The White House issued a release officially backing the House healthcare bill today. Read the full statement below:
The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a bill that represents a critical milestone in the effort to reform our health care system. H.R. 3962 will provide needed insurance reforms for Americans with insurance, expand coverage for those who do not have insurance, lower costs for families and businesses, and begin to reduce the Nation’s deficit. It meets the President’s criteria for health insurance reform: it assures that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care that is there when they need it and does so without adding a dime to the deficit.
This legislation is the product of unprecedented cooperation and countless hours of hard work by Members of the House of Representatives who share the President’s conviction that the Nation cannot wait another year for health insurance reform. They have forged a strong consensus that represents an historic step forward.
The House legislation includes critical reforms to the insurance industry, so that Americans will no longer have to worry that they will be denied coverage, or that their coverage will be dropped or watered down when they need it most. It covers virtually all Americans and ensures that all Americans with health insurance are protected against high out-of-pocket spending. The Administration is pleased that the bill includes a public health insurance option offered in an exchange. As the President has said throughout this process, a public option that competes with private insurers is one of the best ways to ensure the choice and competition that are so badly needed in today’s market.
The House bill also includes important health care delivery system reforms, and would extend the solvency of Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund. Its Medicare and Medicaid policies promote integrated care, quality care, and primary care. It invests in research on the most effective treatments, prevention, and the health care workforce. It also makes critical improvements for Medicare beneficiaries including closing the coverage gap in the Medicare drug benefit known as the donut hole. In addition, it provides new options for long-term care. Moreover, the House bill is fully paid for and will help to reduce the deficit in the long-term.
This bill provides the necessary health reforms that the Administration seeks – affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it today, and stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do. The Administration appreciates the hard work of the House on this bill, which contributes to transforming the health care system. The Administration looks forward to continuing to work with the Congress on this legislation and urges quick action on this landmark bill.
-Mike Allen, Politico -David Brooks, New York Times -Chris Cillizzaa, Washington Post -Gail Collins, New York Times -Howard Fineman, Newsweek -David Gergen, CNN -Mara Liasson, NPR and Fox News Channel -Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo. -John Meacham, Newsweek -Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution -Andrew Rosenthal of the New York Times.
David Brooks is said to be courted regularly by the White House. The inclusion of Josh Marshall, meanwhile, represents the White House's continued effort to reach out to the blogosphere.
Not every House lawmaker is ready and willing to congratulate the New York Yankees for their tough, 27th World Series win.
When the chamber took up a measure to praise the team for finishing off the Philadelphia Phillies in six games, 17 lawmakers voted against the resolution, while 11 merely voted "present" and 19 did not vote at all.
That got us thinking: Why all the Yankees hate?
Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) was baffled by the ill will against his home team.
"Being from New York, I have always considered myself to be a winner," King told The Hill. "So it is very difficult for me to understand the 'begrudgery'
and thought process of those who come from unimportant cities and
states."
For some, the "no" vote was cast out of allegiance to their home team and last year's champions, the Phillies.
Among that group was Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D), who represents a district that covers part of Philadelphia. According to Tali Israeli, her press secretary, the congresswoman is "a dedicated Phillies fan, and she's just not over the loss ..."
"She looks forward to the 2010 season," Israeli added, but said only of the team's chances next year: "We are always hopeful."
One Pennsylvanian who voted in favor of the resolution was Rep. Joe Sestak (D), who is running in the Keystone State's Democratic primary against Sen. Arlen Specter, a devout Phillies fan.
"I'll honor any champion — as long as its not the Mets," Sestak said in explanation of his 'yes' vote. "I look forward to my colleagues voting to honor another Philly series win in 2010."
Similarly, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D), who represents part of the Philly suburbs, chose not to vote at all. We asked for an explanation, but the congressman's office did not immediately return our call.
Rep. Bruce Braley's (D-Iowa) spokesperson said the Congressman's liberal ideals motivated his "no" vote.
“As chairman of the Populist Caucus, and a former pitcher for the Brooklyn (Iowa) Dodgers, Congressman Braley simply could not vote in good conscience for a resolution honoring the moneyed interests of the Wall Street Yankees," the spokesperson said.
But the reason for Rep. Bill Delahunt's (D-Mass.) "no" vote was perhaps the most common: He's a devout Boston Red Sox fan.
"I'm usually rational but when it comes to the Yankees, I take a hard-line position," he told The Hill. "For those of us in Red Sox nation, it was a sad, sad day (when they won). It tells you something about the corrosive nature of money in sports and politics."
Joining Delahunt was Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who also cast his vote Friday as a show of allegiance with the Sox, who beat the Yankees in the World Series in 2004.
“As a lifelong diehard Sox fan, I have too many scars from Bucky Dent to Aaron Boone to add another from casting a vote to congratulate the Yankees for winning this year’s World Series," Murphy said.
Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.), meanwhile, voted against the New York team out of revenge, as they knocked out the Angels in the American League Championship Series. "He stands up for California whenever he can," his spokesman said.
But Rep. Jose Serrano, who sponsored the resolution congratulating his home team, said his colleagues' angst was understandable, given the strong feelings the Yankees engender in some baseball fans.
"There are some people who just won't get over it," Serrano said, adding that he'd have no problem congratulating the Red Sox if they'd won the series.
The Bronx Democrat, who features a photo of the team's new stadium on his website, said he was surprised by how worried some of his colleagues were about the vote, especially with weightier matters on the horizon.
"They thought they just couldn't explain it back home. And I said, 'You have healthcare this weekend. That might take up some of your explaining time.' "
Democrats have landed an opponent for Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), in former gubernatorial nominee Roxanne Conlin.
Conlin will reportedly file her paperwork for the race next week.
Grassley's seat is one Democrats have targeted a little bit since the health care debate began. His maneuvers on the Senate Finance Committee have rubbed many Democrats the wrong way, and with few other targets left, a swing state like Iowa was a logical next step for recruiting.
Though he has consistently been popular, Grassley's numbers have come down in recent polling. He is still at 57 percent approval though.
Either way, Conlin will have an uphill battle. The 1982 gubernatorial nominee (she lost 53-47 to Republican Gov. Terry Branstad) said she hopes to raise $10 million for the race.
A conservative lawmaker is calling for protesters who came to Washington for Thursday's "House Call" protest against healthcare reform to attend a second protest Saturday.
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on Friday announced the Saturday protest, which is to be held hours before the House is set to vote on the final version of healthcare reform legislation.
"I urge all Americans who oppose this bill to come to Washington tomorrow morning and join us to stop this bill," King said in a statement. "We can kill this bill and stop the government takeover of healthcare.
We need the help of every American willing to stand up for freedom and
liberty."
King said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and "Washington liberals cannot ignore what transpired yesterday in Washington." He announced the protest on a day conservatives are emboldened by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's (D-Md.) claim that Democrats do not yet have the 218 votes necessary to pass the final healthcare reform bill.
King's office said in a statement that Republican lawmakers and other guests would attend the 1 p.m. protest, but did not name any names.
Thursday's protest, partly organized by Rep. Michele Bachmann
(R-Minn.), drew thousands to the Capitol steps. House Republican Leader
John Boehner (Ohio), GOP Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), Republican
Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) and Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (Ga.) spoke at the protest.
Bill Owens (D) was sworn in Friday by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after squeaking by Doug Hoffman in the N.Y.-23 special election.
Democrats are undoubtedly glad Owens is joining Congress just in time for Saturday's healthcare vote.
Owens honored the soldiers killed at Fort Hood during his first remarks as a congressman.
"The shooting at Fort Hood last night that claimed the lives of 13 fine Americans is a stunning reminder of how quickly the peace we enjoy here at home can turn to violence, and how heavily we rely on our brave men and women to keep us free from harm," he said. "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and with our soldiers to whom we owe our safety and our freedom."
Rep. John Adler (D-N.J.) announced today that he'll vote against healthcare reform when it comes up for a vote this weekend.
Adler had previously been undecided.
"Congress should not pass a bill that costs more than $1 trillion dollars or increases the financial burden on middle class families and small businesses," Adler said in a statement. "Health care costs are rising faster than wages and inflation, and this bill does not change this trend."
Adler is a first term Congressman who garnered just 52% of the vote in 2008. It's also worth nothing that New Jersey voters just elected Republican Chris Christie to replace Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine...
On the heels of Democratic gubernatorial losses in Virginia and New Jersey, Gov. David Paterson (D-N.Y.) kicked off a media blitz today, launching two campaign ads touting his record and personal story.
The biographical commercial starts by highlighting Paterson's blindness. Showing a black screen with glimmers of light, the narrator says: "When this is what you see of the world you learn to listen."
The second spot pushes back against those who've urged Paterson not to run for re-election.
"Some say I shouldn't be running for govenor," Paterson says, before touting his record on the budget.
Though Paterson doesn't mention it in the ad, one of the people calling for him not to run for a full term was President Obama, whose political clout wasn't sufficient to push Democrats across the finish line in Virginia and New Jersey.
Appearing on Morning Joe today, Paterson denied that he was "empowered" or vindicated by those losses.
"How could i be empowered? Every incumbent suffered shocking challenges," he said.
Now stumping for healthcare reform: two actors readers might instantly recognize as the stars of the Washington drama "West Wing" --President Jed Bartlett and first lady Abbey Bartlett.
In the advertisement, sponsored by Health Care for America Now, Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing (albeit not in character) ask voters to call their congressmen and urge them to support Democrats' healthcare bill, which is scheduled to come to a vote Saturday.
"Now we can finally fix healthcare once and for all," Sheen says, describing the plan's promise for reform.
"And you can make it happen. Take action today," adds Channing.
Politics aside, there's an interesting pop culture parallel here: Bartlett in the show supports some variation of a single-payer healthcare system, but he ultimately decides to shelve the idea once he reaches office. (Viewers learn this because a presidential candidate borrows heavily from an old speech he never delivered on his proposal for reform.)
President Barack Obama on Friday urged Americans to remain patient despite news of last month's dismal, double-digit jobless numbers, which he stressed his White House was working hard to correct.
Unemployment surged to 10.2 percent in October, officials announced on Friday, defying economists' earlier estimates that it would not break the all-important 10-point mark and setting a 26-year high.
But the president on Friday said the uptick in Americans without work was to be expected, as unemployment takes time to correct, and he reaffirmed his administration was mulling new investments and tax credits to boost economic recovery.
"Although it will take time and it will take patience, I am
confident that our economy will recover, I'm confident that we're
moving in the right direction," the president said during a brief speech in the Rose Garden, at which he took no questions. "And I promise that I won't rest until
America prospers once again."
Friday's unemployment numbers are likely to reinvigorate the president's Republican critics, who have insisted for months that Democrats' $787-billion stimulus has failed to produce jobs.
While the administration has touted new data that show otherwise, as well as last fiscal quarter's news that the country's gross domestic product was on the upswing, GOPers have decried those measures as insufficient, and they have subsequently labeled the stimulus a failure.
"Since the stimulus bill's been signed into law, more than 3 million Americans have lost their jobs," House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio) said at his own press event this morning. "And the Americans are asking, 'Where are the jobs?' But all they're
getting from Democrats here in Washington is more spending and more
debt."
Nevertheless, Obama also used his speech Friday morning to announce he had signed an unemployment insurance extension that passed both chambers of Congress this week. The bill, which would offer at least 14 weeks of additional jobless benefits to Americans who have already exhausted their money, also comes equipped with a renewal of a $5,000 home-buyer tax credit.
The president also promised a host of similar programs that would "build on the measure I signed today with further steps to
grow our economy in the future," he said.
"To that end my economic team is looking
at ideas such as additional investments in our aging roads and bridges,
incentives to encourage families and businesses to make buildings more
energy efficient, additional tax cuts for businesses to create jobs,
additional steps to increase the flow of credit to small businesses,
and an aggressive agenda to promote exports and help American
manufacturers sell their products around the world," Obama explained.
Huffington Post "Fort Hood Suspect Still Alive" headlines Huffington Post. The website live-blogged the events last night. … Read More »
Drudge Report "Soldier Opens Fire at Ft. Hood: 13 Killed 30 Wounded" banners Drudge about yesterday's shooting at the Texas military facility. "Gunman Made 'Outlandish' Comments Condemning Foreign Policy..." reads another Drudge headline.… Read More »
Buzzflash Far right wingers believe the shooting at Ft. Hood, Texas is a case for imprisoning all Muslims, writes pmcarpenter. House Republicans left preexisting conditions out of their healthcare plan, says meg.… Read More »
FrumForum Peter Worthington says that the U.S. government is beginning to pursue a similar strategy to the failed Soviet plan in Afghanistan. Tim Mak writes that tea partyers are mad at the Democrats and GOP. … Read More »
The Atlantic Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) leads a pack of 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls. Unemployment could break double digits in the Labor Department's new jobless numbers to be released today. … Read More »
Washington Independent Mike Lillis writes that the House GOP's health proposal would cover children depending on where they live. Graham Moomow has video of yesterday's "House Call" protest on Capitol Hill. … Read More »
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