WASHINGTON–Vice President Biden and his wife Jill landed in Israel on Monday, for a Middle East swing taking them to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Jordan and Ramallah and Bethlehem on the Palestinian West Bank. The Biden plane landed at 4:08 p.m. Israeli time.
The vice president and Dr. Biden have busy schedules; click below for details.
On Thursday, from the White House Biden “will a deliver a speech at Tel Aviv University entitled “The Enduring Partnership Between the United States and Israel.” Afterwards, the Vice President will answer questions from university students in the audience.”
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2010
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND DR. JILL BIDEN TRAVEL
TO THE MIDDLE EAST
Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will depart Washington, DC, for the Middle East on the evening of Sunday, March 7th. They will travel to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues. The Vice President’s stop to Egypt has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. President Mubarak will now be out of the country, and the United States and Egypt mutually agreed to postpone this visit.
Monday, March 8th – Jerusalem
The Bidens will arrive in Jerusalem. Their arrival is pooled press. There are no other public events scheduled on this day.
Tuesday, March 9th – Jerusalem
The Vice President:
The Vice President will have meetings with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni, Chair of the Kadima Party. There will be a pool spray of the Vice President’s arrival at the Prime Minister’s Residence, and pool sprays at the tops of the meetings with President Peres and Tzipi Livni. Following the Vice President’s meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Vice President and the Prime Minister will each make a statement to the press. This statement will be OPEN PRESS and will take place at approximately 12:20 PM local time (5:20 AM ET).
Dr. Biden:
In the morning, Dr. Jill Biden will visit teachers and children at the integrated Peace Pre-school program at the Jerusalem International YMCA. This visit will be POOLED PRESS.
In the afternoon, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will visit the national grave sites of Yitzhak Rabin and Theodor Herzl and lay a wreath. Afterwards, they will visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum and memorial. Both of these events will be POOLED PRESS.
In the evening, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will have dinner with the Prime Minister and Mrs. Netanyahu. There will be a pool spray at the top of this dinner.
Wednesday March 10th – Ramallah, Palestinian Territories and Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories
The Vice President:
In the morning, the Vice President will have a breakfast meeting with Tony Blair, Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. There will a pool spray at the top of this meeting.
Afterwards, the Vice President will travel to Ramallah. The Vice President will first meet with Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. There will be a pool spray at the top of this meeting. Afterwards, the Vice President will meet with President Mahmoud Abbas. Following the meeting with President Abbas, the Vice President and the President will each make a statement to the press. This statement will be OPEN PRESS and will take place at approximately 2:30 PM local time (7:30 AM ET).
The Vice President will then travel to Bethlehem, where he will take a tour of Nassar Stone Factory, known for its marble, and is an example of a successful Palestinian industry. Afterwards, the Vice President will attend a dinner with local civil society leaders. There will be a pool spray at the top of this dinner.
The Vice President will return to Jerusalem in the evening.
Dr. Biden:
In the morning, Dr. Biden will travel to Augusta Victoria Hospital, where she will visit with doctors, nurses and patients and take a tour of the hospital’s facilities. Dr. Biden will learn about the hospital’s breast cancer outreach program and will visit the radiotherapy unit. She will also visit with children and parents in the pediatric cancer care and kidney care units. This visit will be POOLED PRESS.
In the afternoon, Dr. Biden will visit the Al Kamandjati Music Center in Ramallah where she will meet with teachers and students, and listen to a student music performance. Al Kamandjati provides music lessons, workshops and music programs including concerts for Palestinian children, particularly those living in refugee camps and in marginalized villages in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon.
Thursday, March 11th – Tel Aviv, Israel and Amman, Jordan
The Vice President:
At 11:30 AM local time (4:30 AM ET) the Vice President will a deliver a speech at Tel Aviv University entitled “The Enduring Partnership Between the United States and Israel.” Afterwards, the Vice President will answer questions from university students in the audience. The Vice President’s speech and the question-and-answer session are OPEN PRESS, but an RSVP is required.
The Vice President’s speech will be streamed LIVE at:
http://www.justin.tv/shimongx#r=w7MdF4U~
Dr. Biden:
In the morning, Dr. Biden will visit Masada, and in the afternoon she will visit a Bedouin Women Crafts Center in Lakiya. Both of these visits are POOLED PRESS
In the afternoon, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will depart en route to Amman, Jordan.
In the evening, the Vice President will meet with King Abdullah. There will be a pool spray at the top of this meeting. Afterwards, the Vice President and King Abdullah will have dinner together.
Friday, March 12th – Amman, Jordan
The Vice President and Dr. Biden will visit and tour Petra in the afternoon. This visit will be POOLED PRESS.
Dr. Biden: Details on Dr. Biden’s schedule in Jordan will be released later in the week.
In the evening, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will depart Jordan en route Washington, DC.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2010
DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010
In the morning, the President will travel to Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he will deliver remarks on health insurance reform at Arcadia University. This event is open press. The President will then return to Washington, DC.
After returning, the President will deliver remarks at an East Room event welcoming the BCS National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide to the White House to honor their 13th championship and their undefeated 2009 season. Appearing at this event with the team will be coaches and staff. This event is open press.
Later, the President will meet with President Funes of El Salvador in the Oval Office. There will be a pool spray at the bottom of the meeting.
Then, in honor of International Women’s Day, the President and the First Lady will deliver remarks at a reception in the East Room honoring women from around the world and their achievements. This reception’s program will also include actress Kerry Washington as Emcee, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Afghan singer Mozdah Jamalzadah, and singer Katharine McPhee. This event is open press.
In the evening, the President will meet with Senator Schumer and Senator Graham in the Oval Office to get an update on their efforts toward producing a bipartisan immigration reform bill. This meeting is closed press.
In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: CBS
Print: New York Times
Radio: AP
Travel Photo: New York Times
Out-of-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: CBS
Print: Politico
Radio:
Travel Photo: New York Times
EST
8:45AM In-Town Travel Pool Call Time
9:35AM THE PRESIDENT departs The White House en route Andrews Air Force Base
South Lawn
Open Press (Pre-set 9:05AM – Final Gather 9:20AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
9:50AM THE PRESIDENT departs Andrews Air Force One en route Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Out-of-Town Travel Pool (Gather Time 8:30AM – Virginia Gate, Andrews Air Force Base)
10:35AM THE PRESIDENT arrives in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove
Open Press
11:00AM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on health insurance reform
Arcadia University, Glenside
Open Press
12:30PM THE PRESIDENT departs Willow Grove, Pennsylvania en route Andrews Air Force Base
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove
Open Press
1:15PM THE PRESIDENT arrives in Andrews Air Force One
Out-of-Town Travel Pool
1:30PM THE PRESIDENT arrives at The White House
South Lawn
Open Press (Pre-set 1:00PM – Final Gather 1:20PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
1:50PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks at event welcoming the BCS National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide to the White House
East Room
Open Press (Pre-set 11:00AM – Final Gather 1:15PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
3:00PM THE PRESIDENT meets with President Funes of El Salvador
Oval Office
Pool spray at the bottom (Gather Time 3:45PM – Briefing Room)
4:30PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY deliver remarks at International Women’s Day reception
East Room
Open Press (Final Gather 4:10PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
5:30PM THE PRESIDENT meets with Senator Schumer and Senator Graham
Oval Office
Closed Press
Briefing Schedule
Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton will gaggle aboard Air Force One.
WASHINGTON–“I am not like carving out little pieces of his presidency to get my agenda done,” Rahm Emanuel told me when we talked about his year as President Obama’s chief of staff. He knew exactly why he was in the White House and what his job was. Emanuel added, “This is all his presidency, his agenda, and that is who I am serving.”
I pulled out my Jan. 11 interview with Emanuel as recent stories and columns in the Washington Post triggered snowballing pundit chatter about the tenure of Emanuel, a former Chicago congressman. This is a new narrative, and it is frustrating the Obama White House, which is not used to such drama.
It comes as Obama’s approval ratings are low and he has make-or-break votes on health-care reform in Congress and faces challenges in closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison and trying terrorist suspects who are currently being held there. Things are tense in the Obama White House. There have been disagreements. But that’s different from suggesting there are substantive rifts within the close-knit group.
Last Monday, I learned, Obama made clear to senior staff — in an Oval Office meeting after he returned from a trip to Savannah, Ga. — that he didn’t like these stories. He reminded them that it is “one for all and all for one” in his administration. They were there to get things done for the nation, and they were not in the White House to engage in what Obama considered petty Washington intrigue.
This episode was triggered by Post columnist Dana Milbank in a Feb. 21 piece titled “Why Obama Needs Rahm,” a rebuttal to those who blamed Emanuel for Obama’s struggles. Milbank concluded that Obama would not be in trouble if he had taken Emanuel’s advice. Milbank wrote, “Obama’s first year fell apart in large part because he didn’t follow his chief of staff’s advice on crucial matters.”
He also poked at the other Chicago pals who, along with Emanuel, are in Obama’s inner circle. Senior advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett are “in love with the president,” wrote Milbank, in contrast to the pragmatic Emanuel.
Milbank’s column was followed by a Feb. 27 Colbert King column in the Post, “What price Emanuel?” Then, the attention grabber: a front page, above-the-fold news story in the Tuesday Post headlined “Hotheaded Emanuel may be the voice of reason.”
The Post’s David Broder zinged his Post colleagues in his Thursday column, “The fable of Emanuel the Great,” where he concluded that portraying Obama as a “screw-up” but for Emanuel was “remarkable fiction.”
Whew.
Coming on the heels of the pending departure of White House social secretary Desiree Rogers, another Obama friend from Chicago, the speculation about Emanuel fits into a growing storyline in the national press about the Chicagoans in the White House. I’ve seen versions of this movie before: the Texans who came with George W. Bush and the Arkansas folks who arrived with Bill Clinton.
No matter what, Emanuel and Axelrod have already said they may leave after two years. Jarrett is in for the long haul and holds a unique position in the Obama White House.
She is a personal friend of Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, so close they have vacationed together in the last year in Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard with other friends. Jarrett is a trusted adviser, not unlike Bobby Kennedy, who was attorney general under his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
Former Commerce Secretary William Daley, who served under Clinton — Mayor Daley’s brother and a close Axelrod and Emanuel friend — told me he talked to Emanuel.
“I think he finds it somewhat humorous that people are running around talking about what he supposedly said or did or his positions,” Daley said. “I think he’s more focused on and more concerned on passing health care, getting the economy back, the sort of stuff that really matters in the long run.”
Axelrod told me in an e-mail, “Rahm’s been my great friend for almost 30 years and will be forever. I think his efforts as [chief of staff] have been heroic and prodigious. He has loyally and faithfully executed the President’s vision.”
Said Daley, “All of this stuff is gibberish in the scheme of a four-year term and what is meaningful for the country.”
WASHINGTON–Illinois Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias will attend, his campaign confirmed to me, a White House reception Tuesday night hosted by President Obama and First Lady Michelle to mark Greek Independence day.
Earlier Tuesday, Obama meets with Prime Minister Papandreou of Greece at the White House.
On Monday morning, the President will travel to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area to discuss health insurance reform. After returning to Washington, DC in the afternoon, he will welcome the BCS National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide to the White House to honor their 13th championship and their undefeated 2008-2009 season. The President will then meet with President Funes of El Salvador at the White House. Later, in honor of International Women’s Day, the President and the First Lady will deliver remarks at a White House reception honoring women from around the world and their achievements.
On Tuesday, the President will meet with Prime Minister Papandreou of Greece at the White House. In the evening, the President and the First Lady will host a reception in honor of Greek Independence Day at the White House.
On Wednesday, the President will meet with President Préval of Haiti at the White House. He will later travel to the St. Louis, Missouri area to discuss health insurance reform. He will also deliver remarks at a fundraiser for Senator McCaskill.
On Thursday, the President will address the Export-Import Bank’s Annual Conference in Washington, DC, where he will reiterate his commitment to doubling exports in five years, which he proposed during the State of the Union address. Media interested in covering the President’s remarks can request credentials HERE.
On Friday, the President will meet with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology at the White House.
The media access for the President’s meetings with foreign leaders will be announced early next week.
Steven Koch, Appointee for Member, Recovery Independent Advisory Panel
Steven Koch is a Vice Chairman and Co-Chairman of Credit Suisse’s Mergers and Acquisitions Group. He joined Credit Suisse in 1985. Mr. Koch also teaches in the Director’s Consortium, a semi-annual seminar he helped to organize, that is sponsored by the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Law School. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sinai Health System in Chicago and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, The Board of Trustees of the Francis W. Parker School and the Green Ribbon Committee of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. Mr. Koch received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his B.A. from Hampshire College.
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From: [email protected] on behalf of White House Press Office Sent: Fri 3/5/2010 5:31 PM
To: Sweet, Lynn
Cc:
Subject: President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
Attachments:
View As Web Page
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key administration post:
· David K. Mineta, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive Office of the President
President Obama also announced his intent to appoint several individuals to serve on the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel. Their bios are below.
President Obama said, “These impressive individuals will be valued additions to our team as we work to confront the challenges facing our nation. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key administration post:
David K. Mineta, Nominee for Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive Office of the President
David K. Mineta is currently serving as the Deputy Director of one of the nation’s largest behavioral health organizations specifically targeting the underserved Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Asian American Recovery Services, Inc. (AARS) provides substance abuse prevention and treatment services to thousands of residents across Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco Counties. Mr. Mineta has worked for AARS since 1996. Mr. Mineta is serving his third term on the Jefferson Union High School District’s Board of Trustees. He has been a member of the board since 2000. Mr. Mineta is also a Commissioner on San Mateo’s First Five Commission, a county commission overseeing the granting and oversight of early childhood education and health funds. He has also served in various positions with Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, the Santa Clara County Alcohol and Drugs Department, and Asian Americans for Community Involvement. He earned his Master’s Degree in Social Work from San Jose State University in 1990 and his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986.
President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to serve on the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel:
Steven Koch, Appointee for Member, Recovery Independent Advisory Panel
Steven Koch is a Vice Chairman and Co-Chairman of Credit Suisse’s Mergers and Acquisitions Group. He joined Credit Suisse in 1985. Mr. Koch also teaches in the Director’s Consortium, a semi-annual seminar he helped to organize, that is sponsored by the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Law School. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sinai Health System in Chicago and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, The Board of Trustees of the Francis W. Parker School and the Green Ribbon Committee of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. Mr. Koch received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his B.A. from Hampshire College.
Chris Sale, Appointee for Member, Recovery Independent Advisory Panel
Chris Sale is Vice President for Development Finance at CHF International where she provides guidance and informs policy for the CHF International’s microenterprise, housing finance, and small to medium enterprise lending programs. Ms. Sale has more than twenty years of experience in finance and development, having served as the Deputy Advisor for External Relations for the Inter-American Development Bank, Deputy to the Chairman and CFO of the FDIC, COO of the US Small Business Administration, among other positions. She is currently a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and the Finance and Investment Chair for the National Partnership for Women and Families. She received an MBA from American University and completed her undergraduate work at Boston University.
Malcolm K. Sparrow, Appointee for Member, Recovery Independent Advisory Panel
Malcolm K. Sparrow is a Professor of the Practice of Public Management at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he has been teaching since 1988. Before joining the Harvard University faculty, Dr. Sparrow served 10 years with the British Police Service, gaining extensive experience in criminal investigation and rising to the rank of Detective Chief Inspector. At Harvard his research and teaching has focused on the distinctive challenges faced by regulatory and law enforcement agencies as they seek to control risks and threats of various kinds. Dr. Sparrow has authored several books and worked closely with U.S. and overseas regulators on issues including crime, terrorism, corruption, fraud, environmental protection, safety management and regulatory compliance. He holds a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, a MPA from the Kennedy School, and a MA in mathematics from Cambridge University.
Edward Tufte, Appointee for Member, Recovery Independent Advisory Panel
Edward Tufte is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Statistics, and Computer Science at Yale University. He wrote, designed, and self-published The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Envisioning Information, Visual Explanations, and Beautiful Evidence, which have received 40 awards for content and design. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, the Society for Technical Communication, and the American Statistical Association. He received his PhD in political Science from Yale University and BS and MS in statistics from Stanford University.
The President has no scheduled public events this weekend.
Saturday’s In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: NBC
Print: New York Daily News
Radio: VOA
Travel Photo: New York Times
Sunday’s In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: ABC
Print: New York Post
Radio: ABC
Travel Photo: TIME
Saturday, March 6, 2010
EST
10:30AM Pool Call Time
Sunday, March 7, 2010
EST
9:30AM Pool Call Time
Schedule for Week of March 8, 2010
On Monday morning, the President will travel to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area to discuss health insurance reform. After returning to Washington, DC in the afternoon, he will welcome the BCS National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide to the White House to honor their 13th championship and their undefeated 2008-2009 season. The President will then meet with President Funes of El Salvador at the White House. Later, in honor of International Women’s Day, the President and the First Lady will deliver remarks at a White House reception honoring women from around the world and their achievements.
On Tuesday, the President will meet with Prime Minister Papandreou of Greece at the White House. In the evening, the President and the First Lady will host a reception in honor of Greek Independence Day at the White House.
On Wednesday, the President will meet with President Préval of Haiti at the White House. He will later travel to the St. Louis, Missouri area to discuss health insurance reform. He will also deliver remarks at a fundraiser for Senator McCaskill.
On Thursday, the President will address the Export-Import Bank’s Annual Conference in Washington, DC, where he will reiterate his commitment to doubling exports in five years, which he proposed during the State of the Union address. Media interested in covering the President’s remarks can request credentials HERE.
On Friday, the President will meet with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology at the White House.
The media access for the President’s meetings with foreign leaders will be announced early next week.
Dillard Endorses Brady for Governor
Calls for Party to Unite Behind GOP Nominee
(Chicago) – State Senator Kirk Dillard today threw his support behind State Senator Bill Brady in the race for Governor, saying it was “close,” but that Brady had won the Illinois Republican Primary. “I will help Senator Brady in any way I can to ensure the Republican Party wins back the Governor’s office in November,” Dillard said.
Dillard had waited until the Illinois State Board of Elections had reported the final totals in the February 2 Primary election had been counted before conceding because of the narrow margin of Brady’s lead. “It was a hard-fought race, and it was close: less than .0002 of a percent,” said Dillard. “But it is now clear to me that my friend and colleague Bill Brady has won the Illinois Republican Primary for Governor.”
Dillard went on to stress why he will aggressively campaign on Brady’s behalf. “As I’ve said countless times during the campaign, Illinois is a state in crisis. Pat Quinn cannot lead, and shows no urgency in putting people back to work.”
The State Senator from Hinsdale also thanked former Governor Jim Edgar for his support and the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of supporters who backed his campaign during these last seven months. “I call on my supporters and the supporters of the other Republican candidates to join me in supporting Senator Bill Brady,” Dillard said.
Dillard also said he would continue to work hard as a state senator for the people of his district and all of Illinois. “I will continue to fight for the Republican principles of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. I will continue to fight for a balanced budget and new jobs. And I will continue to fight for a state government that works for the people, not the politicians.”
Dillard announced his candidacy on July 7, 2009. He said he would make Illinois a “Destination Economy,” by attracting new employers to create jobs. He outlined a “Best in Class” Education plan to train the workforce of tomorrow and vowed to lead by example when it comes to ending corruption by pledging to close his campaign account when sworn-in as Governor.
First elected to the Illinois Senate in 1994, Dillard and his wife Stephanie have two daughters, ages eight and six.
WASHINGTON–Politico’s Mike Allen is running excerpts from Karl Rove‘s new book, out next Tuesday: Now White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and Rove were at the same table during the 2008 White House Correspondents Dinner.
Rove passage, via Allen:
From Rove: On April 26, 2008, I attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as a guest of Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. At the dinner, Jon sat between me and Valerie Jarrett … During the dinner, Jarrett e-mailed Obama on her BlackBerry to let him know she was breaking bread with Satan himself. He e-mailed her back and Jarrett made the mistake of showing Jon and me his reply, which was ‘Rove hates me.’ I knew Senator Obama was alluding to our run-in over the passage in his book. I asked Jarrett to tell him I wasn’t in the habit of hating people.’ (p. 514-5)
In the morning, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press. The President will meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.
The President will then travel to a small business in Arlington, Virginia, where he will deliver remarks on clean energy jobs. This event is pooled press.
In the afternoon, the President and the Vice President will have lunch in the Private Dining Room. This lunch is closed press.
In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: FOX
Print: Newsday
Radio: Talk Radio
Travel Photo: TIME
EST
9:30AM Pool Call Time
9:30AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:00AM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:30AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Economic Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:25AM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on clean energy jobs
Arlington, Virginia
Travel Pool Coverage (Gather Time 10:50AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
12:30PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT have lunch
WASHINGTON–White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel at the Thursday briefing and gave him a big vote of confidence: “The President greatly values the skills that Rahm brings to the job of White House Chief of Staff. I don’t think there’s anybody better suited in this job right now as we’re trying to get health care reform through Congress,” Gibbs said.
Q With all the stories leaking from the White House, is the President or Rahm Emanuel on the skids?
MR. GIBBS: No, the President — (laughter) — the President has —
Q What does the President think about all this?
MR. GIBBS: Well, look, the President has — the President believed this in the campaign, the President believes this in the White House, that we all work together as a team, that we rise and fall together as one team. The President greatly values the skills that Rahm brings to the job of White House Chief of Staff. I don’t think there’s anybody better suited in this job right now as we’re trying to get health care reform through Congress. And I don’t think anybody that works in this building would say that there’s anybody that works harder at getting — at implementing the President’s decisions than does the Chief of Staff.
Q So what’s the problem?
MR. GIBBS: I think the problem is that right now we’re in a very tough environment. Governing is hard because unemployment is way up. We have two wars. We have a lot of big things on our plate that we’re trying to change on behalf of the American people.
WASHINGTON–First Lady Michelle Obama discusses Desiree Rogers, Rahm Emanuel and President Obama’s struggle to quit smoking in an interview with Politico’s Nia-Malika Henderson.
MICHELLE OBAMA ON OBAMA’S STRUGGLE TO QUIT SMOKING
“What the president struggles with is what every smoker struggles with, it’s a difficult habit to break. It’s understandable that he struggles with it. Do I want him to stop completely? Absolutely. And I will push him to do so, but it’s a process,” Mrs. Obama tells Politico.
“I’ve never been a smoker so I can’t relate, but people who’ve smoked say like anything, you have dips and valleys, and to try to quit smoking in one of the most stressful times of the nation’s history is sort of like, you know, OK, he’s going to struggle a little bit. This may be the year he’ll struggle,” she said.
ON DESIREE ROGERS
Mrs. Obama makes her first comments about Chicago friend Rogers, the departing White House Social Secretary:
“If you look at this year, this has been a phenomenal year, starting a year in a White House where nobody even knows where the bathrooms are, and then right away you have to start delivering great events, and every single event we have had at the White House has been stellar, and it’s been because of the teamwork that has included Desiree. You can’t look back on this year and be disappointed. She’s done a great job. She came into this with a shorter-term perspective. Leaving the corporate world, she was always sort of ambivalent,” Obama said.
“She is leaving us with a solid foundation. … That’s a decision that she had to make; … she’s been a terrific resource,” Obama told Politico.
ON RAHM EMANUEL
Mrs. Obama makes her first comments on the flurry of speculation–mostly in the Washington Post–about the role and tenure of Obama White House chief of staff Emanuel”
“Fortunately, Barack, he’s a steady kind of person. He doesn’t react drastically one way or the other to criticisms, or even to compliments, so he is able to maintain an important equilibrium with regard to a lot of things that are important in times of trouble, and he stands by his entire staff, including the chief of staff, because he is proud of the work that everyone has done,” Mrs. Obama said.
Democratic Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias spent 10 hours on Wednesday in eight interviews with Chicago print and broadcast outlets, taking questions about his family owned Broadway Bank. Giannoulias, 33, was a loan officer at the bank before he was elected treasurer in November, 2006. The community bank is likely to fail and GOP Illinois Senate contender Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.) is making a major issue of Giannoulias tenure at the bank.
Sun-Times political writer Abdon Pallasch Giannoulias and Broadway Bank news story is here.
Giannoulias at the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board audio is here.
WASHINGTON–Now David Broder, the sage Washington Post poltiical columnist, is weighing in on Obama White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in a Thursday column titled “The Fable of Rahm the Great,” the latest installment of the Emanuel saga.
Broder’s lede: “In the space of 10 days, thanks in no small part to my own newspaper, the president of the United States has been portrayed as a weakling and a chronic screw-up who is wrecking his administration despite everything that his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, can do to make things right.”
This follows two stories in the Washington Post that have now spawned a narrative the White House can live without–whither Rahm? Read my Tuesday post, “Rahm Emanuel Obama Drama” for more background and links.
In the morning, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. The President will then meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press.
Later, the President will sign the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act, which will create jobs, encourage travel to the United States, and help the tourism industry, which has been hurting as a result of the economic downturn, in the Oval Office. The signing is closed press.
In the afternoon, the President and the Vice President will meet with Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.
In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: CNN
Print: National Journal
Radio: SRN
Travel Photo: New York Times
EST
9:30AM Pool Call Time
9:30AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:00AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receives the Economic Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:30AM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:35AM THE PRESIDENT signs the Travel Promotion Act
Oval Office
Closed Press
3:00PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with Secretary of the Treasury Geithner
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, guys. (Applause.) Thank you so much. (Applause.) How you all doing? (Applause.) You excited? (Applause.) You all fired up? (Applause.) That’s a good thing.
I’m just happy to be here.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you! (Applause.)
MRS. OBAMA: Well, let me tell you something. The White House is a pretty neat place to live, but let me — let me just say this. One of the best things I do is coming out of the White House and coming here to spend time with all of you. You all really do — (applause) — you all really help remind us what we’re here for. And we’re just so proud of you.
And let me start by thanking Tiffany for that beautiful introduction. (Applause.) I got to meet Tiffany backstage. And I know that the reason she got to introduce me was because she worked hard and won an essay competition to do it. And we are proud of her. We’re proud of you, Tiffany, proud of the work that you’re doing. (Applause.) You’re a beautiful young lady, a sweetheart, and I want you to keep up whatever it is you’re doing, because you’re doing good things. And we’re just so proud of you. (Applause.)
I also want to thank, before we get — I want to thank a few people here, because there are a lot of people here who care about this state and care about this city; people who have done a lot to make this visit possible, who’ve done a lot of important groundwork to get this state in the limelight. And I want to make sure that we recognize those people — some of them who couldn’t be here, like Congressman Bennie Thompson, because he’s in Washington. (Applause.) The President has him working hard in Washington and we’re glad he’s there working. But who came along is his wife, London, and their daughter. If you all would stand so that we can say hello. (Applause.)
And also another Congressman — I don’t think he could be here — Gregg Harper — he’s in Washington, but his wife, Sidney, is here. Sidney, would you stand, please. (Applause.)
And I have to thank your mayor, Mayor Johnson, and his wife, Kathy. (Applause.) Got a chance to talk and meet them both. And it’s not easy having the First Lady come to your city, but they have just been gracious and they worked very hard, and we’re just so honored and thrilled to be here.
I also want to thank the school superintendent, Dr. Lonnie Edwards. Dr. Edwards, would you please stand? (Applause.) Because Dr. Edwards let us visit during a school day, so we’ve got to give him a round of applause. (Applause.)
And last but not least, I have to thank Governor Barbour and his beautiful wife, the First Lady of the state of Mississippi. They have — they’ve opened their hearts to me from the very beginning of this initiative. I’ve said this before — there are so many people who have been out on front on this issue long before I showed up at the White House and long before we launched “Let’s Move,” and Mrs. Barbour has been just a big advocate of “Let’s Go Walkin’” — that initiative is exactly the kind of things we need to replicate all over this country. And I am grateful to both the Governor and the First Lady for their hard work and their commitment and their sincerity. So let’s give them another round of applause. (Applause.)
So since I’ve been here I went to visit Pecan Park Elementary School. Did I say that right? Pecan?
AUDIENCE: Yesss —
MRS. OBAMA: Because where I come from, sometimes you say “pecaan” — but it’s “pecon” round here, right? (Laughter.) But we got to visit that school and some of the great kids there, and I got to walk with Mrs. Barbour and the Governor and the principal there — principal Quon — and a couple of students around the track that they built. And the kids were out there exercising and working out. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful facility, and it’s just something that we should be highlighting all over the country.
So they showed us how Mississippi, how Jackson, is working to make sure kids stay healthy and active. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m here visiting Brinkley Middle School. Can I hear it? (Applause.) That’s why I’m here, because we want to continue this conversation that I’ve been having around the country — starting about a few weeks ago. It’s an issue that I care deeply about — not just because I’m a First Lady but because I’m a mother. And I’ve said this ever since I came into office — I approach this job first as a mother. And I’m thinking about all of you all as a mother, not as a First Lady.
And we have to figure out what we can all do together in this country to help our kids in the country live healthy and active lives, and to stay that way throughout your entire lives. We care about you deeply, because too many kids right now just aren’t living that way. And we all know that. Too many kids in this country don’t get enough exercise and they aren’t as healthy as they need to be.
And if we’re honest with ourselves, as all of you know, we know that here in Mississippi, kids struggle with these issues sometimes even more than in other parts of the country. And we all know that when our kids don’t eat right and they don’t get enough exercise, what happens is that they’re at greater risk of a whole range of preventable diseases — things like diabetes. And a long time ago diabetes was also only something that happened in adults, and now we’re seeing it more and more among kids because they’re less healthy. Things like heart disease and cancer — all these things should be older folks’ issues, but we’re seeing more and more of our children being — struggling with these issues.
And what the Governor will tell you is that one of the other problems is that these preventable issues cost the state money. Here in the state of Mississippi, I think you’re spending about $750 million each year to treat diseases that don’t even have to exist. So that’s the bad news — right? That’s the kind of stuff that we’re here to fix.
But there’s a lot of good news — good news is that the folks around this country, particularly around this state and this city, have begun to focus on this issue in a real serious way. We know that a lot of this is our fault, the grownups — right? This isn’t on you all — right? And people have gotten an important wakeup call. They’re looking at the health statistics, they’re looking at you guys and they’re seeing the future in you, and we all know that we’ve got to do something. That’s the good news. Finally we’re waking up and we’re getting moving — right?
And that’s why I wanted to come to Mississippi. I picked this state because of all the creative things that are already happening here to fix things. I’m not here to highlight what’s wrong; I’m here to highlight what’s right — (applause) — what we can do for our kids. (Applause.)
Lots of good examples, like up in Hernando, Mayor Chip Johnson is working to build more sidewalks and to bring weekly farmer’s markets to town so folks in his town can be more active and eat better. And Mayor Johnson was with me when I launched “Let’s Move” in Washington, D.C. That’s a good thing.
Here in Jackson, there’s an organization called My Brother’s Keeper that’s launched an initiative called “Jump Start Jackson” — and there they’re trying to bring more fresh grocers to town, and make it safe for kids to walk and bike to school.
And all across Mississippi — and this is really key because this is where the whole state can come into play. What the Governor has done is signed a law to help make sure that schools like Brinkley are giving students more time in school to be active and to play, and that they’re teaching in the curriculum every day about healthy lifestyles and doing better to serve healthier lunches here — right — because many of the kids here, you’re eating most of your meals here at school so it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that those meals are healthy.
If you think about it, before that law was signed the average school here in this state — the lunch had more than 900 calories. That’s a lot of — that’s a lot of calories in a lunch for some kids — right? But today, they’ve been cutting those calories by reducing fats and sugars that are in the foods you have, and increasing more fruits and whole grains. Have you all noticed that? Some changes in your lunch? (Laughter.) Yes, I know how — right. There’s the kids, and the grownups, right? (Laughter.) But these are important things for you to know as you see the changes in the lunchroom — they’re happening for a reason.
Before that law was passed, more than three in four middle schools sold things like candy and salty snacks and soda to the kids. And now, today, because of that law, more than three in four schools don’t serve those kinds of foods. And I know we’ve got a few unhappy faces about that, but this is a good thing.
Every day, folks here in this state prove that if we in this country are creative and we’re determined and we’re focused, that we can meet these challenges — because this isn’t just happening in Mississippi; it’s happening all across the country — that if we really work together we can really reverse these trends and turn back the tide. We can help you all live the kind of healthy, active lives right from the start.
The thing is if you learn these habits early — right — you’ll carry them through — with you for the rest of your lives. So what I have asked people to do is let’s act. Let’s get going. Let’s move. That’s why we call this initiative “Let’s Move.” It’s about all of us getting up, getting together to make sure that our kids are living the kind of lives that we need them to live.
There’s one important goal to this initiative. We are trying to end the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation. That’s a big goal — because we want kids born today to grow up healthy and at a good weight when they reach adulthood. So that’s the goal. And reaching this goal, it’s an ambitious goal to talk about doing anything in a generation. It’s a hard thing. But that’s why we started “Let’s Move,” because this initiative is asking everyone in the country to do their part to reach this goal. Everyone has got to do their part.
That’s why I’ve been traveling around the country — and I’m going to do this for years to come — asking everyone to step up and get involved. I’ve been meeting with governors and mayors; I’ve already met with many of them. I’m asking them to do their part to make cities and states more — healthier; building more sidewalks, turning playgrounds into track fields, and opening up abandoned buildings, and doing a whole range of creative things to do their part.
I’ve been meeting with parents and I’ve been asking parents to do their parts, because it doesn’t matter what we feed you at school, but if you get home and it’s hard for parents to make healthy choices, then you guys still aren’t leading healthy lives, so we’ve asked parents to step up and do more.
And I’ve been meeting with educators and school nutrition leaders, people like Mary Hill, asking them to do their part to make sure you all have options that not only are healthy but they taste good and they look good and it looks like something that you event want to try.
In a couple of weeks I’m going to even meet with the food manufacturers, the people who make the food that goes into your lunches and also the people who make food, period. (Applause.) And I’m going to be asking them to do their part, right, because if the stuff you buy in the grocery stores aren’t healthier, if the options are limited, then it’s hard for your families to make healthy choices.
And today I wanted to be here especially because I’m going to ask for help from the most important group of this whole entire effort, and who do you think that group is? It’s you, right? It’s all of you — all of you young people. You have to do your part, too.
So I’m really asking you all to help me. Have you ever been asked by the First Lady or the President of the United States to help them? (Laughter.) Well, I am asking you for your help. You going to help me? (Applause.) All right, well let me — but before you sign on — (laughter) — let me just tell you what I need you to do, because we can make all these changes in your communities, your parents can do things differently, the schools can do things differently, but if you’re not open to change and ready to do your part, then it won’t work either, right? I know your teachers tell you that all the time. You have to want to change, right? And it starts with the choices that you make. And this is what I tell my kids: Make healthy choices, right? When you have snack time, you’ve got the choice between grabbing a candy bar or the potato chips or grabbing an apple, right? And I urge my kids to just balance it out. Just think about putting a little more fruits and vegetables on that tray and then trying to eat them. Can you do that? Come on now. (Laughter.) A little less enthusiasm there. (Laughter.)
We know you have to be active and move, right? That means you can’t spend hours sitting in front of the TV and video games and the computer. You have to get up and move. Can you help me with that?
STUDENTS: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: Yes. (Laughter.) They were so excited a few minutes ago. (Laughter.)
But the President and I ask our daughters these same things. I mean, this is what we talk about at home. When we’re at dinner, we ask them, what did you eat for lunch? What kind of choices did you make? Did you try a little salad? Did you put some carrots on your plate? And if you had dessert one day of the week, do you think you need to have it every day of the week? If you watch TV on Saturday all day, do you really need to watch it again on Sunday? If you haven’t finished your homework, should you really be on the computer? Now these are things that we need you to start asking yourselves. You all are in middle school, right? You all are large and in charge, right?
STUDENTS: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: So now you’ve got to start asking yourselves these questions, right? And you have to help your parents out, because when they ask you to make the change, what don’t we want you to do, parents? Whine? (Laughter.) We don’t want whining. Can you help us by not whining about a change? (Laughter.) Can you do that? Come on, Brinkley!
STUDENTS: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: Come on. Well, this is the kind of help we’re going to need from all of you. This is the kind of stuff we want you to think about as we move through this initiative, the kind of choices that you’re making. And we’ve been working with kids your age for the entire year. At the White House we planted this wonderful garden, and we had middle school students just your age working with me every step of the way. They helped me pull up the soil and plant the seeds, and they’ve been at the White House several times a year, because we’ve just been learning what it looks like to grow your own food and eat your own food. And the thing we found out is that when kids play a role in what they do, they’re much more inclined to try new stuff if they grew it. So hopefully many of you can get involved in your community gardens as well.
But that’s what “Let’s Move” is all about. “Let’s Move” is really about you all. It’s really about making things better for our kids, and that’s why we’re here today. You’ve got a community of people around you. You all should look in this room, because it’s not just you up there. Back there are hundreds of people who care deeply about you, and they’re all here working hard, from the President to the governor on down, because we all care about you. And it’s important for you all to understand that we’re here doing this for you.
So we’re doing this because eventually you all are going to be in charge of all this, right? One day you’re going to be the parents and the teachers and the doctors and the principals and the governors, and we need you healthy, right? We need you to be in a good, strong body so that you can get these things done.
So let me tell you a little bit about what “Let’s Move” is all about, just quickly, because there are four parts. One of the things we’re doing is asking your parents to make healthier choices, but we have to do a better job of making sure that they have the information that they need. So we’re working with the FDA to make sure that, you know those labels that they read, that tell you what’s in food? Well, it’s too complicated. We’ve got to make that easier so that they know what’s healthy and what’s not. So we’re trying to make that easier. We’ve set up a Web site called letsmove.gov. Some of you all may want to go on there, walk through that with your parents, because it gives helpful tips and strategies on what to eat and how to move. The second part of the initiative is that we’re asking people to “let’s move” so that parents actually have the foods and vegetables in their own communities.
Do you know that there are a lot of kids who live in communities that don’t have access to a grocery store or a farmers market or a place to buy fruits and vegetables? There are about 6.5 million kids who can’t walk down the street and go to a grocery store because their communities don’t have grocery stores. Well, part of “Let’s Move” is trying to eliminate that, because we can’t tell people to buy fresh food if there’s no place to buy it, right? You know how hard it is for your parents if they have to get on a bus to go get a head of lettuce and they just came home from work and they have to get in a cab to go to a grocery store — that’s hard and expensive for them, right? You all, if you’ve seen it, you know how hard it is. So we’ve got to make it easier. We’ve got to eliminate food deserts and make sure that there are more grocery stores and farmers markets in communities. So that’s something that we’re working on.
The third thing we have to do is make sure that, as I said, that more schools have healthier lunches, right — (applause) — because many of you are eating most of your meals at lunch. We can do an applause for that, that’s a good thing. (Applause.) It’s important for you to have the nutritious meals that you need at lunch. And Mississippi and Jackson, you all are already doing some wonderful things. I mentioned Mary Hill. She’s your food services director. Mary, you should stand up, because these kids should know who you are because you’re working hard. (Applause.)
Mary Hill is working on what you all eat, and one of the things that’s happened is that you guys eat lunch with your teachers now, right? And I know that might be a hassle having them sitting at the table with you, but what that does is because the teachers are sitting with you, what they’ve seen is that you’re more inclined to eat more fruits and vegetables, and so are your teachers. So just because of that one little change, having teachers eating with you, that changes how you eat. And that’s something that’s happened here in this state because of Mary, because of the governor, because of so many other people.
Here in Mississippi, another thing that’s happened is that they’ve taken fryers out of the school and put in more ovens, right? (Applause.) And just imagine, just because of that, in Starkville, two schools in that area, they’ve cut out about 3 million calories — 3 million calories — just by not having fried potatoes. Those are the kind of little things that make a difference.
But the key, one of the real things I’m highlighting in this “Let’s Move” challenge is the fourth thing, is that you all have to get moving, we all have to get moving, because you can eat the best food in the world, but if you all aren’t active, it’s going to be a tough thing.
So we need you all to get moving and be more active. This is where you guys come in, again, putting down the cell phones and thinking of creative things that you care about, whether it’s getting your parents to do the Electric Slide or doing Dance, Dance Revolution. I don’t — it doesn’t matter what it is. My kids — me and the President and our kids play Dance, Dance Revolution. How many of you all have done that? (Applause.) That’s a good game. That will make you sweat. (Laughter.)
And we need you all working, finding creative ways to stay active and get your parents active. And we’re going to expand the President’s Fitness Challenge so that more kids can try new things and get awards; maybe come to the White House because you’re meeting some goals; working with some professional athletes from all the leagues because a lot of them have signed on to help — people from Major League Baseball and the NBA and the NFL and WNBA. All of these professional athletes are going to be signing on to do clinics and to encourage you all to stay active.
So there’s a lot of good stuff in “Let’s Move.” But we’re going to need you all, as I said. We’re going to need you all to help us get this stuff done. But know that we’re doing this all for you. We care so much about your future, we really do. We’re proud of every single one of you. You’re like our kids. And sometimes it may not feel that way because somebody is lecturing you trying to eat food that you don’t want to eat.
But we want you all to pursue your dreams, and we know all of you have big dreams. How many people here want to be a doctor? How many people here want to be a lawyer? How many people here want to be President of the United States? (Applause.) And that’s the good news, right? You all obviously have some big dreams, right? Well, in order to achieve those dreams, you’ve got to be healthy. And you’ve got to feel good physically and you’ve got to feel good about yourselves, right? And you won’t do that if you’re not eating right and getting good exercise.
And it’s our job as a community, as a nation, to make sure you have all the resources that you need to make it happen. So we’re going to start getting moving. You all promise that you will help me with this, because I’m going to be checking in. (Applause.) You think I’m not going to check in. And you have to help each other. Do you realize that? You’ve got to help your teachers help you. You’ve got to check in on your teachers. The teachers have to check in on you. You all have to check in on your parents. You’ve got to get your parents working. Your parents have to check in on the mayor, make sure the mayor is doing his job. We all have to check in on the governor — (laughter) — make sure that — because he’s promised me he’s going to get moving. (Laughter.)
And if we’re all working together, you all, all of you at Brinkley and all these other schools, we can get this done, right? And then you will be President of the United States, and maybe if you’re lucky you’ll be the First Spouse, like me. (Laughter.)
But thank you all. We’re proud of you and let’s get moving. Thanks so much. (Applause.)
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release March 3, 2010
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON HEALTH CARE REFORM
East Room
1:50 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much, all of you, for joining us today. And I want to thank Julie, Barbara, Roland, Stephen, Renee, and Christopher, standing behind me — physicians, physicians assistants, and nurses who understand how important it is for us to make much needed changes in our health care system.
I want to thank all of you who are here today. I want to specially recognize two people who have been working tirelessly on that — on this effort, my Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius — (applause) — as well as our quarterback for health reform out of the White House, Nancy-Ann DeParle. (Applause.)
We began our push to reform health insurance last March, in this room, with doctors and nurses who know the system best. And so it’s fitting to be joined by all of you as we bring this journey to a close.
Last Thursday, I spent seven hours at a summit where Democrats and Republicans engaged in a public and very substantive discussion about health care. This meeting capped off a debate that began with a similar summit nearly one year ago. And since then, every idea has been put on the table. Every argument has been made. Everything there is to say about health care has been said — (laughter) — and just about everybody has said it. (Laughter.) So now is the time to make a decision about how to finally reform health care so that it works, not just for the insurance companies, but for America’s families and America’s businesses.
Now, where both sides say they agree is that the status quo is not working for the American people. Health insurance is becoming more expensive by the day. Families can’t afford it. Businesses can’t afford it. The federal government can’t afford it. Smaller businesses and individuals who don’t get coverage at work are squeezed especially hard. And insurance companies freely ration health care based on who’s sick and who’s healthy; who can pay and who can’t. That’s the status quo. That’s the system we have right now.
Democrats and Republicans agree that this is a serious problem for America. And we agree that if we do nothing — if we throw up our hands and walk away — it’s a problem that will only grow worse. Nobody disputes that. More Americans will lose their family’s health insurance if they switch jobs or lose their job. More small businesses will be forced to choose between health care and hiring. More insurance companies will deny people coverage who have preexisting conditions, or they’ll drop people’s coverage when they get sick and need it most. And the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid will sink our government deeper and deeper and deeper into debt. On all of this we agree.
So the question is, what do we do about it?
On one end of the spectrum, there are some who’ve suggested scrapping our system of private insurance and replacing it with a government-run health care system. And though many other countries have such a system, in America it would be neither practical nor realistic.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are those, and this includes most Republicans in Congress, who believe the answer is to loosen regulations on the insurance industry — whether it’s state consumer protections or minimum standards for the kind of insurance they can sell. The argument is, is that that will somehow lower costs. I disagree with that approach. I’m concerned that this would only give the insurance industry even freer rein to raise premiums and deny care.
So I don’t believe we should give government bureaucrats or insurance company bureaucrats more control over health care in America. I believe it’s time to give the American people more control over their health care and their health insurance. I don’t believe we can afford to leave life-and-death decisions about health care to the discretion of insurance company executives alone. I believe that doctors and nurses and physician assistants like the ones in this room should be free to decide what’s best for their patients. (Applause.)
Now, the proposal I put forward gives Americans more control over their health insurance and their health care by holding insurance companies more accountable. It builds on the current system where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. I can tell you as the father of two young girls, I would not want any plan that interferes with the relationship between a family and their doctor.
Essentially, my proposal would change three things about the current health care system. First, it would end the worst practices of insurance companies. No longer would they be able to deny your coverage because of a preexisting condition. No longer would they be able to drop your coverage because you got sick. No longer would they be able to force you to pay unlimited amounts of money out of your own pocket. No longer would they be able to arbitrarily and massively raise premiums like Anthem Blue Cross recently tried to do in California — up to 39 percent increases in one year in the individual market. Those practices would end.
Second, my proposal would give uninsured individuals and small business owners the same kind of choice of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves — because if it’s good enough for members of Congress, it’s good enough for the people who pay their salaries. (Applause.)
The reason federal employees get a good deal on health insurance is that we all participate in an insurance market where insurance companies give better coverage and better rates, because they get more customers. It’s an idea that many Republicans have embraced in the past, before politics intruded.
And my proposal says that if you still can’t afford the insurance in this new marketplace, even though it’s going to provide better deals for people than they can get right now in the individual marketplace, then we’ll offer you tax credits to do so — tax credits that add up to the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history. After all, the wealthiest among us can already buy the best insurance there is, and the least well off are able to get coverage through Medicaid. So it’s the middle class that gets squeezed, and that’s who we have to help.
Now, it is absolutely true that all of this will cost some money — about $100 billion per year. But most of this comes from the nearly $2 trillion a year that America already spends on health care — but a lot of it is not spent wisely. A lot of that money is being wasted or spent badly. So within this plan, we’re going to make sure the dollars we spend go towards making insurance more affordable and more secure. We’re going to eliminate wasteful taxpayer subsidies that currently go to insurance and pharmaceutical companies; set a new fee on insurance companies that stand to gain a lot of money and a lot of profits as millions of Americans are able to buy insurance; and we’re going to make sure that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share on Medicare.
The bottom line is our proposal is paid for. And all the new money generated in this plan goes back to small businesses and middle-class families who can’t afford health insurance. It would also lower prescription drug prices for seniors. And it would help train new doctors and nurses and physician assistants to provide care for American families.
Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for millions — families, businesses, and the federal government. We have now incorporated most of the serious ideas from across the political spectrum about how to contain the rising cost of health care — ideas that go after the waste and abuse in our system, especially in programs like Medicare. But we do this while protecting Medicare benefits, and extending the financial stability of the program by nearly a decade.
Our cost-cutting measures mirror most of the proposals in the current Senate bill, which reduces most people’s premiums and brings down our deficit by up to a trillion dollars over the next two decades — brings down our deficit. Those aren’t my numbers; those are the savings determined by the Congressional Budget Office, which is the Washington acronym for the nonpartisan, independent referee of Congress in terms of how much stuff costs. (Laughter.)
So that’s our proposal. This is where we’ve ended up. It’s an approach that has been debated and changed and I believe improved over the last year. It incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans — including some of the ideas that Republicans offered during the health care summit, like funding state grants on medical malpractice reform, and curbing waste and fraud and abuse in the health care system. My proposal also gets rid of many of the provisions that had no place in health care reform — provisions that were more about winning individual votes in Congress than improving health care for all Americans.
Now, despite all that we agree on and all the Republican ideas we’ve incorporated, many — probably most — Republicans in Congress just have a fundamental disagreement over whether we should have more or less oversight of insurance companies. And if they truly believe that less regulation would lead to higher quality, more affordable health insurance, then they should vote against the proposal I’ve put forward.
Now, some also believe that we should, instead of doing what I’m proposing, pursue a piecemeal approach to health insurance reform, where we tinker around the edges of this challenge for the next few years. Even those who acknowledge the problem of the uninsured say we just can’t afford to help them right now — which is why the Republican proposal only covers 3 million uninsured Americans while we cover over 31 million.
The problem with that approach is that unless everyone has access to affordable coverage, you can’t prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions; you can’t limit the amount families are forced to pay out of their own pockets. The insurance reforms rest on everybody having access to coverage. And you also don’t do anything about the fact that taxpayers currently end up subsidizing the uninsured when they’re forced to go to the emergency room for care, to the tune of about a thousand bucks per family. You can’t get those savings if those people are still going to the emergency room. So the fact is, health reform only works if you take care of all of these problems at once.
Now, both during and after last week’s summit, Republicans in Congress insisted that the only acceptable course on health care reform is to start over. But given these honest and substantial differences between the parties about the need to regulate the insurance industry and the need to help millions of middle-class families get insurance, I don’t see how another year of negotiations would help.
Moreover, the insurance companies aren’t starting over. They’re continuing to raise premiums and deny coverage as we speak. For us to start over now could simply lead to delay that could last for another decade, or even more. The American people, and the U.S. economy, just can’t wait that long. So, no matter which approach you favor, I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform. (Applause.)
We have debated this issue thoroughly, not just for the past year but for decades. Reform has already passed the House with a majority. It has already passed the Senate with a supermajority of 60 votes. And now it deserves the same kind of up or down vote that was cast on welfare reform, that was cast on the Children’s Health Insurance Program, that was used for COBRA health coverage for the unemployed, and, by the way, for both Bush tax cuts — all of which had to pass Congress with nothing more than a simple majority.
I, therefore, ask leaders in both houses of Congress to finish their work and schedule a vote in the next few weeks. From now until then, I will do everything in my power to make the case for reform. (Applause.) And I urge every American who wants this reform to make their voice heard as well — every family, every business, every patient, every doctor, every nurse, every physician’s assistant. Make your voice heard.
This has been a long and wrenching debate. It has stoked great passions among the American people and their representatives. And that’s because health care is a difficult issue. It is a complicated issue. If it was easy, it would have been solved long ago. As all of you know from experience, health care can literally be an issue of life or death. And as a result, it easily lends itself to demagoguery and political gamesmanship, and misrepresentation and misunderstanding.
But that’s not an excuse for those of us who were sent here to lead. That’s not an excuse for us to walk away. We can’t just give up because the politics are hard. I know there’s been a fascination, bordering on obsession, in this media town about what passing health insurance reform would mean for the next election and the one after that. How will this play? What will happen with the polls? I will leave it to others to sift through the politics, because that’s not what this is about. That’s not why we’re here.
This is about what reform would mean for the mother with breast cancer whose insurance company will finally have to pay for her chemotherapy. This is about what reform would mean for the small business owner who will no longer have to choose between hiring more workers or offering coverage to the employees she has. This is about what reform would mean for middle-class families who will be able to afford health insurance for the very first time in their lives and get a regular checkup once in a while, and have some security about their children if they get sick.
This is about what reform would mean for all those men and women I’ve met over the last few years who’ve been brave enough to share their stories. When we started our push for reform last year, I talked to a young mother in Wisconsin named Laura Klitzka. She has two young children. She thought she had beaten her breast cancer but then later discovered it had spread to her bones. She and her husband were working and had insurance, but their medical bills still landed them in debt. And now she spends time worrying about that debt when all she wants to do is spend time with her children and focus on getting well.
This should not happen in the United States of America. And it doesn’t have to. (Applause.)
In the end, that’s what this debate is about. It’s about what kind of country we want to be. It’s about the millions of lives that would be touched and, in some cases, saved by making private health insurance more secure and more affordable.
So at stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem. The American people want to know if it’s still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. They are waiting for us to act. They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership. I do not know how this plays politically, but I know it’s right. (Applause.) And so I ask Congress to finish its work, and I look forward to signing this reform into law.
Thank you very much, everybody. Let’s get it done. (Applause.)