Obama: Health Care Debate is About Country's Character
AP
Updated 5:10 p.m. Eastern Time
President Obama made a last-minute push for his health care reform plan Friday in advance of Sunday's planned vote in the House, telling a supportive audience at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia that "a century-long struggle" for reform is about to "culminate in a historic vote."
The president, who appeared energetic and enthusiastic, linked passage of the health care bill to the passage of social security and civil rights legislation, arguing that the debate on the legislation is "about the character of our country."
The Hunt for Health Care Votes: Democrats to Watch
He cited past presidents who have supported reform, among them Republican Teddy Roosevelt, who he quoted as having backed "aggressive fighting" for expanded coverage.The legislation would eventually mean coverage for about 32 million people who are now uninsured, though many provisions expanding coverage do not kick in until 2014.
"I know this has been a difficult journey," he said. "I know this will be a tough vote." The president said that while he doesn't know how pushing for reform will "play politically," he does know that it's the right thing to do.
Mr. Obama added that despite rhetoric suggesting the legislation represents radical change, the bill is ultimately about "common sense reform." He said that if the bill does not pass, the insurance industry "will continue to run amok."
"They will continue to deny people coverage," he said. "They will continue to deny people care. They will continue to jack up premiums 40 or 50 or 60 percent as they have in the last few weeks without any accountability whatsoever. They know this. That's why their lobbyists are stalking the halls of Congress as we speak. And pouring millions of dollars into negative ads. That's why they are doing everything they can to kill this bill."
He continued: "So the only question left is this: Are we going to let the special interests win again? Or are we going to make this vote a victory for the American people?"
What's in Health Care Bill? Take a Dose
House Democrats have been working furiously to secure the votes to pass the bill ahead of the Sunday vote from skittish lawmakers concerned about their reelection prospects as well as issues like the cost of the $940 billion package. They added billions of dollars in insurance subsidies to the bill Thursday as well as a $250 rebate for seniors on high-cost prescription drugs.
Dems Sweeten Health Bill in Final Push
Before Mr. Obama spoke, Rep. John Boccieri, D-Ohio, announced he was switching to a "yes" vote on the bill. Reps. Bart Gordon, Dennis Kucinich and Betsy Markey have also switched to supporting the bill, while Rep. Stephen Lynch has switched to a "no." If no Republicans support the bill, it will not pass if more than 37 Democrats oppose it.
There are now 20 Democrats who are firm nos and 47 who are undecided, according to a continuing CBS News count. The president plans to meet Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Capitol with the House Democratic Caucus.
Steny Hoyer: Health Vote Won't Cost Us in November
- Quick Poll
At George Mason, the president noted that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the bill would more than pay for itself over time, reducing the deficit by $1 trillion over two decades.
"This proposal's paid for," he said, contrasting it with previous Washington "schemes" that self-proclaimed fiscal conservatives have supported. Citing rising health care costs, he added: "We can't afford not to do this."
Health Care Special Deals: What's Left In?
The president compared reporting on the bill to "Sportscenter" and "Rock'em Sock'em Robots," with cable talking heads more concerned about the political implications of action than its practical impact.
He also laid out what is contained in the package, stressing the reforms that would be instituted this year, among them:
- Banning insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage when people get sick;
- Eliminating annual or lifetime coverage limits;
- Requiring insurance plans to offer free preventive care to customers;
- And extending how long young people can stay on their parents' insurance plans to age 26.
As Mr. Obama made his speech, Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader, gave a press conference noting that the president is "doing the hard sell" on this bill. Boehner said voting against the bill is ultimately about "doing the right thing for the American people."
Republicans have been nearly universal in their opposition to a bill they deem a "government takeover of health care." They have also strongly objected to a proposal by House Democrats to use a move known as "deem and pass" to combine a vote on the Senate bill with a vote on a bill making changes to it.
Some states are groups are considering lawsuits if the bill passes, and Republicans have vowed to delay and try to block the reconciliation measure in the Senate if it passes the House.
More Coverage of the Health Care Reform Debate:
The Hunt for Health Care Votes: Democrats to Watch
Obama: Health Care Debate is About Country's Character
Obama Deploys Personal Presidential Touch
Dem Health Care Bill Pegged at $940B Over 10 Years
Washington Unplugged: Nancy Cordes on the Final Countdown
Dueling News Conferences
Steny Hoyer: Health Care Vote Won't Cost Us in Nov.
Stupak Wants Separate Abortion Bill or He Won't Support Health Care Bill
Glenn Beck, Steve King: Health Care Bill Vote an Affront to God
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care
Details on the Bill:
What's in Health Care Bill? Take a Dose
Health Care Special Deals: What's Left In?
Read the Text (PDF): Complete Senate Bill | Reconciliation Measure
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The HCR bill that's been online for almost 3 months now
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Ok, provide the link to the bill that's been online for "3 months" even though it's been altered several times in the past couple months..
Go ahead, provide us with "The Bill"....please
so I can prove or disprove the following:
Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you. You have no choice!
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals' finances & a 'National ID Health card' will be issued! (Papers please!)
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer. (Time for more cash and carry)
Page 65 Sec 164: Is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations: (ACORN).
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the 'Exchange.'
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans -- The Govt will ration your health care!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation: illegal aliens.)
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. (AARP members - your health care WILL be rationed!)
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. (No choice.)
Page 12 4 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what salary you can make.
Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. (NO choice!)
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees AND their families. (Employees shouldn't get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)
Page 150 Lines 9-13: A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn't provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.) (Like always)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin.. will have access to ALL Americans' finances and personal records. (I guess so they can 'deduct' their fees)
I don?t wish to impress anything on you other than what is innate in every person born in a free world. I wish only to bring to the fore an understanding of what was really acceptable to all those young men who died in past wars believing that they like me were born into a land that understood we were equal and shared that same opportunity of each and every person that called this New World a free and democratic land. We had called to our shores all those that suffered and were impoverished. We now know and feel comfortable and feel better and nobody else is important. Let them go to hell and not take part in our good fortune. How can any man or woman go to their grave and face his or her god knowing that they have taken preference over ther fellow citizen believing that is right. If you feel that you have enough clear conscience to not give us the same benefits as everyone else when we are willing to pay for such services than you are not the same people who came to this land and devised such things that made us inimitable. We are not here just to be self served but to be of service to those entire fellow Americans who have less opportunity and are less fortunate. Where does the greed stop and are we true Americans or self interested slaves to the system?
Form your battalions,
Let's march, let's march!
May an impure blood
Water our furrows!
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Is that the best you can do? Make unsubstantiated claims that merely show more delusions and cracks in the republiCON LIES and DECEPTIONS over needed health care reform.
Personally, I'd like to see some form of single-payer UHC that covers all Americans for better health care and deficit reduction, and those that are still crying about "socialized" medicine, would have the option to pay out the whazoo for VIP treatment in many of the CONCIERGE CARE practices sprouting-up all over the country.
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................................there will be many more Americans that would be happy to take your silly job. You're hilarious, and should just shuffle back to your trailer to watch the FAUX NoNooz LIES and DISTORTIONS that non-thinking Americans need with their Kool-aid.
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PROOF you and the rest of the republiCONS don't even know what's in the HCR bill that's been online for almost 3 months now. Instead of spewing the same political rhetoric and parroting the same FAUX NoNooz propaganda, go read the damn bill online, since even an uneducated RED stater can probably understand the easy-to-read bill, unless English is not your first language.
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Actually, we're already on the same level with health care as Cuba, but you're totally delusional to parrot that political rhetoric of "government-run" or "government-controlled" health care if this HCR is passed, since it is merely an extension of PRIVATE INSURANCE, where the for-profit insurance mafioso will still be dictating care and still skimming their 30% off the top of the $2.5 Trillion health care debacle.
Your FAUX NoNooz LIES and DISTORTIONS can be plainly seen!
You delusional republiCONS never cease to amaze me with your parroting all the FAUX NoNooz LIES and DECEPTIONS, like having less doctors due to health care reform.
Apparently, you know nothing about the move by physicians now within the past few years to CONCIERGE CARE, where they have a few VIP patients willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars UPFRONT as a retainer, for more personal care, in order to make huge profits at the expense of the entire system. UNFETTERED CAPITALISM run amuck, where the health of the American patients is only fueled by MONEY and PROFITS!
Google CONCIERGE CARE!
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by OhCry
"I have a very strong suspicion that you are the same guy as Skyk posting. Very much the same MSNBC talking points..."
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Typical republiCON, more ad hominem attacks without addressing the fact that so many physicians have been moving towards CONCIERGE CARE in America for huge profits by providing health care to the wealthy.
Instead of attacking MSNBC in such an ad hominem way, or parroting the usual conservitard FEARmongering or just plain LIES and DECEPTIONS, just tell us all how the move by physicians into this CONCIERGE CARE of VIP medicine for only a few wealthy Americans at the expense of everyone else, is going to help the for-profit health care debacle in America.
It is this move into CONCIERGE CARE by so many physicians for such a small number of wealthy clients, that proves we need to take the profit out of health care like every other industrialized country in the world, and also that the wealthy need to be taxed even higher after years of reaping the benefits of the bushevik tax cuts, they now have entirely too much money to spend on VIP health care!
"...more people out of work, less revenue and tax dollars coming into the government, the more they will tax the workers and businesses to fund this plan, and the collapse will be near..."
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GEEZ....more of the typical FEARmongering by the republiCONS!
"The collapse will be near".....BE AFRAID....BE VERY AFRAID!!
Higher taxes?......yeah, but only on the top 2% of Americans.....they can afford it, since they got the most benefit out of the bush tax cuts for almost the past ten years! Those making $10 million today, only pay an effective tax rate of a mere 19%.
More mandates on small business?.....Nah....Since the majority of small businesses are less than 50 employees, not only will they be able to shop the health care exchanges to get rates like mega-corps, but they will not have to provide health care for their employees as the republiCONS continue to WRONGLY state through political rhetoric!
Yep....finally, small businesses and individuals will be able to shop for health care insurance through exchanges, and get rates equivalent to mega-corporations for the very first time!