Ronald Reagan Civil Liberties Act of 1988

August 10, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signs Civil Liberties Act of 1988, compensating Japanese-Americans for deprivation of civil rights and property during World War II internment ordered by FDR.

RELATED: Senate bill S. 1009

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 08/08/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, August 8, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 5.47 mb MP4 VIDEO (63.3 MB)

On Friday, we received better news than we expected about the state of our economy. We learned that we lost 247,000 jobs in July – some 200,000 fewer jobs lost than in June, and far fewer than the nearly 700,000 a month we were losing at the beginning of the year. Of course, this is little comfort to anyone who saw their job disappear in July, and to the millions of Americans who are looking for work. And I will not rest until anyone who’s looking for work can find a job.

Still, this month’s jobs numbers are a sign that we’ve begun to put the brakes on this recession and that the worst may be behind us. But we must do more than rescue our economy from this immediate crisis; we must rebuild it stronger than before. We must lay a new foundation for future growth and prosperity, and a key pillar of a new foundation is health insurance reform – reform that we are now closer to achieving than ever before.

There are still details to be hammered out. There are still differences to be reconciled. But we are moving toward a broad consensus on reform. Four committees in Congress have produced legislation – an unprecedented level of agreement on a difficult and complex challenge. In addition to the ongoing work in Congress, providers have agreed to bring down costs. Drug companies have agreed to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. The AARP supports reform because of the better care it will offer seniors. And the American Nurses Association and the American Medical Association, which represent the millions of nurses and doctors who know our health care system best, support reform, as well.

As we draw close to finalizing – and passing – real health insurance reform, the defenders of the status quo and political point-scorers in Washington are growing fiercer in their opposition. In recent days and weeks, some have been using misleading information to defeat what they know is the best chance of reform we have ever had. That is why it is important, especially now, as Senators and Representatives head home and meet with their constituents, for you, the American people, to have all the facts.

So, let me explain what reform will mean for you. And let me start by dispelling the outlandish rumors that reform will promote euthanasia, cut Medicaid, or bring about a government takeover of health care. That’s simply not true. This isn’t about putting government in charge of your health insurance; it’s about putting you in charge of your health insurance. Under the reforms we seek, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.

And while reform is obviously essential for the 46 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, it will also provide more stability and security to the hundreds of millions who do. Right now, we have a system that works well for the insurance industry, but that doesn’t always work well for you. What we need, and what we will have when we pass health insurance reform, are consumer protections to make sure that those who have insurance are treated fairly and that insurance companies are held accountable.

We will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms, colonoscopies, or eye and foot exams for diabetics, so we can avoid chronic illnesses that cost too many lives and too much money.

We will stop insurance companies from denying coverage because of a person’s medical history. I will never forget watching my own mother, as she fought cancer in her final days, worrying about whether her insurer would claim her illness was a preexisting condition. I have met so many Americans who worry about the same thing. That’s why, under these reforms, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage because of a previous illness or injury. And insurance companies will no longer be allowed to drop or water down coverage for someone who has become seriously ill. Your health insurance ought to be there for you when it counts – and reform will make sure it is.

With reform, insurance companies will also have to limit how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses. And we will stop insurance companies from placing arbitrary caps on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime because no one in America should go broke because of illness.

In the end, the debate about health insurance reform boils down to a choice between two approaches. The first is almost guaranteed to double health costs over the next decade, make millions more Americans uninsured, leave those with insurance vulnerable to arbitrary denials of coverage, and bankrupt state and federal governments. That’s the status quo. That’s the health care system we have right now.

So, we can either continue this approach, or we can choose another one – one that will protect people against unfair insurance practices; provide quality, affordable insurance to every American; and bring down rising costs that are swamping families, businesses, and our budgets. That’s the health care system we can bring about with reform.

There are those who are focused on the so-called politics of health care; who are trying to exploit differences or concerns for political gain. That’s to be expected. That’s Washington. But let’s never forget that this isn’t about politics. This is about people’s lives. This is about people’s businesses. This is about America’s future. That’s what is at stake. That’s why health insurance reform is so important. And that’s why we must get this done – and why we will get this done – by the end of this year. Thank you.

Bob McDonnell Weekly Republican Address 08/08/09 VIDEO TEXT

Bob McDonnell Weekly Republican Address 08/08/09 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hi, I’m Bob McDonnell from Virginia.

Times are tough in our state, and in yours.

Yesterday’s jobs report is yet another reminder that families and small businesses are struggling as unemployment remains high.

Here in Virginia, we face unemployment rates at a twenty-five year high.

As I travel throughout Virginia, I listen to our people who are concerned about the jobs they have, worried about finding the jobs they need, and concerned about what jobs will be available for their kids in the years ahead.

As a father of five, I share those same concerns; that’s why our main goal is to bring Virginians together to create jobs and more opportunities all across our state.

And we want government at all levels to be a partner in promoting small businesses and entrepreneurship.

As Republicans, we believe you create jobs by keeping taxes and regulation low, and litigation at a minimum.

Americans succeed when government puts in place positive policies that encourage more freedom, and more opportunity.

Right now Virginians are particularly concerned about federal cap-and-trade legislation. This legislation would amount to a huge new national energy tax. If implemented, electricity rates would skyrocket and jobs would be lost.

Two weeks ago I was in Covington, in Western Virginia; I visited Mead Westvaco, an international packaging company. It’s the largest employer in the area, providing 1500 good jobs. They told me the cap-and-trade legislation, if passed, would threaten those jobs. Mark George, the vice-president of the facility, told me this, ‘I feel that the next governor of Virginia, and every representative we have, should care about keeping those good jobs in Virginia; I agree.

We must do everything we can to keep and grow jobs in Virginia, and every state in the Union. That’s why we strongly oppose cap-and-trade, a job-killing energy tax that would put American companies at a tremendous competitive disadvantage with employers in other countries; it’s the wrong policy for a nation struggling with the worst economy in generations. That’s why we’ve fought against the job-killing card-check legislation being pushed by big national labor unions and Democrats in Congress.

It’s why we are committed to helping more Americans get the healthcare and coverage they need; not through nationalizing the system with a costly government-run plan, but rather by supporting free-market incentives and helping small business owners make coverage more accessible and affordable, and ensuring that Americans can keep their individual private policies.

Government must be more efficient, and more accountable; which is why we are calling for an end to runaway government spending that is leading to an exploding deficit and burdening our children with new debt that they will have to repay.

The cornerstone of our founders system of federalism is that the states are the laboratories of democracy, where new ideas can be tried and innovations unleashed. I’m calling for environmentally friendly offshore drilling, selling our state-run liquor stores to put more cash into transportation, and expanding access for Virginia students at our colleges.

I’ve said that the President is right in his call for real education reform, with more charter schools, and performance pay for great teachers and principals. Now that’s a bipartisan reform that will help all our children get the education they need today to get those good jobs of tomorrow.

Together, we will use innovation and free-markets to bring new jobs and more opportunities to Virginia, and America.

Have a great weekend!

Republican National Committee (RNC) In Denial TV Ad VIDEO

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee. www.GOP.com Republican National Committee, 310 First Street | Washington, D. C. 20003 p/202.863.8500, f/202.863.8820, e/info@gop.com

Senate Republican Doctors Health Care Reform VIDEO

The Senate Doctors Show, Episode 8, 08/04/09

Senators John Barrasso, M.D. and Tom Coburn, M.D. answered health care reform questions from across the country.

Senator John Barrasso, M.D., and Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., are seeking your questions as Congress debates health care reform. We want you to be a part of this important debate. Send us your questions and comments by e-mail, Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter.

Senators Barrasso and Coburn will respond to some of them in future episodes, which air every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 pm EST.

Senate Doctors Show - Republican.Senate.Gov

Senator Pat Roberts Condemns Moving Gitmo Detainees to Ft. Leavenworth; Rejects Obama Plans for Terrorist Trials in Kansas TEXT VIDEO PODCAST

Senator Pat Roberts

MP3 for PODCAST VIDEO REAL MEDIA FORMAT WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Pat Roberts today condemned the notion of moving the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Ft. Leavenworth, KS amid Obama Administration statements saying Ft. Leavenworth is under consideration not only to house the detainees, but also to be the site for the federal criminal trials and military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects.

The news broke yesterday that the Administration was looking for one site for the facility and that either Ft. Leavenworth or a maximum-security prison in Standish, Michigan are the two options.

"Today I spoke with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Policy

Philip Carter," Senator Roberts said. "I expressed my extreme displeasure with the rumor that Ft. Leavenworth is under consideration. The 100 most dangerous terrorists in the world will not be moved to Ft. Leavenworth on my watch.

"Moving terrorists to the intellectual center of the Army at Ft. Leavenworth threatens the mission of the base and endangers the entire community. We have no way to secure the facility from the outside-in and have no control over what people these terrorists will attract to this community.

"I oppose any and all efforts to locate terrorists at Ft. Leavenworth. I have heard from the Ft. Leavenworth community, surrounding areas and Kansans from all corners of the state who are unequivocally opposed to housing these terrorists in Kansas.

"What more proof does this Administration need that a new detention facility will not make housing terrorists more appealing to the international community? It will just make it less safe for Americans. Not in my backyard. Not in Kansas. I will shut down the Senate before I let that happen."

Kansans can join U.S. Senator Pat Roberts in opposing the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the transfer of terrorists to American communities such as Leavenworth, Kansas, due to the unnecessary risks it presents to all Americans, by visiting the Senator’s homepage and clicking on the "Gitmo" button on the lower left side at the following web address: roberts.senate.gov/

Senator Roberts, a former Marine, was Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence from 2003-2006. He visited the detention center at Guantanamo Bay in 2005. He has been an outspoken leading advocate against housing detainees in the middle of Ft. Leavenworth, KS. -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 3, 2009, CONTACT: Sarah Ross Little or Molly Haase (202) 224-4774

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 08/01/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, August 1, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 4.71 mb MP4 VIDEO (58.5 MB)

Today, I’d like to talk with you about a subject that I know is on everyone’s mind, and that’s the state of our economy. Yesterday, we received a report on our Gross Domestic Product. That’s a measure of our overall economic performance. The report showed that in the first few months of this year, the recession we faced when I took office was even deeper than anyone thought at the time. It told us how close we were to the edge.

But it also revealed that in the last few months, the economy has done measurably better than expected. And many economists suggest that part of this progress is directly attributable to the Recovery Act.

This and the other difficult but important steps that we have taken over the last six months have helped put the brakes on this recession.

We took unprecedented action to stem the spread of foreclosures by helping responsible homeowners stay in their homes and pay their mortgages. We helped revive the credit markets and open up loans for families and small businesses. And we enacted a Recovery Act that put tax cuts directly into the pockets of middle-class families and small businesses; extended unemployment insurance and health insurance for folks who have lost jobs; provided relief to struggling states to prevent layoffs of teachers and police officers; and made investments that are putting people back to work rebuilding and renovating roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals.

Now, I realize that none of this is much comfort for Americans who are still out of work or struggling to make ends meet. And when we receive our monthly job report next week, it is likely to show that we are continuing to lose far too many jobs in this country. As far as I’m concerned, we will not have a recovery as long as we keep losing jobs. And I won’t rest until every American who wants a job can find one.

But history shows that you need to have economic growth before you have job growth. And the report yesterday on our economy is an important sign that we’re headed in the right direction. Business investment, which had been plummeting in the past few months, is showing signs of stabilizing. This means that eventually, businesses will start growing and hiring again. And that’s when it will really feel like a recovery to the American people.

This won’t happen overnight. As I’ve said before, it will take many more months to fully dig ourselves out of a recession – a recession that we’ve now learned was even deeper than anyone thought. But I’ll continue to work every day, and take every step necessary, to make sure that happens. I also want to make sure that we don’t return to an economy where our growth is based on inflated profits and maxed-out credit cards – because that doesn’t create a lot of jobs. Even as we rescue this economy, we must work to rebuild it stronger than before. We’ve got to build a new foundation strong enough to withstand future economic storms and support lasting prosperity.

Next week, I’ll be talking about that new foundation when I head to Elkhart County in Indiana – a city hard hit not only by the economic crisis of recent months but by the broader economic changes of recent decades. For communities like Elkhart to thrive, we need to recapture the spirit of innovation that has always moved America forward.

That means once again having the best-educated, highest skilled workforce in the world. That means a health care system that makes it possible for entrepreneurs to innovate and businesses to compete without being saddled with skyrocketing insurance costs. That means leading the world in building a new clean energy economy with the potential to unleash a wave of innovation – and economic growth – while ending our dependence on foreign oil. And that means investing in the research and development that will produce the technologies of the future – which in turn will help create the industries and jobs of the future.

Innovation has been essential to our prosperity in the past, and it will be essential to our prosperity in the future. But it is only by building a new foundation that we will once again harness that incredible generative capacity of the American people. All it takes are the policies to tap that potential – to ignite that spark of creativity and ingenuity – which has always been at the heart of who we are and how we succeed. At a time when folks are experiencing real hardship, after years in which we have seen so many fail to take responsibility for our collective future, it’s important to keep our eyes fixed on that horizon.

Every day, I hear from Americans who are feeling firsthand the pain of this recession; these are folks who share their stories with me in letters and at town hall meetings; folks who remain in my mind and on my agenda each and every day. I know that there are countless families and businesses struggling to just hang on until this storm passes. But I also know that if we do the things we know we must, this storm will pass. And it will yield to a brighter day.

Senator John Thune Weekly Republican Address 08/01/09 VIDEO TEXT

Senator John Thune Weekly Republican Address 08/01/09 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hello, I’m Senator John Thune of South Dakota.

With summer in full swing, children across the country are enjoying vacations and time off from school. Too many of their parents, however, don’t get a vacation from their worries about important issues like the rising costs of health care. Those parents, like many Americans, are looking to us in Washington for help, and for real solutions.

Senator John Thune

Republicans in Congress know that serious health care reform is a top priority of the American people, and we are committed to getting it done. But we need to get the right reform, rather than just rush something through that could leave us in far worse shape in the future. Republicans want health care reform that works. Reform that brings down costs for families and small businesses, and reform that provides better care to more people.

On all these points, the current proposals by the President and the Democrat leadership in Congress fall short.

Their plan for government-run health care would disrupt our current system and force millions of Americans who currently enjoy their employer-based coverage into a new health care plan run by government bureaucrats.

In this difficult recession, Americans and our government are already over-extended.

The Democrats who control Congress have been spending money and racking up debt at an unprecedented pace.

And their plan for government-run health care would only make things worse. Once implemented, the Democrat plan would spend more than $2 trillion and further increase our exploding deficit. Their plan would pile up higher costs, create new Washington bureaucracies and burden every state through new requirements on Medicaid.

Governors and state legislators from both parties have said that increased Medicaid costs would overwhelm their already-strained state budgets. In fact, one Democratic governor last week called the increases proposed by Congressional Democrats "the mother of all unfunded mandates.’’

In my home state of South Dakota, the new Medicaid requirements could require $45 million dollars a year in new state spending. That may not sound like much, but for a small state that’s required by law to balance its budget every year, it’s a lot.

That money would have to come from somewhere, and that means either higher taxes or cuts to other priorities. That’s what we’re facing not just in South Dakota, but nationwide.

Americans don’t want to lose their high quality health care, and they definitely don’t want to pay trillions of dollars for a government takeover of health care that could lead to the same denial, delay, and rationing of treatment that we’ve seen in other countries that have gone down this path.

Republicans think there’s a better way. We’ve put forth proposals that will cut costs and improve care. And we can accomplish health care reform while keeping patients and their doctors in charge, not bureaucrats and politicians.

Real reform should allow small businesses to pool together to buy affordable health insurance for their employees.

Real reform should protect doctors and hospitals from frivolous lawsuits, so they can stop practicing defensive medicine and instead focus on practicing patient-focused medicine.

Real reform should encourage wellness and prevention programs that have been proven to cut costs.

And real reform should give people who buy their own insurance the same tax breaks as those who get insurance through their employers.

These and other commonsense solutions would provide real reform for our health care system rather than the dangerous and costly experiment that Democrats are proposing.

I hope that as we continue this important debate, we can put aside the politics of Washington and tackle health care reform in the bipartisan way that Americans deserve.

It’s time for real reform that works, not the same old answers of more money and more government. Real health care reform should cost Americans less money, not more. It should provide better quality, not worse. And it should empower patients, not government bureaucrats. By working together, we can do just that. Thank you.

William Shatner Reads Sarah Palin Farewell Speech FULL VIDEO

William Shatner Reads Sarah Palin Farewell Speech FULL VIDEO

RELATED: Sarah Palin's farewell speech as governor (Full text transcript) VIDEO

Republican Leadership Stakeout Health Care Reform PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Republican Leadership Stakeout Health Care Reform PODCAST MP3 9.67 mb.

FULL TEXT Transcript: Conference Chairman Pence: Good Morning, everyone.

I'm Mike Pence, House Republican Conference Chairman, and we just concluded our weekly meeting of the House Republican Conference, with a special emphasis today on the debate over health care reform here in Washington, D.C. House Republicans support health care reform. It'll lower the cost of health care for every American and in particular, it will lower the cost of health insurance to small businesses, family farmers and working families. The Democrat plan for health care reform amounts to a government takeover of health care in this country, paid for with more than a trillion dollars in higher taxes and it must be opposed. Under the Democrat plan, according to independent analysis, you'll probably lose your health care and you might just lose your job.

Rep. John Boehner, Rep. Marsha Blackburn , Rep. Eric Cantor, Gov. Haley Barbour, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers PHOTO CREDIT: republicanconference / Creative Commons — Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0

House Republicans have led the fight against the Democrats' plan for a government takeover of health care and we will continue to as this debate goes forward. But now, House Republicans and a handful of Democrats are on the verge of a historic victory for American taxpayers and for the American health care economy. But we need your help.

Americans who cherish the fundamental free market foundation of our health care economy should call their Congressman today and urge them to oppose the government takeover of health care being moved by this administration and House Democrats. We urge every American who cherishes the freedom and free market foundation of our health care economy to join House Republicans and a handful of Democrats in this fight to bring about health care reform that is billed on the fundamental free market foundation of our health care economy.

Republican Whip Cantor:

House Republicans absolutely reject the status quo in terms of health care and as we talk about the prospects of reform, we are trying desperately to get it right. And we continue to wonder why it is the President and the Speaker have taken the approach of now or never. This is not the type of change I think people wanted, and certainly the my-way-or-the-highway approach that's being followed is not offering the hope that people deserve.

So what we're doing towards that end is we're going to bring together some small business people today and part of the Republican leadership in the House-these are small business people from around the country, many of them from districts represented by some of the Blue Dogs that obviously have been speaking to the sentries on the other side who say, "Look, the health care approach on the table is bad policy, it's bad for business, and in these times of economic difficulty why should we be adding to payroll taxes, why should we be adding to the burdens of small businesses?" So we stand ready again to continue to work with our colleagues. As we know, there's 68 on the other side who've voiced some concern over this bill; we stand together with them to try and get this health care reform right-not to rush it, but to make sure we can deliver ultimately the kind of reform the American people want.

Governor Haley Barbour:

Let me just say, this is not about party; this is about what's good for the country. This past weekend, the Governor's Association met, and as you have read if you were not there, in a very bipartisan way with many Democratic governors outspoken, there were huge concerns expressed about the health care reform plans that have been moving through Congress. Democrat governors time after time after time said they were worried about getting stuck with a huge unfunded mandate, and for good reason. Nobody can tell you how this is going to get paid for. There have been proposals of $800 billion of tax increases that would fall more than anything on small businesses that don't make enough money to offer health insurance. I'm concerned about that. I think every governor is concerned about what that's going to do to my economy when job creation is the most important thing for our country.

What this bill offers will cost jobs, because it will drive up the cost of employing people. And that's why we had many Democratic governors who thought and said publicly, we can't be for this in the way it's going, which makes Representative Cantor's point: there is no use in rushing this through artificially when there are so many concerns on a bipartisan basis. Obviously the House leadership could pass this without a Republican vote. That they have had to slow down is that many Democrats, including many Democrat governors, know that this is something that can't be rushed, because it's very dangerous in some of the forms it could be in.

Conference Vice Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers:

You know, it's the week before the August recess and we continue to hear from the majority that they are going to pass their health care bill yet all across this country Americans continue to have many questions. As a mom, like millions of parents, I want to make sure that I have access for my son to go to the doctor that we choose, the therapist that we choose, the specialist that we choose, and how does this bill ultimately protect that doctor-patient relationship? There are a lot of questions.

You know, this bill also proposes to spend billions of dollars saddling our children and our grandchildren with more debt. How does that help our children's future? And hidden in this bill are cuts to Medicare - cuts to the program that helps our parents. Finally, this bill is paid for by taxing small businesses - those job creators in our country - at a time when our economy is struggling and we need to be creating jobs. How does this bill create jobs? There are so many questions. Republicans stand ready to help pass health care reform that would ensure that there's access to quality and affordable health care. A health care bill that would challenge America to be healthy. A health care bill that America would be proud Congress passed.

Republican Leader Boehner:

Let me thank Governor Barbour for being here with us today. As it's pretty clear it's not just American families that are going to have less choices in health care. It's not just American families that are going to pay more and small businesses that are going to pay more. But this is going to have a dramatic impact on the state's ability to do what it's supposed to do. Yesterday, along with the Vice Chair of the Republican Governors Association, Governor Tim Pawlenty, we released a report on what would happen to the states' ability to provide the health care that they provide today. The states are the pilot programs in our democracy. You can see what's working and what isn't working. And under the Democrat proposal it's going to tie the hands of our governors, tie the hands or our state legislatures in terms of responding to the health care needs of the citizens in their state.

As you heard Governor Barbour point out, the cuts to Medicaid, nobody's saying how this is going to happen and who's going to be affected. But if you cut Medicaid to the states it's going to reduce their flexibility. And there are numbers of provisions in this bill that will tie the hands of all the states. Because what they're trying to do is to create one big central government to run healthcare delivery system. I think that's exactly what the American people don't want. We've got the most innovative health care system in the world. Ninety percent of the world's innovation in healthcare comes from the United States. We cannot take the risk to rush this bill through Congress before we have a real understanding of its real impact.

Sarah Palin's farewell speech as governor (Full text transcript) VIDEO

Sarah Palin's farewell speech (Full text transcript) Posted 27 July 2009 @ 11:09 am ET.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stepped down from her position on Sunday at 3p.m. local time and delivered a farewell speech, the following is her speech full transcript:

"What an absolutely beautiful day it is, and it is my honor to speak to all Alaskans, to our Alaskan family this last time as your governor. And it is always great to be in Fairbanks. The rugged rugged hardy people that live up here and some of the most patriotic people whom you will ever know live here, and one thing that you are known for is your steadfast support of our military community up here and I thank you for that and thank you United States military for protecting the greatest nation on Earth. Together we stand.

And getting up here I say it is the best road trip in America soaring through nature's finest show. Denali, the great one, soaring under the midnight sun. And then the extremes. In the winter time it's the frozen road that is competing with the view of ice fogged frigid beauty, the cold though, doesn't it split the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs?

And then in the summertime such extreme summertime about a hundred and fifty degrees hotter than just some months ago, than just some months from now, with fireweed blooming along the frost heaves and merciless rivers that are rushing and carving and reminding us that here, Mother Nature wins. It is as throughout all Alaska that big wild good life teeming along the road that is north to the future.

That is what we get to see every day. Now what the rest of America gets to see along with us is in this last frontier there is hope and opportunity and there is country pride.

And it is our men and women in uniform securing it, and we are facing tough challenges in America with some seeming to just be Hell bent maybe on tearing down our nation, perpetuating some pessimism, and suggesting American apologetics, suggesting perhaps that our best days were yesterdays. Palin's farewell speech (Full transcript)

RELATED: William Shatner Reads Sarah Palin Farewell Speech FULL VIDEO

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 07/24/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, July 24, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 5 mb

I recently heard from a small business owner from New Jersey who wrote that he employs eight people and provides health insurance for all of them. But his policy goes up at least 20 percent each year, and today, it costs almost $1,400 per family per month – his highest business expense besides his employees’ salaries. He’s already had to let two of them go, and he may be forced to eliminate health insurance altogether.

He wrote, simply: "I am not looking for free health care, I would just like to get my premiums reduced enough to be able to afford it."

Day after day, I hear from people just like him. Workers worried they may lose their coverage if they become too sick, or lose their job, or change jobs. Families who fear they may not be able to get insurance, or change insurance, if someone in their family has a pre-existing condition. And small business owners trying to make a living and do right by the people they employ.

These are the mom and pop stores and restaurants, beauty shops and construction companies that support families and sustain communities. They’re the tiny startups with big ideas, hoping to become the next Google or Apple or HP

. And, as shown in a new report released today by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, right now they are getting crushed by skyrocketing health care costs.

Because they lack the bargaining power that large businesses have and face higher administrative costs per person, small businesses pay up to 18 percent more for the very same health insurance plans – costs that eat into their profits and get passed on to their employees.

As a result, small businesses are much less likely to offer health insurance. Those that do tend to have less generous plans. In a recent survey, one third of small businesses reported cutting benefits. Many have dropped coverage altogether. And many have shed jobs, or shut their doors entirely.

This is unsustainable, it’s unacceptable, and it’s going to change when I sign health insurance reform into law.

Under the reform plans in Congress, small businesses will be able to purchase health insurance through an "insurance exchange," a marketplace where they can compare the price, quality and services of a wide variety of plans, many of which will provide better coverage at lower costs than the plans they have now. They can then pick the one that works best for them and their employees.

Small businesses that choose to insure their employees will also receive a tax credit to help them pay for it. If a small business chooses not to provide coverage, its employees can purchase high quality, affordable coverage through the insurance exchange on their own. Low-income workers – folks who are more likely to be working at small businesses – will qualify for a subsidy to help them cover the costs.

And no matter how you get your insurance, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition. They won’t be able to drop your coverage if you get too sick or lose your job or change jobs. And we’ll limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay out of your own pocket.

To view the new report and learn more about how health insurance reform will help small businesses, go to WhiteHouse.gov, and send us your questions and comments – we’ll answer as many of them as we can later this week.

Over the past few months, I’ve been pushing hard to make sure we finally address the need for health insurance reform, which has been deferred year after year, decade after decade. And today, after a lot of hard work in Congress, we are closer than ever before to finally passing reform that will reduce costs, expand coverage, and provide more choices for our families and businesses.

It has taken months to reach this point, and once this legislation passes, we’ll need to move thoughtfully and deliberately to implement these reforms over a period of several years. That is why I feel such a sense of urgency about moving this process forward.

Now I know there are those who are urging us to delay reform. And some of them have actually admitted that this is a tactic designed to stop any reform at all. Some have even suggested that, regardless of its merits, health care reform should be stopped as a way to inflict political damage on my Administration. I’ll leave it to them to explain that to the American people.

What I’m concerned about is the damage that’s being done right now to the health of our families, the success of our businesses, and the long-term fiscal stability of our government. I’m concerned about hard working folks who want nothing more than the security that comes with knowing they can get the care they need, when they need it. I’m concerned about the small business owners who are asking for nothing more than a chance to seize their piece of the American Dream. I’m concerned about our children and grandchildren who will be saddled with deficits that will continue piling up year after year unless we pass reform.

This debate is not a political game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to keep waiting for reform. We owe it to them to finally get it done – and to get it done this year. Thank you.

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Weekly Republican Address 07/25/09 VIDEO TEXT

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Weekly Republican Address 07/25/09 TEXT TRANSCRIPT

This is Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers from Washington state, vice-chair of the House Republican Conference.

Like millions of parents, the health of my young son is our family’s top priority. When he’s sick, my husband and I take him to the doctor and expect the doctor not to just do something, but to do the right thing to help our son get better.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

This is the same philosophy I’ve brought to the ongoing health care debate in Washington, DC. Some politicians – including the President and Democratic leaders in Congress – are demanding that we do something to change our system. I believe it’s much more important to do the right thing, which means reducing skyrocketing health care costs while protecting patients ability to choose the right treatments. Unfortunately, the Democrats’ health care plan – crafted largely behind closed doors – isn’t the right thing.

It’s a prescription for disaster – one that will put Washington bureaucrats in charge of your family's personal medical decisions.

Medical decisions that are some of the most personal decisions you’ll ever make. As a mother, I want to make those decisions for my son with a doctor we choose. Anything else is unacceptable.

Also unacceptable is how much this will cost you and your family. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Democrats’ proposal will drive health care costs higher than ever.

The agency also warns that millions will be forced off their current coverage under the Democrats’ plan, even though they continue making the discredited claim that if you like your plan, you can keep it.

Millions of seniors will lose their health care choices too, because the Democrats’ plan cuts Medicare, making it more difficult in rural areas across the country – like mine in eastern Washington – for seniors to obtain the coverage they need. The House Democrats’ plan also will add $239 billion to our deficit – $239 billion more tacked onto the tab we’re passing along to our children and grandchildren.

Families, seniors, and future generations will not be alone in struggling with this bill’s costs. America’s small businesses will pay a steep price as well. Because the Democrats’ plan is bankrolled by a small business tax, more jobs will evaporate.

We’ve lost more than three million jobs since the beginning of the year and Americans have every right to ask, “Where are the jobs?” According to the National Federation of Independent Business, the Democrats’ plan will destroy a million more small business jobs.

And according to a methodology developed by the President’s own senior economic advisor, the Democrats’ government takeover of health care will cost at least 4.7 million jobs over the next 10 years.

Because of these extraordinary costs to families, small businesses, and future generations, alarm bells are sounding across the country. One Democratic governor recently expressed concern with the bill’s cost—at a trillion dollars or more. Another called it ‘the mother of all unfunded mandates.

Republicans have offered to help make a truly bipartisan plan that will improve the health of Americans, but Democrats have not wanted our help.

Republicans want to seize this opportunity to make health care more affordable. In the House of Representatives, we’ve outlined an alternative that reduces costs by rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse and reining in junk lawsuits that cost families millions each year in higher premiums.

Our plan lets small businesses purchase health insurance for employees at a lower cost, and for those who are uninsured now, it offers affordable choices. It reforms regulations so insurance companies compete for your business and you can shop around for the best coverage and price.

And under our plan, if you like your current health care coverage, you can keep it – no questions asked.

Finally, our plan encourages Americans to take advantage of preventive medicine and wellness programs. In the end, our real goal isn’t just to have medical coverage, but to have healthy families.

Our reforms will lower health care costs for you and your family. They won’t increase taxes on small businesses, and they won’t saddle future generations with hundreds of billions more in debt. Thank you for listening. ###

President Barack Obama news conference 07/22/09 LIVE VIDEO

Tonight, President Obama held a primetime press conference to address the nation about health insurance reform. He laid out where he believes we are, where we're going, and why health insurance reform matters.

Find FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT of tonight's address below. And at 8pm ET, tune in to watch the press conference live on C-SPAN2 in Windows Media Format.

As soon as mp3 for podcast is available it will be posted here.

President Obama's opening speech and Q and A at press conference 07/22/09 FULL VIDEO

Text: Obama’s Remarks on Health Care

Following is a text of the prepared remarks by President Obama before his White House news conference on Wednesday, as released by the White House.

Good evening. Before I take your questions, I want to talk for a few minutes about the progress we're making on health insurance reform and where it fits into our broader economic strategy.

Six months ago, I took office amid the worst recession in half a century. We were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month and our financial system was on the verge of collapse.

As a result of the action we took in those first weeks, we have been able to pull our economy back from the brink. We took steps to stabilize our financial institutions and our housing market. And we passed a Recovery Act that has already saved jobs and created new ones; delivered billions in tax relief to families and small businesses; and extended unemployment insurance and health insurance to those who have been laid off.

Of course, we still have a long way to go. And the Recovery Act will continue to save and create more jobs over the next two years – just like it was designed to do. I realize this is little comfort to those Americans who are currently out of work, and I'll be honest with you – new hiring is always one of the last things to bounce back after a recession.

And the fact is, even before this crisis hit, we had an economy that was creating a good deal of wealth for folks at the very top, but not a lot of good-paying jobs for the rest of America. It's an economy that simply wasn't ready to compete in the 21st century – one where we've been slow to invest in the clean energy technologies that have created new jobs and industries in other countries; where we've watched our graduation rates lag behind too much of the world; and where we spend much more on health care than any other nation but aren't any healthier for it.

That is why I've said that even as we rescue this economy from a full-blown crisis, we must rebuild it stronger than before. And health insurance reform is central to that effort.

This is not just about the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance. Reform is about every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage if they become too sick, or lose their job, or change their job. It's about every small business that has been forced to lay off employees or cut back on their coverage because it became too expensive. And it's about the fact that the biggest driving force behind our federal deficit is the skyrocketing cost of Medicare and Medicaid.

So let me be clear: if we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction. These are the stakes of the debate we're having right now.

I realize that with all the charges and criticisms being thrown around in Washington, many Americans may be wondering, "What's in this for me? How does my family stand to benefit from health insurance reform?"

Tonight I want to answer those questions. Because even though Congress is still working through a few key issues, we already have agreement on the following areas:

If you already have health insurance, the reform we're proposing will provide you with more security and more stability. It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it. It will prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. It will give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, move, or change your job, you will still be able to have coverage. It will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for your medical costs out of your own pocket. And it will cover preventive care like check-ups and mammograms that save lives and money.

If you don't have health insurance, or are a small business looking to cover your employees, you'll be able to choose a quality, affordable health plan through a health insurance exchange – a marketplace that promotes choice and competition Finally, no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition.

I have also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade – and I mean it. In the past eight years, we saw the enactment of two tax cuts, primarily for the wealthiest Americans, and a Medicare prescription program, none of which were paid for. This is partly why I inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit.

That will not happen with health insurance reform. It will be paid for. Already, we have estimated that two-thirds of the cost of reform can be paid for by reallocating money that is simply being wasted in federal health care programs. This includes over one hundred billion dollars in unwarranted subsidies that go to insurance companies as part of Medicare – subsidies that do nothing to improve care for our seniors. And I'm pleased that Congress has already embraced these proposals. While they are currently working through proposals to finance the remaining costs, I continue to insist that health reform not be paid for on the backs of middle-class families.

In addition to making sure that this plan doesn't add to the deficit in the short-term, the bill I sign must also slow the growth of health care costs in the long run. Our proposals would change incentives so that doctors and nurses are free to give patients the best care, not just the most expensive care. That's why the nation's largest organizations representing doctors and nurses have embraced our plan.

We also want to create an independent group of doctors and medical experts who are empowered to eliminate waste and inefficiency in Medicare on an annual basis – a proposal that could save even more money and ensure the long-term financial health of Medicare. Overall, our proposals will improve the quality of care for our seniors and save them thousands of dollars on prescription drugs, which is why the AARP has endorsed our reform efforts.

Not all of the cost savings measures I just mentioned were contained in Congress's draft legislation, but we are now seeing broad agreement thanks to the work that was done over the last few days. So even though we still have a few issues to work out, what's remarkable at this point is not how far we have left to go – it's how far we have already come.

I understand how easy it is for this town to become consumed in the game of politics – to turn every issue into running tally of who's up and who's down. I've heard that one Republican strategist told his party that even though they may want to compromise, it's better politics to "go for the kill." Another Republican Senator said that defeating health reform is about "breaking" me.

So let me be clear: This isn't about me. I have great health insurance, and so does every Member of Congress. This debate is about the letters I read when I sit in the Oval Office every day, and the stories I hear at town hall meetings. This is about the woman in Colorado who paid $700 a month to her insurance company only to find out that they wouldn't pay a dime for her cancer treatment – who had to use up her retirement funds to save her own life. This is about the middle-class college graduate from Maryland whose health insurance expired when he changed jobs, and woke up from emergency surgery with $10,000 in debt. This is about every family, every business, and every taxpayer who continues to shoulder the burden of a problem that Washington has failed to solve for decades.

This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer. They are counting on us to get this done. They are looking to us for leadership. And we must not let them down. We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year. And with that, I'll take your questions. FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT of President Obama’s fifth news conference, the fourth given in prime-time, as provided by Federal News Service.

Michael Steele National Press Club Republican Health Care VIDEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. CONTACT: Press Office. July 20, 2009. 202-863-8614
RNC TV AD TO AIR IN TARGETED STATES STARTING MONDAY

WASHINGTON -> Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele today announced a new television ad opposing President Obama's plan for a government-run health care system during a speech at the National Press Club. The ad, entitled "Grand Experiment," can be viewed below:

Starting today, this large, targeted television ad campaign will run in select markets in Arkansas, Nevada and North Dakota.

"Once again President Obama and Congressional Democrats are rushing through a grand experiment that will have serious consequences for future generations of Americans. It started with their failed stimulus bill and has now moved on to a trillion-dollar government-run health care plan that is simply wrong for America. Republicans know we need health care reform ?costs are too high and families are struggling to afford quality care. But the Democrats' plan would raise taxes on small businesses and lead to higher costs and rationed care," said Chairman Michael Steele.

TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

Time: 00:30

Voice: "They've loaned Barack Obama their future, without even knowing it."

Voice: "Trillions for rushed government bailouts and takeovers, banks, the auto industry."

Chyron: Trillions for government bailouts and takeovers

Voice: "The biggest spending spree in our nation's history."

Chyron: The biggest spending spree in history

Voice: "And they'll have to pay."

Voice: "The next big ticket item? A risky experiment with our health care."

Chyron: A risky experiment with health care

Voice: "Barack Obama's massive spending experiment hasn't healed our economy."

Chyron: Barack Obama's massive spending experiment

Voice: "His new experiment risks their future and our health."

Chyron: BarackObamaExperiment.com

Chyron: Risking everything.

Voice: "The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising."

ONSCREEN Disclaimer: The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.gop.com

AD FACTS
The Ad

VOICE: "They've loaned Barack Obama their future, without even knowing it. Trillions for rushed government bailouts and takeovers, banks, the auto industry."

CHYRON: Trillions for government bailouts and takeovers
The Facts

Obama's Bank Bailout Plan Costs $2.5 Trillion. "The White House plan to rescue the nation's financial system, announced on Tuesday by Timothy F. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, is far bigger than anyone predicted and envisions a far greater government role in markets and banks than at any time since the 1930s. Administration officials committed to flood the financial system with as much as $2.5 trillion ?$350 billion of that coming from the bailout fund and the rest from private investors and the Federal Reserve, making use of its ability to print money." (Edmund L. Andrews And Stephen Labaton, "Bailout Plan: $2.5 Trillion And A Strong Hand," The New York Times, 02/11/09)

Federal Government 60 Percent Shareholder Of GM. "By preparing to take a 60 percent stake in a reorganized GM, the Obama administration is gambling that the automaker can compete with the likes of Toyota Motor Corp after its debt is cut by half and its labor costs are slashed under a new contract with the United Auto Workers union." (Kevin Krolicki and John Crawley, "GM To File For Bankruptcy, Chrysler Sale Cleared," Reuters, 6/1/09)

"As part of the revised plan, the U.S. would provide GM with at least $30 billion in financing to carry it through and out of bankruptcy, on top of the $20 billion in loans the government already has given the company." (Neil King Jr., John D. Stoll, and Kevin Helliker, "GM In Last Lap To Chapter 11," The Wall Street Journal, 5/29/09)
The Ad

VOICE: "The biggest spending spree in our nation's history."

CHYRON: The biggest spending spree in history
The Facts

Obama's "Spending Spree" Twice As Costly As Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Historic "New Deal." "In sheer size, the economic measures announced by President Barack Obama to address ? crisis unlike we've ever known' are remarkable, rivaling and in many cases dwarfing the New Deal programs that Franklin D. Roosevelt famously created to battle the Great Depression ŠSo far in his month-old presidency: Congress passed and Obama signed into law a record $787 billion mix of tax cuts, job-creating projects and aid to struggling states; The president pledged up to $275 billion in federal aid to help stem a tidal wave of home foreclosures; The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve announced financial-rescue steps that could send up to $2 trillion coursing through the economy. In all, the plans would raise the federal portion of the U.S. economy to some 31 percent, more than twice the level after eight years of FDR's historic New Deal spending." ("Obama's Spending Spree To Eclipse FDR's New Deal," The Associated Press, 02/20/09)

Obama's Budget Would Create Historic Deficits. "Since the 1960s, deficits largely by increased levels of spending have been the norm, while surpluses were an exception. The 2009 Congressional Budget Office deficit projection under President Obama's plan is far above the 45-year historical average of 2.2 percent of GDP." [Graph shows average federal deficit as percentage of GDP by administration: Kennedy 1.0%, Johnson 0.9%, Nixon 1.6%, Ford 3.5%, Carter 4.3%, Reagan 4.3%, Bush 4.3%, Clinton 0.1%, Bush 3.2%, Obama 7.3%.] (Page 24, "2009 Federal Revenue And Spending Book Of Charts," Heritage Foundation, May 2009)
The Ad

VOICE: "And they'll have to pay. The next big ticket item? A risky experiment with our health care."

CHYRON: A risky experiment with health care
The Facts

Obama's Government-Run Health Care Plan Will Cost Over $1 Trillion. "On a preliminary basis, CBO and the JCT staff estimate that the proposal's provisions affecting health insurance coverage would result in a net increase in federal deficits of $1,042 billion for fiscal years 2010 through 2019." (Congressional Budget Office, "A Summary of the Specifications for Health Insurance Coverage Provided by the House Tri-Committee Group," CBO Report, 7/14/09)

Plan Creates New Czar That Will Push Government-Run Health Insurance. "The health choices commissioner would head an independent agency, as envisioned in the 800-page draft bill released by House Democratic leaders. The Health Choices Administration would regulate a revamped insurance marketplace and be expected to deliver Obama's promise of affordable coverage for all ... The commissioner and the new agency would run a kind of national purchasing pool through which individuals and small businesses could pick medical coverage from private plans and a government-sponsored alternative." (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, "Need For Federal Insurance Czar Is Questioned," The Associated Press, 7/7/09)

Plan Could Lead To Estimated 113 Million People Losing Private Health Insurance. "We estimated the effect on coverage in the third year of the program assuming the public plan is opened to individuals and all firms, the public plan would enroll about 122.9 million people ... The number of people with private health insurance would decline by about 113.5 million people. This is equal to about 66 percent of all people currently covered under private health insurance ...." (John Shelis, Vice President, Lewin Group, "The Impact of the House Health Reform Legislation on Coverage and Provider Incomes," Testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, 6/25/09)

Government-Run Health Care Pays Much Less Than Private Insurance, Which Makes Doctors Refuse Patients. "Despite more Michiganians piling onto the Medicaid rolls, fewer doctors are treating or accepting new patients insured by this state-run medical program for low-income residents ... Doctors say the state-set reimbursement rates are already too low, in some cases covering only one-third of the actual costs of patient visits." (Christina Rogers, "Doctors Balk At Medicaid Program," The Associated Press, 6/7/09)
The Ad

VOICE: "Barack Obama's massive spending experiment hasn't healed our economy."

CHYRON: Barack Obama's massive spending experiment
The Facts

Obama's Stimulus Fails To Create Jobs Despite Obama Administration's Predictions Of "Boom In Job Creation". "[T]wo of [Obama's] chief economic advisers, and leading proponents of a stimulus bill, predicted that the passage of a large economic-aid package would boost the economy and keep the unemployment rate below 8%. It hasn't quite worked out that way. Last month, the jobless rate in America hit 9.5%, the highest level it has reached since 1983 ... What has not come to pass, however, is the boom in job creation that Romer and Bernstein predicted. A little over a month ago, the Administration said the stimulus bill had created or saved 150,000 jobs. That's a far cry from the 3 million to 4 million jobs that Romer and Bernstein foresaw back in January." (Stephen Gandel, "Obama's Stimulus Plan: Failing by Its Own Measure," Time, 7/14/09)

Under Obama, Job Losses Now At Historic Highs. "The cumulative job losses over the last six months have been greater than for any other half year period since World War II, including the military demobilization after the war. The job losses are also now equal to the net job gains over the previous nine years, making this the only recession since the Great Depression to wipe out all job growth from the previous expansion." (Mortimer Zuckerman, Op-Ed, "The Economy is Even Worse Than You Think," The Wall Street Journal, 7/14/09)
The Ad

VOICE: "His new experiment risks their future and our health."

CHYRON: BarackObamaExperiment.com

CHYRON: Risking everything.
The Facts

CBO Director Says Plans For Government-Run Health Care Would Worsen Budget Outlook. "President Obama's plan to expand health coverage to the uninsured is likely to dig the nation deeper into debt unless policymakers adopt politically painful controls on spending, such as sharp reductions in payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers, congressional budget analysts said yesterday. While popular measures such as increasing preventive care, expanding the use of electronic medical records and rewarding doctors for choosing more effective treatments have the potential to lower costs, 'little reliable evidence exists about exactly how to implement those types of changes,' Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas W. Elmendorf said in a letter to Senate budget leaders. 'Without meaningful reforms, the substantial costs of many current proposals . . . would be much more likely to worsen the long-run budget outlook than to improve it,' he said. ..." (Lori Montgomery, Shailagh Murray & Ceci Connolly, "Obama's Health Plan Needs Spending Controls, CBO Says," The Washington Post, 6/17/09)

CBO Concludes Obama's Plan Increases Number Of Uninsured Americans In 2011 And 2012. (Page 13, "A Summary of the Specifications for Health Insurance Coverage Provided by the House Tri-Committee Group," CBO Report, 7/14/09)

After Spending Over $1 Trillion, 17 Million Residents Will Still Be Uninsured. "According to that assessment, enacting legislation that embodied those specifications would result in a net increase in federal budget deficits of $1,042 billion over the 2010-2019 period. By 2019, CBO and the JCT staff estimate, the number of nonelderly people without health insurance would be reduced by about 37 million, leaving about 17 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly half of whom would be unauthorized immigrants) ..." (Douglas W. Elmendorf, CBO Director, Letter To Rep. Charles Rangel, 7/14/09)

CBO Director Criticizes Plan For Not Making Necessary "Fundamental Changes" To Reduce Costs. "Under questioning by members of the Senate Budget Committee, CBO director Douglas Elmendorf said bills crafted by House leaders and the Senate health committee do not propose 'the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount.' 'On the contrary,' Elmendorf said, 'the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs.'" (Lori Montgomery, "CBO Chief Criticizes Democrats' Health Reform Measures," The Washington Post, 7/16/09)

Government-Run Health Care Could Drive Doctors Out Of Business, Especially In Rural Areas. "According to Dr. Scott Nelson, a family practice physician in Cleveland, Mississippi ... 'There is an unprecedented level of frustration with the government and Medicare in Mississippi,' Nelson explained. 'I have not heard of any doctors in my area opting out of Medicare, because there are not enough patients with private insurance in the rural Mississippi Delta ... we have no choice but to see them, and we are literally at the mercy of the government. I foresee some small practices closing altogether.' For states that are made up of larger numbers of Medicare patients, this latest round of cuts hits particularly hard. Florida, for instance, stands to lose $1.25 billion for physician payments by January 2009." (Audrey Grayson, "Docs Bailing Out Of Medicare, Medicaid," ABC News Medical Unit, 7/8/08)

Plans For "Comparative Effectiveness Research" Leads To Government Boards Deciding What Treatments Would Or Wouldn't Be Funded. "Skeptics, however, say Obama's decision to invest heavily in such research will lead to European-style rationing in which patients are denied lifesaving therapies to save money. It also has alarmed some drug companies and medical device manufacturers, which fear that a system of winners and losers is bound to reduce their bottom lines." (Ceci Connolly, "Comparison Shopping For Medicine," The Washington Post, 3/17/09)

Health Care Will Be Subject To Political Priorities. "The limits of single-payer insurance are a consequence of a common political reality: if governments fund it, governments wear it. Once the so-called single-payer system is in place, government insurers are obliged to manage costs politically, making decisions about capital investments, technology, and even the supply of licensed medical professionals based on short-term budgetary or political priorities." (Dr. David Gratzer, Committee on Education and Labor's Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. House of Representatives, Testimony, 6/10/09, p. 4)

"Cost-Cutting Measures" Will Eventually Fail, Leading To Less Access For Patients. "What Mr. Obama is describing is his preferred health-care future. If or when the Administration's speculative cost-cutting measures under universal health care fail to produce savings, government will start explicitly limiting patient access to treatments and services regarded as too expensive. Democrats deny this eventuality, but health planners will have no choice, given that the current entitlement system is already barreling toward insolvency without adding millions of new people to the federal balance sheet." (Editorial, "Obama's Health Future," The Wall Street Journal, 6/26/09) ###

President Barack Obama Weekly Address 07/18/09 PODCAST VIDEO TEXT

Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address Saturday, July 18, 2009 Washington, DC PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE Download MP3 5.84 mb

Right now in Washington, our Senate and House of Representatives are both debating proposals for health insurance reform. Today, I want to speak with you about the stakes of this debate, for our people and for the future of our nation.

This is an issue that affects the health and financial well-being of every single American and the stability of our entire economy.

It’s about every family unable to keep up with soaring out of pocket costs and premiums rising three times faster than wages. Every worker afraid of losing health insurance if they lose their job, or change jobs. Everyone who’s worried that they may not be able to get insurance or change insurance if someone in their family has a pre-existing condition.

It’s about a woman in Colorado who told us that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her insurance company – the one she’d paid over $700 a month to – refused to pay for her treatment. She had to use up her retirement funds to save her own life.

It’s about a man from Maryland who sent us his story – a middle class college graduate whose health insurance expired when he changed jobs. During that time, he needed emergency surgery, and woke up $10,000 in debt – debt that has left him unable to save, buy a home, or make a career change.

It’s about every business forced to shut their doors, or shed jobs, or ship them overseas. It’s about state governments overwhelmed by Medicaid, federal budgets consumed by Medicare, and deficits piling higher year after year.

This is the status quo. This is the system we have today. This is what the debate in Congress is all about: Whether we’ll keep talking and tinkering and letting this problem fester as more families and businesses go under, and more Americans lose their coverage. Or whether we’ll seize this opportunity – one we might not have again for generations – and finally pass health insurance reform this year, in 2009.

Now we know there are those who will oppose reform no matter what. We know the same special interests and their agents in Congress will make the same old arguments, and use the same scare tactics that have stopped reform before because they profit from this relentless escalation in health care costs. And I know that once you’ve seen enough ads and heard enough people yelling on TV, you might begin to wonder whether there’s a grain of truth to what they’re saying. So let me take a moment to answer a few of their arguments.

First, the same folks who controlled the White House and Congress for the past eight years as we ran up record deficits will argue – believe it or not – that health reform will lead to record deficits. That’s simply not true. Our proposals cut hundreds of billions of dollars in unnecessary spending and unwarranted giveaways to insurance companies in Medicare and Medicaid. They change incentives so providers will give patients the best care, not just the most expensive care, which will mean big savings over time. And we have urged Congress to include a proposal for a standing commission of doctors and medical experts to oversee cost-saving measures.

I want to be very clear: I will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. And by helping improve quality and efficiency, the reforms we make will help bring our deficits under control in the long-term.

Those who oppose reform will also tell you that under our plan, you won’t get to choose your doctor – that some bureaucrat will choose for you. That’s also not true. Michelle and I don’t want anyone telling us who our family’s doctor should be – and no one should decide that for you either. Under our proposals, if you like your doctor, you keep your doctor. If you like your current insurance, you keep that insurance. Period, end of story.

Finally, opponents of health reform warn that this is all some big plot for socialized medicine or government-run health care with long lines and rationed care. That’s not true either. I don’t believe that government can or should run health care. But I also don’t think insurance companies should have free reign to do as they please.

That’s why any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange: a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, cost and track records of a variety of plans – including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest – and choose what’s best for your family. And that’s why we’ll put an end to the worst practices of the insurance industry: no more yearly caps or lifetime caps; no more denying people care because of pre-existing conditions; and no more dropping people from a plan when they get too sick. No longer will you be without health insurance, even if you lose your job or change jobs.

The good news is that people who know the system best are rallying to the cause of change. Just this past week, the American Nurses Association, representing millions of nurses across America, and the American Medical Association, representing doctors across our nation, announced their support because they’ve seen first-hand the need for health insurance reform.

They know we cannot continue to cling to health industry practices that are bankrupting families, and undermining American businesses, large and small. They know we cannot let special interests and partisan politics stand in the way of reform – not this time around.

The opponents of health insurance reform would have us do nothing. But think about what doing nothing, in the face of ever increasing costs, will do to you and your family.

So today, I am urging the House and the Senate, Democrats and Republicans, to seize this opportunity, and vote for reform that gives the American people the best care at the lowest cost; that reins in insurance companies, strengthens businesses and finally gives families the choices they need and the security they deserve.

Thanks.

Senator Jon Kyl Weekly Republican Address 07/18/09 VIDEO TEXT

Senator Jon Kyl Weekly Republican Address 07/18/09 TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Hello. I’m Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona. Republicans believe all Americans should have access to quality health care and that we must find ways to reduce health care costs.

The debate in Washington is about how we can achieve these goals.

Senator Jon Kyl

Republicans have put forward common-sense ideas, including rooting out Medicare and Medicaid fraud, reforming medical liability laws to discourage frivolous lawsuits, strengthening wellness and.... ...prevention programs that encourage healthy living and allowing small businesses to band together and purchase health insurance like large corporations do.

These changes do not require government takeover of the healthcare system, or massive new spending, job-killing taxes or rationing of care.

Democrats in Congress have a different approach. Their plan would increase spending by more than two trillion dollars when fully implemented, and would, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, "add additional costs onto an already unsustainable system."

It would empower Washington, not doctors and patients, to make health care decisions and would impose a new tax on working families during a recession. A study by the respected Lewin Group shows it would also move millions of people who are happy with their current insurance to a new government plan.

They propose to pay for this new Washington-run health care system by dramatically raising taxes on small business owners. Small businesses create jobs -- approximately two-thirds of new jobs in the last decade.

With a shaky economy and the need for new jobs, the last thing the President and the Congress should do is impose new taxes on America’s small businesses. New taxes on small business would cripple job creation, especially jobs for low-wage earners.

This week, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office told the Senate Budget Committee that the health care-reform measures drafted by Democrats would worsen our economic outlook by increasing deficits and driving our nation more deeply into debt. So, there’s good reason to be skeptical when the President tells us we need to pass the Democrats’ bill to help the economy.

The President and Congressional Democrats have even proposed cutting Medicare to pay for their plan.

How can we justify dipping into funds for seniors’ care to pay for a new government plan, especially since Medicare is already in financial trouble? This would ultimately lead to shortages, rationing and the elimination of private-plan choices—something our seniors rightly fear.

These are not the right steps to achieving the reform Americans want.

But the President and some Democrats insist we must rush this plan through. Why? Because the more Americans know about it, the more they oppose it. Something this important needs to be done right, rather than done quickly.

We know Americans would prefer us to work together to ensure access to affordable quality health care for all. But Americans do not want a government takeover of health care that will jeopardize their current coverage, ration care, and create mountains of new debt and higher taxes.

We urge Democrats to support a plan that would lead to real reform and include the innovative ideas Republicans have put forward that would cut costs, improve access, and preserve the kind of care that millions of Americans already have and like. That’s the kind of reform Americans would be sure to support. ###

Republicans Eric Cantor, Tom Price, the economy, jobs, small business, and health care VIDEO

House Republicans Press Conference on the Economy: House Minority Whip Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), RSC Chairman Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), and other House Republicans spoke at a press conference about the economy, jobs, small business, and health care. Washington, DC : 20 min.

Producer: National Cable Satellite. Corporation
Keywords: Republicans Eric Cantor; Tom Price; economy; jobs; small business; health care
Creative Commons license: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States