Obama tells Congress to end bickering on health care
CHARLES DHARAPAK/ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Obama speaks to Congress about healthcare.
Published: September 10, 2009
Updated: September 10, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Trying to shake off a summer of setbacks, President Barack Obama summoned Congress to enact sweeping health-care legislation last night, declaring the "time for bickering is over."
Obama said the changes he has in mind would cost about $900 billion over a decade, "less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars."
In a televised speech to a joint session of Congress, Obama spoke in favor of an option for the federal government to sell insurance in competition with private industry. But he said he was open to alternatives that create choices for consumers -- a declaration sure to displease its liberal supporters.
The government option has emerged as one of the most contentious issues, with liberal Democrats supporting it and many Democratic moderates opposed. A plan by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., calls for an alternative consisting of nonprofit co-ops.
Obama said there is widespread agreement on about 80 percent of what must be included in legislation. Criticizing Republicans without naming them, he added: "Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics" and ideological warfare that offers no hope for compromise.
"Well, the time for bickering is over," he said. "The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action."
Before the president's speech, Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, said: "I think intuitively that most Americans believe that more government in health care means more rationing and more forced discrimination on the basis of gender and age."
Cantor said House Republicans "are also hoping that a premium is put on getting it right, not just getting it done now. I think that does reflect where the American people are as well."
A Republican lawmaker apologized yesterday after shouting "You lie" as Obama spoke.
Obama was telling lawmakers that the Democratic plans for a health-care overhaul do not cover illegal immigrants.
"You lie!" shouted Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina.
In a statement later, Wilson said he regretted the incident and that he let his emotions get the better of him. He extended "sincere apologies" to Obama for what he called "this lack of civility."
Dr. Sheldon M. Retchin, vice president for health sciences and CEO of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, said he finds it curious that Obama has not withdrawn the plan for a government option. "It's clear that it will not get through Congress, at least not the Senate."
"While I admire the president's tenacity, I continue to be disappointed that the debate has centered on coverage and not access. No one has discussed the delivery model and what kind of care should be delivered to the uninsured."
Other key points of Obama's plan:
Current coverage: Those now getting employer-provided coverage or are insured through Medicare, Medicaid or the Department of Veterans Affairs would not be required to change their plans or physicians.
Pre-existing conditions: Insurers would not be permitted to deny coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions.
Affordability: There would be no limits on how much coverage a consumer could get in a year or a lifetime -- but there would be limits on out-of-pocket health-care expenses. Tax credits would be available for those needing aid.
Individual insurance mandates: Everyone would have to have basic insurance.
Staff writers Reed Williams, Tammie Smith and Andrew Cain contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
What part of the Constitution allows Congress to force people to buy health insurance? This is a state matter. All that needs to be remembered is that they tried to shove the bill through by 1 August. They don’t want to debate anything or hear any objections from Americans. Slimeballs.
The US health care system is the greatest system in the world. There is no need for a government takeover.
Eighty-nine percent of Americans in a June 2008 ABC News/USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation survey said they were satisfied with their health care.
Out-of-pocket expenses by American patients amounted to 12.6 percent of total national health spending in 2007. That’s lower than Germany, Japan, Canada, and most countries in Europe, including those with government-run health care systems.
For all cancers, 66.3 percent of American men and 63.9 percent of women survived. In Europe, 47.3 percent of men and 55.8 percent of women survived five years. Those are statistically important gaps.
In treating heart disease, 56 percent of Americans who could benefit from statin drugs are taking them, but only 36 percent of the Dutch, 29 percent of the Swiss, 26 percent of Germans, 23 percent of Britons, and 17 percent of Italians receive them.
I really don’t have a problem with hispanics coming to America - this is the land of opportunity, however, not of handouts. Just look at Justice Scalia - the Italians came here, worked hard, learned the language and prospered, just as every ethinic group - compare Obama to his brother in a mud hut.
But don’t expect the govt to provide everything for you. Get a job, learn a trade or profession and better yourself. You’ll become a better person and expect your children to be greater than you, they will.
Obama wants us to stop “bickering” and subjugate to his marxist will - NEVER!
Gqrich- Like you have never lied before.
Lieing now seems to be the cool thing to do. Everyone just loves to lie. Thats why I don’t trust one person the face of the earth anymore because I am tired of so many people lieing to me. People just can’t be trusted anymore there like a bunch of little kids that have to be put on a leash so that you can watch what they do and say. Beck is by no means a lier. Beck called the Financial and Economical mess a year before it even happened. Thats why I choose to listen to this guy is because he is very well aware of what is going to happen the minute someone screws something up. He has made so many calls on stuff that has happened after he had called it. people just don’t care to pay attention anymore.
gqrich: One other thing. About calling Beck a liar, what did he lie about? I mean, for at least the past three weeks, his reporting was so accurate, one of Obama’s czars had to resign and another one was reassigned. Over the past two days, two people (and by the beginning of next week, probably more) from ACORN were fired for freely assisting two people with setting up a brothel which were supposed to include 13 year old girls from El Salvador.
What is Beck lying about? Granted, his emotionalism is creepy, but, I’d like to hear from you what he’s lying about.
gqrich: Republicans certainly lie, but, Democrats are certainly their equal.
I’ll let this link from http://www.factcheck.org speak for itself.
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/senior-scare-yet-again/
Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, maybe you ought to get it through your Vermont-Marble-thick skulls that politicians shamelessly lie all the time and in that regards, there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between either party.
Embarrassing Eric made us proud Virginians today, didn’t he?
Working for Dick Armey, architect of the deregulated financial industry recession we are enjoying not.
Thanks, Eric.
some how gqrich can’t see the fact that social security is going broke [go get your ss statement] and can’t see the fact that medicare has cost 10 times what it was supposed to cost and how the ‘'great society’‘ projects of the 60’s has led to people gunning each other down in the street. it’s on coarse to socialism we just haven’t got there just yet. as far as the rebublicans on the wrong side of history. if it had been up to the southern democrats there would not have been any civil rights revolution. it was the rebublicans working with lbj that passed civil rights legislation but this fact does not fit the lie the media has been presenting for years that it was the democrats that moved civil rights forward. but the truth is just the opposite. just because we didn’t find the wmd does not mean they were not there we never found the amber room after ww11 does that mean the germans did not steal it?
“Bickering”, code for disagreeing with me, I’m ALWAYS right and I don’t do well with criticism.
I agree Obama is no where in the ballpark with real liars!
He needs to watch Rove, Bush, Cheney, Beck and Hannity, now those boys know how to lie like a cheap rug without even cracking a smile, real pros, and graduated top of their class.
-weapons of mass destruction (none)
-Saddam has connections to 9/11 (none)
Beck and Hannity well, everyday on an endless loop, just watch their mouths move and you know their lying just like right after the President’s speech on HCR. Obama’s exact words were “Insurance Executives aren’t bad people” Hannity opened his show with these exact words without even cranking a smile “President Obama calls Insurance executives bad people.“ LOL Exactly the opposite of what the President said. Man now there is a real professional well trained complete liar!
Grand
Ole
Party of lies
We can’t debate President Obama or Democrats on the issues so we just make stuff up.
-Death panels (lie)
-rationing HC (lie)
-federally funded abortions (lie)
-covering illegal immigrants (lie)
Republicans were against Social Security in 1935, said it would lead to Socialism, it didn’t.
Majority of Republicans were against Medicare in 1965, it will lead us to Socialism, and it didn’t. Both of these programs lead by and created by Democrats and signed into law by Democratic Presidents. Now the GOP is trying to pretend to be the party that cares about seniors, what a great group of liars to pull that smoke and mirrors off. Terrific job. I mean really how many times is the Republican Party going to be on the wrong side of History, how many times?
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