President Obama on Health Care - February 25th, 2009

In his first joint address to Congress, President Obama stated health care reform won't wait another year. Join Obama in the fight for health care reform at http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org

Full transcript:

The cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough.

This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes. In the last eight years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And in each of these years, one million more Americans have lost their health insurance. It is one of the major reasons why small businesses close their doors and corporations ship jobs overseas. And its one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of our budget.

Given these facts, we can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold.

This budget...includes an historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform a down-payment on the principle that we must have quality, affordable health care for every American. Its a commitment thats paid for in part by efficiencies in our system that are long overdue. And its a step we must take if we hope to bring down our deficit in the years to come.

Now, there will be many different opinions and ideas about how to achieve reform, and that is why Im bringing together businesses and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans to begin work on this issue next week.

I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But...let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.

Category:

News & Politics

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• congress

[gradeahaze]

I know too many people who have lost their jobs because they used their health insurance. I advise everyone to have an informed opinion before they say meaningless rhetoric on youtube. Do the right thing.

[memama2]

presidentmonson = one State Representaive lives 2 doors down and came over and leaked out that Social Security will be totally GONE in about 2 -6 years! GONE=BUSTED! And Obama will not even prove how his fake "cutting waste & fraud" could actually work?.....lol!!! ......this is all = LYING BY OMMISION!...Obamas programs do not add+++ UP! He collects/STEALS enough extra TAX and that will only last about 5-8 years then the system and insurance industry is BANKRUPT! And so are all of us! BANKRUPT!

[presidentmonson]

He is full of shit he can't help every one with out cutting some functions get get extra money but he wont he is goig to squeez us dry does he care NO

[presidentmonson]

you are correct he said "everyone will no be deide coverage " where is he comeing up with the money his pay check no h wnt pay o waight our taxes goo Job

[vaffle83]

PART 3:

You will propably pay less tax anyways compared to the norwegian people. But it will be more tax than you're used to now.. so i understand the frustration. But during some time the american people would propably not recognize the benefit, until it get normalized :)

the reason i think it's different infrastructure i have one example... a regular coke in norway costs 2.21 USD.. the same coke may only cost 0,79 USD in the U.S. (?)..

well well.. have a healthy day!

[vaffle83]

PART 2:

A total of 9451 NOK (1493,73 USD). So then all I get out of my total wage was 16.730 NOK (2644,18 USD)..

So out of my total wage 26.181,21 NOK, I'll get 16.730 (I almost "loose" 10 norwegian grand (1580,50 USD)..

So well.. i don't know.. it's just how it works.. it's propably different infrastructure in our different countries.. But I think the american people may benefit from a healthcare system..

[vaffle83]

PART 1:

Well you're a bit right.. This month I earned 26.181 NOK (4137,95 USD).

And out of those money, I pay 7.861 NOK in Taxes + 1000 NOK that I volunteerly also pay in taxes + 590 NOK in Union and development fund.

[johnnorvaisas]

It's not free you get crushed paying taxes please wake up!

[johnnorvaisas]

Thank god we don't need a garbage single payer plan it does not work!

[urbanverificationist]

There will be reform but only after it is blessed by the insurance industry. Single Payer advocates will not be permitted to weigh in. In the end, private plans will compete with a public plan that will be slowly eroded by private lobbyists who will make sure the public plan is underfunded.