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Obama: Health Care Bill Most Important Social Legislation Since Social Security And Medicare
President Obama speaks after the Senate passes its health care bill.
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President Obama just delivered a short speech praising Senate passage of the health care bill, calling the health care bill one of the most important piece of social legislation since Social Security in the 1930's and Medicare in the 1960's.
"In a historic vote that took place this morning, members of the Senate joined their colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a landmark health insurance reform package, legislation that brings us toward the end of a nearly century long struggle to reform America's health care system," said Obama. "Ever since Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform in 1912, seven presidents, Democrats and Republicans alike, have taken up the cause of health care reform. Time and time again, such efforts have been blocked by special interest lobbyists who have perpetuated a status quo that works betters for the insurance industry than it does for the American people. With passage of reform bills in both the House and the Senate, we are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance that will bring additional security and stability to the American people"
Obama also offered an apparent rebuttal to liberals who have charged that the bill didn't go far enough. He said insurance companies will no longer be able to drop people's coverage because of expensive costs of care, or deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and discussed other regulations to extend access to health care.
"As I've said before, these are not small reforms, these are big reforms," said Obama. "If passed, this will be the most important piece of social legislation since the Social Security Act passed in the 1930s, and the most important reform of our health care system since Medicare passed in the 1960s."
A few hours after the Senate vote, Obama was on his way to Hawaii with his family.
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cwnidog
December 24, 2009 9:59 AM
Lipstick, meet pig.
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cmaukonen
December 24, 2009 12:46 PM in reply to cwnidog
And it's going to require a whole lot of lipstick to make this "pig" presentable. That's for sure.
C
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JayR
December 24, 2009 11:15 AM
More important than civil rights? hahahaha. No.
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FebM
December 24, 2009 11:24 AM in reply to JayR
"social legislation" is the catch phrase, maybe civil rights was a political/social/economic/ legislation. It was a constitutional restoration of a citizenship.
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Elistrums
December 24, 2009 11:40 AM
Our struggle in this democracy requires a methodical dedication to slowly making progress in the right direction. As Obama says "the ship of state turns very slowly". In our current era of hyper-partisan politics it may turning too slowly but it is what it is. It will take many years to repair the damage the Republicans have done to this nation. We need to concentrate on maintaining the political will and power to continue moving in a progressive direction. Bitching and infighting will not help. I too wish we had a single payer system but it isn't happening this time. At least now that we have cracked open the door we might have a better chance at moving further the next time.
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daveinnc
December 24, 2009 4:52 PM in reply to Elistrums
Very well put, Elistrums. I look at this bill, presuming it comes reasonably whole out of conference, as laying the tracks in the right direction. We can add various fine rolling stock later, expecially if most of us vote right in next year's election. What a fine Christmas gift for all of us, even those on the right who hate it.
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T Groan
December 26, 2009 3:30 PM in reply to Elistrums
Like most obamabots you're both deluded.
http://openleft.com/diary/16599/the-longterm-value-of-insisting-the-health-bill-is-not-good-enough
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twirling fartknocker
December 24, 2009 12:46 PM
if the political winds blow in favor of this, then perhaps we can have follow-up bills over the next several years to get closer to what this country really needs. if not, the insurance companies will own this country for several more generations
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ShawninMo
December 24, 2009 1:57 PM
There are already insurance companies that cover pre-existing conditions and government coverage(your goal) will be bound by budget constraints(rationing), the same as insurance companies are. So, what exctly got fixed again Mr. President?
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FebM
December 24, 2009 2:11 PM in reply to ShawninMo
expanded healthcare, removal annual, lifetime caps
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ilovebacon
December 24, 2009 2:55 PM
This is the greatest victory for progressives since Social Security. Thank you Obama. And thank you God for allowing him to be president.
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lousgirl84
December 25, 2009 8:58 AM in reply to ilovebacon
Amen to that and Merry Christmas
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ilovebacon
December 28, 2009 10:48 AM in reply to lousgirl84
You too!
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elf
December 24, 2009 5:37 PM
What does it say about American society that this is the best it can do to "provide for the general welfare"?
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acamus
December 24, 2009 7:18 PM in reply to elf
What it says is that we have a ways to go before we can count on strong progressive electorate to provide the country with not only the right politicians but also the strong support for progressive policies that will make the centrists shift left out of fear of the backlash. Right now the "independents" are tacking right of center when it comes to government involvment and citizen sacrifice when it comes to addressing the general welfare of all.
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Tanjaoui
December 24, 2009 6:51 PM
He's right in a way: this is very important. It cements the union of government and private for profit industry in the health care field for generations. Well done, Obama! The Republicans have been pushing for this for decades.
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IndyLinda
December 24, 2009 7:15 PM in reply to Tanjaoui
Wow, if Republicans have been pushing for anything remotely like this bill, they've sure done a good job of doing so in a super-duper secretive fashion.
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Tanjaoui
December 24, 2009 7:34 PM in reply to IndyLinda
The real import of the bill it its insidious capture of government by industry. The subsidies will be cut later, when they get around to balancing the budget, and the regulations will be gamed in view of revolving door government oversight officials/industry execs. Health care will be forgotten about until it becomes clear that this spendthrift liberal bill did nothing to hold down costs. Cue Republican talking points and resurgence...
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JEP07
December 25, 2009 6:54 PM in reply to Tanjaoui
"Cue Republican talking points and resurgence..."
"cue Republican delusion.. it's come full circle.
Now the 'baggers are to the Republicans what the Republicans are to Democrats.
Those aren't Republican talking points any more, they are teabagger talking points. When the took on the Palin lock stock and VP spot, they handed their talking points over to the blowhards.
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sabocat
December 25, 2009 9:51 AM
My Xmas wish is that the House democrats find enough backbone to stand up and draw a line in the sand. That's the only way to make this bill something which could actually be of long-term benefit.
As it stands now, it should be torpedoed, because the negatives far outweigh the positives.
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USgreentech
December 25, 2009 9:39 PM
Universal Health Coverage is on it'w way. Michelle Obama beat the hell out of Karl RIP today in the Holocaust.
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Tralbry
December 25, 2009 9:47 PM
>>> If passed, this will be the most important piece of social legislation since the Social Security Act passed in the 1930s, and the most important reform of our health care system since Medicare passed in the 1960s."
Self-serving as half-truths often are. It'll certainly be the most important healthcare bill since the 1960's (leaving out s-Chip). But "important" doesn't equate to either "good" nor "reform". There are some reforms in it, but there are lots more important ones that have been removed or weakened. Add in the fact that it EMPOWERS private industry (and Wall Street and Industry Insiders agree on that - witness stock proces) and the overall "good" quickly morphs into "questionable".
I understood why Obama self-congratulates, but really, why doesn't it bother ALL progressive that the man has lied to you in 1. pretending he'd fight for the PO and 2. denying that he ever campaigned on it.
This will be a pyrrhic Democratic victory. It's divinding the base and probably will have little public bump for most people already outside the party. Maybe in 2013 if a few impverished independents get insurance they'll like it but not if they understand what cost it's come at.
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USgreentech
December 26, 2009 12:12 AM
Kunt RIP lost Christmas in the Holocaust. The Democratic Party won over Catholics today even though the Pope fell over by some lady.
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USgreentech
December 26, 2009 12:18 AM
RIP Rove the dumb shit is getting the shit kicked out of him like the dumb mother fucker that he's.
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Tosh
April 2, 2010 12:31 PM
haha what a lipstick
kamagra l m65
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jibran_pcc
July 14, 2010 3:19 AM
Wow, if Republicans have been pushing for anything remotely like this bill, they've sure done a good job of doing so in a super-duper secretive fashion.colin
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