant, the President of the United States, and all others in authority,’ May they wake up to the caring of the American people so we may be proud to be “The men with a country” Please stop the greed and the spending. We want our country back without increasing debit you are occurring, as leadership is killing us of our Freedom to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…. Thank you
We all want to emerge from the economic recession?
American people do not want Government Run Healthcare
The Governmen’s focus should be the wa and the security of American People!.
This Medical system if pushed thru by illegal tacts will Kill the senior citizens they are already doubled dipped in social security taxes and now medical and last in line to get need help? Guess its a good way to get rid of Old people in the … the roots of our country Our History , the elderly that have paid their dues! This bad health bill is not in the best interest and support of Americans. We deserve better! We the people ae ethe governme and voted in- hiored management to make the best decisions for the country. I lack to view it! The Bad decision makers should be fired . Isnt that a normal procedure?.
“‘Book of Public Prayer: Man With Out a County”
“For ourselves and our country, O gracious God, we thank Thee, that, not withstanding our manifold transgressions of Thy holy laws, Thou hast continued to us Thy marvellous kindness,’—and so to the end of that thanksgiving. Then he turned to the end of the same book, and I read the words more familiar to me: ‘Most heartily we beseech Thee with Thy favor to behold and bless Thy servant, the President of the United States, and all others in authority,’ May they wake up to the caring of the American people so we may be proud to be “The men with a country” Please stop the greed and the spending. We want our country back without increasing debit you are occurring, as leadership is killing us of our Freedom to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…. Thank you
We all want to emerge from the economic recession?
American people do not want Government Run Healthcare
The Government’s focus should be the war and the security of American People!.
This Medical system if pushed thru by illegal tactics will Kill the senior citizens they are already doubled dipped in social security taxes and now medical and last in line to get need help? Guess it’s a good way to get rid of Old people in the … the roots of our country Our History , the elderly that have paid their dues! This bad health bill is not in the best interest and support of Americans. We deserve better! We the people are the government,and voted in- hired -management to make the best decisions for the country. I lack to view it! The Bad decision maker’s should be fired . Isn’t that a normal procedure?. “People without a country” , Wake up before it’s too late. One solitary man should not be allow to bring America down!
Obama has spent month after month after month neglecting jobs and the economy so he can obsess about his ObamaCare takeover, but he also found time to start working out the details on — his next campaign. Politico has a story that Obama has already started work on his 2012 campaign.
Gee, thanks for all the hard work, Barry. At least you found some time to golf, surf and host 300 parties in 2009 too.
Obama is a disgrace.
“‘Book of Public Prayer: Man With Out a County”
“For ourselves and our country, O gracious God, we thank Thee, that, not withstanding our manifold transgressions of Thy holy laws, Thou hast continued to us Thy marvellous kindness,’—and so to the end of that thanksgiving. Then he turned to the end of the same book, and I read the words more familiar to me: ‘Most heartily we beseech Thee with Thy favor to behold and bless Thy servant, the President of the United States, and all others in authority,’ May they wake up to the caring of the American people so we may be proud to be “The men with a country” Please stop the greed and the spending. We want our country back without increasing debit you are occurring, as leadership is killing us of our Freedom to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…. Thank you
We all want to emerge from the economic recession?
American people do not want Government Run Healthcare
The Government’s focus should be the war and the security of American People!.
This Medical system if pushed thru by illegal tactics will Kill the senior citizens they are already doubled dipped in social security taxes and now medical and last in line to get need help? Guess it’s a good way to get rid of Old people in the … the roots of our country Our History , the elderly that have paid their dues! This bad health bill is not in the best interest and support of Americans. We deserve better! We the people are the government,and voted in- hired -management to make the best decisions for the country. I lack to view it! The Bad decision maker’s should be fired . Isn’t that a normal procedure?. “People without a country” , Wake up before it’s too late. One solitary man should not be allow to bring America down!
Obama gets an A+ for effort for pushing his national healthcare plan against all odds. If he keeps pushing it – it will be passed!
I support health care reform.
I believe all Americans shoud have the same health care options we give the congress.
President Obama Should keep pushing congressto do the right thing.
yeh so the black guettos voted for obama and now he has done **** yeh great job guys
Health care plan are necessary for improving one’s health. Anyone that’s invested heavily in IterMune Biopharmaceuticals should be pretty happy right now, as the FDA is going to review their drug Esbriet, which means it’s into FDA trial phase, and if that means we may have a drug that will effectively treat idiopathic (meaning without a known cause) pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lungs) then it’s definitely worth more than a payday loans worth to get the drug good to go. FDA approval is a big hurdle to clear, and FDA approved treatments mean big bucks for drug companies – and a cure of IPF is something that is worth the money to explore.
Health care for the citizens is going to be different than what CONGRESS has, we have “Buick” coverage as Congress insists and keeps its ROLLS ROYCE Bentley Coverage.
Obama is hijacking the “reform”
We need to supprt Obama’s health care plan. The only ones that have been helped by the original is the insurance company’s
Wonderful to read!