Obama's Political Group Pushes Health Reform in Ad

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Health Care

As Democrats in Congress are gaining momentum crafting health care legislation, President Obama's political arm in the Democratic National Committee is stepping up its own push for reform with a new ad.

The group Organizing for America begins airing a new television ad today in Washington and eight critical states represented by conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans: Arkansas, Indiana, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska and Ohio.

The 30-second spot features five people facing hardship because of insufficient health insurance coverage. It ends with the message, "It's time for health care reform." It urges viewers to visit Healthcare.BarackObama.com.

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The ad begins as Democrats from both branches of Congress are boasting progress on their legislation. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today passed its version of reform by a vote of 13 to 10. Meanwhile, the House yesterday introduced its own bill. Both bills mandate all Americans acquire health insurance, set up subsidies for those who cannot afford coverage, mandate employer participation and establish a government-sponsored insurance plan.

The House bill includes tax increases for families earning more than $350,000 a year and a tax of up to 5.4 percent of income for those earning more than $1 million a year.