President Obama Meets with Democratic Caucus | Health Care Reform Bill

Courtesy of White House Publication

Washington, D.C. (Mar 20) – President Obama addressed the Democratic Caucus at the Capital Visitor Center Auditorium this afternoon to thank members of both  Houses for their hard work and commitment to the American people regarding both H.R. 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and H.R. 4872 Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Acts.

Greeting the President were Senate Majority Leader Reid, Steny Hoyer, John Larson, Xavier Becerra, Jim Clyburn, Chris Van Hollen, and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Senator Reid opened the visit with a tribute to the NCAA finals, and the president’s love of the game. Senator Reid made a clear analogy that included about when the final buzzer sounds on health care reform, there will be a clear winner, The American People.

President Obama opened with thanks to all members and referencing a quote from Abraham Lincoln, “I am not bound to win, but I’m bound to be true.  I’m not bound to succeed, but I’m bound to live up to what light I have.”

The President continued with mentioning the hardships the American workers have been facing over the last few years, the financial system in collapse, and millions of American’s losing their health insurance. In reference to members of both Houses President Obama stated, “A year later, we’re in different circumstances.  Because of the actions that you’ve taken, the financial system has stabilized.  The stock market has stabilized.  Businesses are starting to invest again.  The economy, instead of contracting, is now growing again.  There are signs that people are going to start hiring again.  There’s still tremendous hardship all across the country, but there is a sense that we are making progress — because of you.”

President Obama continued focusing his comments on the health care crisis that American’s have been enduring for decades, “But even before this crisis, each and every one of us knew that there were millions of people across America who were living their own quiet crises.  Maybe because they had a child who had a preexisting condition and no matter how desperate they were, no matter what insurance company they called, they couldn’t get coverage for that child.  Maybe it was somebody who had been forced into early retirement, in their 50s not yet eligible for Medicare, and they couldn’t find a job and they couldn’t find health insurance, despite the fact that they had some sort of chronic condition that had to be tended to.”

In noting the advantages to American’s across the country regarding the passage of this bill, the President pressed forward with his address interrupted several times from applause of those in attendance, he continued, “Because this year, insurance companies won’t suddenly be able to drop your coverage when you get sick or impose lifetime limits or restrictive limits on the coverage that you have.  Maybe they know that this year, for the first time, young people will be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they’re 26 years old and they’re thinking that just might be popular all across the country.”

In reference to supporters of the original measure that wanted a “single-payer government-run system” the President outlined his comments to those opposing the Heath Care Reform Bill, “Now, there are some who wanted a single-payer government-run system.  That’s not this bill.  The Republicans wanted what I called the “foxes guard the henhouse approach” in which we further deregulate the insurance companies and let them run wild, the notion being somehow that that was going to lower costs for the American people.  I don’t know a serious health care economist who buys that idea, but that was their concept.  And we rejected that, because what we said was we want to create a system in which health care is working not for insurance companies but it’s working for the American people, it’s working for middle class families.”

Adding, the system creates “a pool, a marketplace, where individuals and small businesses, who right now are having a terrible time out there getting health insurance, are going to be able to purchase health insurance as part of a big group — just like federal employees, just like members of Congress. “

In addition President Obama pointed out that with the numerous changes; the bill could still be facing some refining in the future, “Now, is this bill perfect?  Of course not.  Will this solve every single problem in our health care system right away?  No.  There are all kinds of ideas that many of you have that aren’t included in this legislation.  I know that there has been discussion, for example, of how we’re going to deal with regional disparities and I know that there was a meeting with Secretary Sebelius to assure that we can continue to try to make sure that we’ve got a system that gives people the best bang for their buck.”

Reflecting on his past, the President commented, “Sometimes I think about how I got involved in politics.  I didn’t think of myself as a potential politician when I get out of college.  I went to work in neighborhoods, working with Catholic churches in poor neighborhoods in Chicago, trying to figure out how people could get a little bit of help.  And I was skeptical about politics and politicians, just like a lot of Americans are skeptical about politics and politicians are right now.  Because my working assumption was when push comes to shove, all too often folks in elected office, they’re looking for themselves and not looking out for the folks who put them there; that there are too many compromises; that the special interests have too much power; they just got too much clout; there’s too much big money washing around.”

The President continued his remarks as to how he finally made the decision that becoming involved in the political process he was bound, and committed to making changes, “And I decided finally to get involved because I realized if I wasn’t willing to step up and be true to the things I believe in, then the system wouldn’t change.  Every single one of you had that same kind of moment at the beginning of your careers.  Maybe it was just listening to stories in your neighborhood about what was happening to people who’d been laid off of work.  Maybe it was your own family experience, somebody got sick and didn’t have health care and you said something should change.”

Addressing the Democratic Caucus, interrupted by applause, the President remarked, “Something inspired you to get involved, and something inspired you to be a Democrat instead of running as a Republican.  Because somewhere deep in your heart you said to yourself, I believe in an America in which we don’t just look out for ourselves, that we don’t just tell people you’re on your own, that we are proud of our individualism, we are proud of our liberty, but we also have a sense of neighborliness and a sense of community and we are willing to look out for one another and help people who are vulnerable and help people who are down on their luck and give them a pathway to success and give them a ladder into the middle class.  That’s why you decided to run.”

In wrapping up his address to the caucus, the President reflected on his opening remark, “We are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true.  We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shined,” leaving the work to be finished in the capable hands of the Democratic members of the House.

Tomorrow will be the day Americans have waited decades for as the House is set to vote on both H.R. 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and H.R. 4872 Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Acts.

Hopefully, upon close of this vote, the President can encourage his colleagues to move forward on help for the American Unemployed by drafting a new bill adding assistance to those on the verge or have exhausted all their unemployment benefits.

Posted by rgrone on March 20, 2010. Filed under economic recovery,economy,National News,News,Politics,US Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.