WASHINGTON–President Obama on Wednesday called for Democrats to pass health care with the controversial legislative manuever known as reconciliation. That means in the Senate a simple majority, 51 votes would be needed instead of a filibuster-proof 60 votes and the Democrats could move a bill without needing any GOP support.
Patricia Murphy over at PoliticsDaily.com explains how reconciliation tactics could work. Read her report here.
NOTE: THIS REPLACES A VERSION THAT WAS POSTED IN ERROR
Democratic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias appeared before the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board on Wednesday morning to talk about his role as a loan officer in the troubled family-owned Broadway Bank. GOP rival Rep. Mark Steven Kirk is making the bank a central issue in the campaign. The story by Chicago Sun-Times political writer Abdon Pallasch is here. Giannoulias is also meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board this morning.
The Giannoulias campaign on Wednesday morning sent out a release taking note of Giannoulias meetings at the two papers and the launching of a website named TruthAboutAlexi.com, to” fight the lies being circulated by Republicans and their surrogates.”
Democratic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias appeared before the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board on Wednesday morning to talk about his role as a loan officer in the troubled family-owned Broadway Bank. He took blame for making too many real estate loans and said the bank may fail. GOP rival Rep. Mark Steven Kirk is making the bank a central issue in the campaign. The story by Chicago Sun-Times political writer Abdon Pallasch is here. Giannoulias is also meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board this morning.
WASHINGTON–The Rahmologists get another fix on Wednesday, this time via a story in the New Republic by Noam Scheiber about White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel titled, “The Chief. You think it’s so great being Rahm Emanuel?“
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.
WASHINGTON–While it looks like President Obama will not get a free standing consumer financial products safety commission, the Senate at least is poised to fold it into the Federal Reserve. Americans for Financial Reform–led by former Chicagoan Heather Booth–worked with the comedy teams over at Funny or Die to enlist a cadre of Saturday Night Live current and former actors–who portray living and dead presidents–in a funny skit about the need for Congress to pass financial reform legislation. The cast, in a historic reunion, includes Will Ferrell, Chevy Chase, Ron Howard, Jim Carrey, Fred Armisen, Darrell Hammond, Dan Aykroyd, Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey and Antonio Scarlata.
WASHINGTON–Last year President Obama signed an executive order creating a task force on Puerto Rico’s status. The group is meeting in San Juan on Wednesday.
Click below for opening statement from the Justice Department
Below, from the White House….
OPENING STATEMENT AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY BY ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM PERRELLI, CO-CHAIR OF THE PRESIDENT’S TASK FORCE ON PUERTO RICO’S STATUS
SAN JUAN, P.R.
Good morning and welcome to the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status field hearing in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My name is Tom Perrelli, and I am the Associate Attorney General at the Department of Justice. But I am here today in my role as co-chair for the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status. And as co-chair, I am honored to be here with all of you.
This is a momentous occasion. A group of senior-level federal officials has never before come to Puerto Rico to listen to the Puerto Rican people in their home – to listen to the concerns of the people here, to listen to what is important to them, and to listen to suggestions they have for the federal government. In fact, I think an event like this is long overdue, and I speak for the entire task force when I say that we are all very honored to be part of this historic trip, and enthusiastic about a chance to talk and engage with you. This visit is an important first step, but still just a step in the process of working together to make real progress in many different areas that impact the lives of Puerto Ricans.
Now let me say a few words on the status issue – something that I know is very important to all of Puerto Rico and that you all care about very deeply and passionately. I know the President strongly believes that the status question is a significant one. He also believes that Puerto Rico’s status must be based on self-determination by the people of Puerto Rico. And we on the Task Force have come here with open minds and neutrality on this issue. I think that point merits repeating: we on the Task Force have come here with open minds and neutrality on this issue.
I view today’s hearing as a listening session for the federal officials here. We are going to spend today listening to you and hearing what you think the federal government can and should be doing to work with the people of Puerto Rico. We need this listening session – this is a new Administration in Washington that wants to engage with you, and we know that the first step is having an opportunity to hear from many of you.
We are starting today’s program with a roundtable of participants who are knowledgeable community leaders and academics. We hope to have a dialogue with them about substantive ideas regarding the different issues laid out in President Obama’s Executive Order. Later this afternoon, we will have a public hearing during which all of you in the audience will be able to address the task force directly. We are going to do our best to hear as many people and as many perspectives as possible – but I do want to point out that for anyone who does not get the chance, there is an email address on the bottom of your ticket, and it is [email protected]. Please, if your voice is not heard today, make sure it is hear by those of us returning to Washington. We need to hear from you.
So again, thank you for welcoming us, and thank you in advance for what I hope will be an honest and constructive dialogue. We hope to come away with many ideas that we, working with you, can turn into concrete and specific policies and recommendations for the President and Congress.
Thank you.
###/
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 30, 2009
EXECUTIVE ORDER
——————————–
AMENDMENTS TO EXECUTIVE ORDERS 13183 AND 13494:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 40 U.S.C. 101, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Executive Order 13183 of December 23, 2000, as amended, is further amended as follows:
(a) The preamble is amended by deleting “, includingPublic Law 106-346.”
(b) Section 1 is amended by adding the following sentence after the second sentence: “It is also the policy of the executive branch to improve the treatment of Puerto Rico in Federal programs and to promote job creation, education, health care, clean energy, and economic development on the islands.”
(c) Section 3 is amended by deleting the second, third, and fourth sentences and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “The Task Force shall ensure official attention to and facilitate action on matters related to proposals for Puerto Rico’s status and provide advice and recommendations on such matters to the President and the Congress. The Task Force shall also identify and promote existing Federal initiatives that benefit Puerto Rico; provide advice and recommendations to
the President and the Congress on the treatment of Puerto Rico in Federal programs; and provide advice and recommendations to the President and the Congress on policies and initiatives that promote job creation, education, health care, clean energy, and economic development on the islands.”
(d) Section 4 is amended by deleting the first sentence and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “The Task Force shall submit to the President a report on the actions it has taken to perform the functions set forth in section 3 no later than 1 year from the date of this order. The Task Force shall also report to the President, as appropriate, on other matters relating to the Task Force’s responsibilities under this order.
Sec. 2. In furtherance of the policy set forth in section 1 of Executive Order 13494 of January 30, 2009, section 3 of that order is amended to read as follows: “Sec. 3. Contracting departments and agencies shall treat as allowable costs incurred in maintaining satisfactory relations between the contractor and its employees (other than the costs of any activities undertaken to persuade employees to exercise or not to exercise, or concerning the manner of exercising, the right to organize and bargain collectively), including costs of labor management committees, employee publications, and other related activities. See 48 C.F.R. 31.205-21.”
Sec. 3. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 30, 2009.
# # #
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, awaiting trial this summer on federal corruption charges, and in the meantime appearing on “Celebrity Apprentice,” appeared at Northwestern University on Tuesday to talk about ethics. He was invited by a Northwestern student who is part of the Young Democrats club. Here is the report by my Sun-Times colleague Natasha Korecki on how Blagojevich was greeted with laughs and boos–and told the kids he never cheated in school.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the First Lady
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release March 2, 2010
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
AT READ ACROSS AMERICA EVENT
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
11:35 A.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: All right, are you guys ready for one more?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: Are you with us?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: All right. Let me ask a question. How many of you are readers? That’s a good thing, because you know how important reading is. You know the President of the United States reads all the time, and we make sure that our girls at home read every single night? How many people have an extra — longer time for bed because they can read? That’s good. In our house, you can read — you can stay up for 30 minutes longer as long as you’re reading. And because of that, everyone reads every night. (Laughter.)
And the other reason why reading is important — you know, if you learn how to read, you can pretty much do anything. I mean, you’ll be able to write better, you’ll be able to think better, and you’ll be able to imagine anything. So reading now is really important, all right? So you guys are going to keep your reading up?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: All right. Well, we’re going to read “The Cat in the Hat.” Yes, yes, one of my favorites. How many people like “The Cat in the Hat”? All right, so you guys are going to help me out here because if you’re like me, you know all the words to “The Cat in the Hat.” So just jump in, okay? Are we ready?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
(Mrs. Obama begins to read “The Cat in the Hat.”)
MRS. OBAMA: Now, would you let a strange cat come into your house?
AUDIENCE: No.
MRS. OBAMA: I don’t know about this. Do you think this is a good idea?
AUDIENCE: No.
MRS. OBAMA: Oh, let’s see.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Hmm, what do you think of that? How many mothers — of your mothers would mind? Oh, I think a few more would mind. (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
I think I agree with the fish. (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Oh, now the fish is going to get it. (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Oh, this is terrible!
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
This is not going to end well. Let’s see.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Oh, what do you think of this? Is this a good idea?
AUDIENCE: No.
MRS. OBAMA: I don’t think so. Let’s see what happens. He’s doing more.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
What a mess, what a mess.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
You all should listen to your fish. (Laughter.) It’s the moral of this story.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Is the cat going to leave?
AUDIENCE: No.
MRS. OBAMA: No.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
It’s another game. What do you think he’s going to do?
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
MRS. OBAMA: What do you think is in that box?
AUDIENCE: Thing 1 and Thing 2.
MRS. OBAMA: All right, we’re going to try not to ruin the ending for anyone here. (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Now, would you touch these things?
AUDIENCE: No.
MRS. OBAMA: I don’t know about the touching of things. They’re touching them, oh my goodness.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
All right, what’s going to happen?
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
All right, who do you agree with: the things or the fish?
AUDIENCE: Fish.
MRS. OBAMA: How many people agree with the things and the cat? I knew there were some of you out there. (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
How many people are allowed to fly kites in their house? None? (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Oh, now, see, that’s a problem. (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Oh, man, I would not like this, I have to say.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
We have some mothers here. What are you all thinking? (Laughter.)
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
She’s coming. What should they do? Think quick!
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Uh oh, what are they going to do?
AUDIENCE: Net!
MRS. OBAMA: All right, there’s the net.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
What do you think? Is he going to get them?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: All right, let’s see.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
How is the cat feeling?
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
AUDIENCE: Sad.
MRS. OBAMA: A little guilty, a little sad. Look at his sad little face.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
Do you think you guys could pick this up by yourselves, this mess?
AUDIENCE: No.
MRS. OBAMA: How many people’s rooms look like this? (Laughter.) Oh, we got a few. You got to clean it up. You need the Cat in the Hat.
(Mrs. Obama continues reading.)
I guess that’s pretty good. If you go over to somebody’s house and make a mess, what should you do?
AUDIENCE: Clean it up.
MRS. OBAMA: You should help them clean it up. And then maybe you’ll get invited back. (Laughter.) All right?
(Mrs. Obama finishes reading “The Cat in the Hat.”)
What would you do? How many people would tell her? I would tell. (Laughter.) Always tell your parents the truth. (Laughter.) Let’s say that together: “Always tell your parents the truth.” Very good lesson. And we’re done. (Applause.)
MR. VAN ROEKEL: And now we have something very, very special. What’s the name of the book that Mrs. Obama just read?
AUDIENCE: “Cat in the Hat.”
MR. VAN ROEKEL: And who did the Cat in the Hat bring in the big red box?
AUDIENCE: Thing 1 and Thing 2.
MR. VAN ROEKEL: Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Oh, not yet. (Laughter.) But before I have my special guests — don’t you like it when the teacher corrects the teacher? I have something very special I need you to do. I need you to take the oath. Can you raise your right hand? Your right one — the other right one. And now I want you to say after me nice and loud so you can all — everyone can hear you.
(Mr. Van Roekel administers the Reader’s Oath.)
All right, give yourselves a hand. What a nice job you did. (Applause.)
And now I would like to ask Secretary Duncan to ask you a few questions.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: Well, actually, I’m going to turn it around, and I think you might have a few questions for the First Lady. So we have time for a couple of questions. Who would like to raise their hand and ask the First Lady a question about anything? And if you could stand up, please, so we can hear you, and be nice and loud? Okay, maybe say your name and ask your question.
Q I’m Elena (ph). What’s your favorite book?
MRS. OBAMA: Oh, I have so many — all of the Dr. Seuss books, all right. And “Horton Hatches The Egg” is actually my favorite kids book, but our whole house — one of our favorite books is “Where the Wild Things Are.” Have you all read that? Did you see the movie — “roared his terrible roar”? That’s one of the President’s favorite kids books.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: Can we go in the back, back here, the young gentleman in the green?
Q Mrs. Obama?
MRS. OBAMA: Yes?
Q My name is (inaudible), and I was wondering, how does it feel like being in the President’s — I mean, the Oval Office?
MRS. OBAMA: Yes, you know, the surprising thing is that it’s smaller than it looks on TV, you know? I thought it was going to be this big room. I thought it was as big as this room. It’s not. It’s smaller. It is an oval shape — yes, it’s shaped like an oval.
But it’s pretty. It makes you feel very proud, right, because you think of all the other people, all the other Presidents and all the other families who served in that office, how many people sat at that desk, and the kinds of important things that they made happen. And to think that you could be a part of that history, that one day in decades to come somebody is going to be talking about the time that the Obama family was in the White House — so it makes us feel like we’ve got to take our responsibilities seriously and do good things while we’re there so that we don’t embarrass our mothers. (Laughter.)]
SECRETARY DUNCAN: Let’s do two more. We’ll do these two up front.
Q Mrs. Obama, what’s your favorite thing to do?
MRS. OBAMA: Oh, my favorite thing to do is cuddling with my girls, snuggling up when it’s cold — and maybe reading. But one of the things that we like to do is that when they come home from school they come and we sit on the couch. And then you know who comes and sits on us? Bo. (Laughter.) Yes, he comes right up and lays all over us with his ball and he’s sort of drooling. And it’s all of us sitting on the couch and Bo. And it’s fun. So that’s one of the things I like to do.
But I also like to read, I like to play sports, I like to play tennis. I like to go to my kids’ activities, go to their basketball games. I love to travel, love to see new places. So I have a lot of things that I love to do.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: Last one right here.
Q What’s your favorite place in the White House?
MRS. OBAMA: My favorite place? That’s a good question. You know, there is — when you look on the South Lawn, which is like the backyard, you see a balcony and it’s called the Truman Balcony. And you can see — it’s a beautiful place to sit, you can see all of Washington. You can see the monument and at night when it’s lit up it’s really pretty. And you can see the fountain. And it’s quiet. And in the spring you smell the flowers, and there are birds flying around, and it’s really peaceful. And that’s one of my favorite places to sit when it’s warm. We don’t sit out there when it’s cold. So we can’t wait until it warms up so that we can sit out there.
And we can also see visitors at the gate sometimes. And sometimes I think they sort of kind of see us, because you see them waving and you try to wave back, but it’s kind of far. (Laughter.) And then when the President comes out they make everybody leave. But that’s one of my favorite places.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: Thank you, guys. That’s all the time we have, but those were great, great questions. Thank you so much.
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, guys. You guys — just first of all, you all were very good listeners, right? I mean, you guys did a great job. And your parents and your school and your teachers should be very proud of you all today. So thank you for being so patient.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: Can we have another round of applause for the First Lady, and thank her for coming out today? (Applause.)
END 11:57 A.M. EST
WASHINGTON–Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), under ethics probes, announced Wednesday morning that he will take a leave of absence as chairman until the House ethics committee finish its investigation.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2010
DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2010
In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press.
In the afternoon, the President will deliver remarks about moving forward into the final stage of the health insurance reform debate. He will reiterate why reform is so crucial and what it will mean for American families and businesses: they will have more control over their own health care, they will see lower costs, and they will see an end to insurance company abuses. The President will note that his proposal includes the best ideas from both parties, and he will restate his preference for a comprehensive bill that will reduce premiums and end discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. The President will urge Congress to move swiftly toward votes on this legislation. This event is open press.
Later, the President will meet with the National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans Bobby Barrera, who will present the President with an award for his work on Advance Appropriations. The President will later meet with Commander of the American Legion Clarence Hill to discuss his veterans and wounded warrior policy agenda for the year. These meetings are closed press.
In the evening, the President will host a reception for Members of Congress in the Blue Room to thank them for their efforts to restore statutory pay-as-you-go. The Vice President will also attend. This event is closed press. A list of Members of Congress attending the reception will be released tomorrow afternoon.
Also tomorrow at 1:00PM EST, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will join other top Administration officials in hosting a Clean Energy Economy Forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with business and community leaders as well as state and local officials from across the country. The discussion will focus on opportunities to create jobs, expand business opportunities, and drive innovation and economic development by building more efficient, more livable communities. The Administration officials will also reiterate the need for a comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will help America transition to a clean energy economy, create millions of jobs and enhance America’s competitiveness. This event is open press (Pre-set 12:30PM – Final Gather 12:45PM – Stakeout Location). It will also be streamed live online at www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.
In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: CBS
Print: MediaNews
Radio: NPR
Travel Photo: TIME
EST
9:30AM Pool Call Time
9:45AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:30AM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press
1:45PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on health care reform
East Room
Open Press (Pre-set 12:45PM – Final Gather 1:15PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
3:05PM THE PRESIDENT meets with National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans Bobby Barrera
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:35PM THE PRESIDENT meets with American Legion Commander Clarence Hill
Oval Office
Closed Press
5:30PM THE PRESIDENT hosts reception for Members of Congress to thank them for their efforts to restore statutory pay-as-you-go
Blue Room
Closed Press
##
WASHINGTON–Illinois Democratic Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias will face the editorial boards of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday to answer questions about his connections to his family-owned troubled Broadway Bank.
Giannoulias, the state treasurer, has to factor into his campaign the potential for the bank to fail in the coming weeks as his GOP rival Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.), makes the Giannoulias tenure at the bank as a loan officer a central part of his campaign. On Tuesday, the Kirk campaign sent out a memo titled, “Mounting questions surrounding Alexi Giannoulias’ risky lending practices take center stage in Illinois Senate race.”
My Chicago Sun-Times colleague Abdon Pallasch points out that Giannoulias has been answering questions about the “the loans for four years, ever since his first run for office. Never gleefully or enthusiastically. He often tries to beg off questions by noting he has not been at the bank in four years. But over the years, when pressed, he has admitted he made loans to mobsters and said if he had known they were mobsters he would not have made the loans. Watch video of Giannnoulias answering questions in December before the Sun-Times editorial board at the bottom of the Pallasch report.
WASHINGTON–White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel huddled with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon, I’ve learned. Emanuel met with congressional leaders in advance of President Obama on Wednesday unveiling his latest health care push, to come at 1:45 p.m. eastern time in the East Room of the White House. Emanuel also met with Pelosi in her office on Friday.
Obama on Tuesday sent a letter to GOP and Democratic House and Senate leaders telling them he will back four GOP ideas offered at the bipartisan summit he organized last week at the Blair House. Obama and the Democrats are moving forward without GOP backing, but do want to be in the position of saying they are folding Republican concepts in the bill-which has not yet been finalized.
Here’s guidance from the White House on the Wednesday event:
Tomorrow afternoon at the White House, the President will deliver remarks about moving forward into the final stage of the health insurance reform debate. He’ll reiterate why reform is so crucial and what it will mean for American families and businesses: they’ll have more control over their own health care, they’ll see lower costs , and they’ll see an end to insurance company abuses. He’ll note that his proposal includes the best ideas from both parties, and he’ll restate his preference for a comprehensive bill that will reduce premiums and end discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. He’ll urge Congress to move swiftly toward votes on this legislation.
In the East Room, Obama will be joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will attend and a group of health professionals.
On background, attributable to a White House official, please:
Tomorrow afternoon at the White House, the President will deliver remarks about moving forward into the final stage of the health insurance reform debate. He’ll reiterate why reform is so crucial and what it will mean for American families and businesses: they’ll have more control over their own health care, they’ll see lower costs , and they’ll see an end to insurance company abuses. He’ll note that his proposal includes the best ideas from both parties, and he’ll restate his preference for a comprehensive bill that will reduce premiums and end discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. He’ll urge Congress to move swiftly toward votes on this legislation.
More on the event:
— The President will speak at 1:45 pm in the East Room
— He will be joined by health care professionals from around the country
— Secretary Sebelius will attend as well
— The remarks will be open press
Updated Wednesday with video….
WASHINGT0N–On Sunday, President Obama was told by his doctor after his annual physical to watch his cholestrol. On Tuesday, in Savannah, Ga. Obama stopped at a restaurant for a full plate of Southern cooking. He joked to the press, “I don’t want any
lectures about my cholesterol. Don’t tell Michelle”.
The menu, according to the pool report: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, cream corn, biscuits, corn bread, macaroni salad, turnips, green beans, BBQ pulled pork, blueberry pudding and banana pudding.
–
pool report from AFP’s Tangi QUEMENER
After another motorcade on two cleared highways and a few surface streets dotted
with awestruck onlookers, POTUS made an unscheduled stop at 1:15 PM in lovely
downtown colonial Savannah: brick townhouses, cobbled streets and iron
balconies.
Head of motorcade parked in a back alley as POTUS enjoyed the
Southern cuisine of “Mrs Wilkes’ Dining Room”. Press packed the house as the
president mingled with locals and shook hands
.
He then sat at a table with 8 patrons and Savannah mayor Otis Johnson, and asked
for a “sweet tea”.
Holding a plate of Southern food, POTUS joked to the press: “I don’t want any
lectures about my cholesterol. Don’t tell Michelle”. That of course stems from
the results of his physical last Sunday.
The set menu here includes (brace): fried chicken, mashed potatoes, sweet
potatoes, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, cream corn, biscuits, corn bread,
macaroni salad, turnips, green beans, BBQ pulled pork, blueberry pudding and
banana pudding.
Press shown the way out and holding in vans in the meantime.
It’s raining again. Motorcade rolling at 1:52.
WASHINGTON–Look for Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) getting active on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” issue. On Wednesday, Burris will be at a press conference with other Senators who are taking a lead on gays serving openly in the military: Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Carl Levin, Mark Udall and Kirsten Gillibrand.
_______________________________________
Updated….
below, Wednesday release from Burris…
Senator Roland W. Burris Leads Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy
Joins with Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Carl Levin (D-MI), Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY), Mark Udall (D-CO) to End Discrimination
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Roland W. Burris will unveil sweeping legislation today with four of his Senate colleagues to repeal the seventeen-year old, discriminatory policy banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the United States military.
Senator Burris, a member of both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, will be joined by Senators Lieberman (I-CT), Levin (D-MI), Gillibrand (D-NY), and Udall (D-CO) as they introduce The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill which will establish in the Armed Forces a policy of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation, and will repeal the military’s existing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.
This controversial policy, first established under President Clinton in 1993, prohibits any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation while serving in the military. Since its enactment, nearly 14,000 service members have been discharged under the law and countless others have made the choice not to join the armed services because of the ban.
“For too long, gay and lesbian service members have been forced to conceal their sexual orientation in order to dutifully serve their country. With this bill, we will end this discriminatory policy that grossly undermines the strength of our fighting men and women at home and abroad,” said Senator Burris. “This legislation will ensure that all gay and lesbian soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines can serve their country openly and proudly without the threat of prejudice or discharge.”
The Military Readiness Enhancement Act stipulates that the Department of Defense may not discriminate against current service members, nor may it discriminate against future military recruits, based on sexual orientation. The Act would also prevent discharges based upon a service member’s sexual orientation from the date of enactment, and instructs that any previously discharged service member not be prohibited from re-enlistment. Upon passage, this legislation would allow military leaders a maximum of fifteen months to review and recalibrate internal policies and procedures, after which the repeal would be statutorily enacted.
In recent months, President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen have all indicated their preference to see ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repealed. It is estimated that more than 65,000 gay Americans serve in the military now, and that the United States is home to more than 1,000,000 gay veterans.
Senator Burris has long been a vocal advocate and ally of the LGBT community, and is particularly active on matters of discrimination and civil rights.
Senator Burris was a co-sponsor of the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in October 2009. The law provides a definition of hate crimes, and assists state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies with technical, forensic and other assistance in the investigation or prosecution of violent crimes and hate crimes. Burris has worked with hate crimes enforcement firsthand as a former Attorney General for Illinois, and is a strong supporter of prosecution and prevention of hate crimes.
Burris is also a co-sponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, which necessitates equal treatment in benefits for same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners of individuals employed by the federal government–the largest civilian employer in the nation. The Act was passed in December of 2009 by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, of which Senator Burris is a member.
Full Text of the Military Readiness Enforcement Act of 2010:
http://burris.authoring.senate.gov/dadt.cfm
###
WASHINGTON–Would President Obama be better off if he listened more to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s advice? Are there rifts in the Obama White House? Triggered by two stories in the Washington Post about Emanuel, these questions are hanging out there. The front page above the fold Washington Post on Tuesday was headlined, “Hotheaded Emanuel may be White House voice of reason.” But the latest Emanuel narrative was started on Feb. 21 with a Dana Milbank column, “Why Obama needs Rahm.“
Excerpt from March 2 Washington Post story on Rahm Emanuel:
Hotheaded Emanuel may be White House voice of reason
“But a contrarian narrative is emerging: Emanuel is a force of political reason within the White House and could have helped the administration avoid its current bind if the president had heeded his advice on some of the most sensitive subjects of the year: health-care reform, jobs and trying alleged terrorists in civilian courts.
It is a view propounded by lawmakers and early supporters of President Obama who are frustrated because they think the administration has gone for the perfect at the expense of the plausible.”
Marc Ambinder over at TheAtlantic.com, puts a lot of this together in his analysis, “Rahmology: The Chief Of Staff Seeks Cover.”
Milbank, by the way, said Emanuel was not a source for his column.
The Emanuel “toxic meme,” Dan Froomkin’s take at the Huffington Post: Here’s an excerpt: The latest toxic meme to spread across the pages of my once-beloved Washington Post is that President Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, is the one reasonable man in the White House. […]
But Emanuel is not the would-be savior of this presidency. For one thing, there really isn’t that much daylight between him and his boss, or between him and his top White House colleagues. Had things gone even more his way, it’s possible that he would have squelched a few more of what few bursts of idealism and principle survived Inauguration. But people looking for the reasons why the Obama presidency has not lived up to its promise won’t find the answer amid the minor rifts between key players. Nor will they find the answer in how well or poorly this White House has played the game of politics. The fact is that after a campaign that appealed so successfully to idealism, Obama hired a bunch of saboteurs of hope and change. …
—
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release March 1, 2010
EXECUTIVE ORDER
– – – – – – –
PROVIDING AN ORDER OF SUCCESSION WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of America,
including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as amended,
5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., it is hereby ordered that:
Section 1. Order of Succession.
(a) Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this order,
the following officials of the Department of Defense, in the
order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties
of the office of the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) during any
period in which the Secretary has died, resigned, or otherwise
become unable to perform the functions and duties of the office
of the Secretary, until such time as the Secretary is able to
perform the functions and duties of that office:
(1) Deputy Secretary of Defense;
(2) Secretary of the Army;
(3) Secretary of the Navy;
(4) Secretary of the Air Force;
(5) Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology, and Logistics;
(6) Under Secretary of Defense for Policy;
(7) Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller);
(8) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness;
(9) Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence;
(10) Deputy Chief Management Officer, Department of
Defense;
(11) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics;
more
(OVER)
2
(12) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Policy;
(13) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
(Comptroller);
(14) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness;
(15) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Intelligence;
(16) Director of Defense Research and Engineering;
(17) General Counsel of the Department of Defense,
the Assistant Secretaries of Defense, the
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for
Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense
Programs, the Director of Operational Test and
Evaluation, the Director of Operational Energy
Plans and Programs, and the Director of Cost
Assessment and Program Evaluation;
(18) Under Secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and the
Air Force; and
(19) Assistant Secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and
the Air Force, and General Counsels of the Army,
the Navy, and the Air Force.
(b) Precedence among officers designated within the same
paragraph of subsection (a) shall be determined by the order in
which they have been appointed to such office. Where officers
designated within the same paragraph of subsection (a) have the
same appointment date, precedence shall be determined by the
order in which they have taken the oath to serve in that office.
Sec. 2. Exceptions.
(a) No individual who is serving in an office listed in
section 1 in an acting capacity, by virtue of so serving, shall
act as Secretary pursuant to this order.
(b) No individual listed in section 1 shall act as
Secretary unless that individual was appointed by the President,
by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and that
individual is otherwise eligible to so serve under the Federal
Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as amended.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this order, the
President retains discretion, to the extent permitted by law,
to depart from this order in designating an acting Secretary.
Sec. 3. Revocation. Executive Order 13394 of December 22,
2005 (Providing An Order of Succession Within the Department of
Defense), is hereby revoked.
more
3
Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This order is not intended to,
and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its
officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 1, 2010.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release March 2, 2010
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Savannah Technical College
Savannah, Georgia
12:31 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. (Applause.) Well, thank you so much. Everybody please have a seat, have a seat. Thank you. (Applause.) It is good to be back in Georgia. It is good to be back in Georgia — although where’s the sun, guys? (Laughter.) I was looking forward to —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Fired up!
THE PRESIDENT: I’m still fired up, but we’ve been getting a lot of snow in Washington, D.C., so I was looking forward to maybe 60, 70 degrees. (Laughter.) But I guess I’ll take 50.
I want to, first of all, just make some acknowledgments of some wonderful leaders who are here. First of all, I want to thank President Kathy Love and the entire Savannah Tech community for their hospitality. (Applause.) I want to thank your governor, who I just had a chance to see recently, host him in the White House with the other governors — Mr. Sonny Perdue. (Applause.) Your mayor, Otis Johnson, is in the house. (Applause.) Congressman John Barrow — you’re in his district. (Applause.) That’s right. Congressman Jack Kingston — (applause) — Congressman Sanford Bishop — (applause) — and Congressman Hank Johnson are all in the house. (Applause.)
Well, thank you so much for taking the time to be here today. I really appreciate the opportunity to visit here at Savannah Tech. And I just took a brief tour of some of the classrooms where students are learning about clean energy. They’re learning about solar cells; they’re learning about efficient heating and cooling systems. You’ve got young people here who, through the YouthBuild program, are gaining job skills that will help them the rest of their lives. And by the way, they’re building a house right now while they’re at it. (Applause.)
From the instructors to the students, you saw just an incredible enthusiasm for America’s future. And I was just talking to President Love about the focus of Savannah Tech on clean energy, the idea that this can be a real model for green energy as a way of linking students to the enormous job opportunities and business opportunities that exist in the future. These are the skills that will help our country transform the way we produce and use energy.
And that’s so important — especially as families in Georgia and across America continue to experience the painful consequences of the worst economic crisis that we’ve had in generations.
I had also had a chance to meet with some business owners who told me what I’ve heard time and again, that it’s tough out there. Unemployment in Georgia is still above 10 percent. That doesn’t include folks who have had to accept part-time jobs or, in some cases, have given up finding a job altogether. And when it comes to domestic policy, I have no more important a job as President than seeing to it that every American who wants to work and is able to work can find a job — and a job that pays a living wage. (Applause.) That was my focus last year and that is my focus this year: to lay a foundation for economic growth that will create jobs, that raises incomes, that will foster a secure economic future for middle class families.
This depends on not just spurring hiring, but doing so in the areas that will create lasting opportunities and prosperity. That’s why we’ve invested in roads and railways so that our economy has room to grow and we’re laying the infrastructure for the future. In fact, because of the Recovery Act, there are more than 300 transportation projects underway in Georgia right now. (Applause.)
That’s why we invested in schools and prevented layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and public school workers, including thousands of educators in this state — because we know we will not be able to compete in new industries unless we’ve got workers ready to fill jobs in those industries. And I’d also point out that I’ve proposed the largest-ever investment in community colleges and technical schools like this one, to produce millions more graduates who are ready to meet the demands of a 21st century economy. (Applause.)
And to spur hiring and sustain growth we’ve placed a big emphasis on energy. Just a few weeks ago, I announced a loan guarantee to break ground on the first new nuclear power plant in our country in nearly three decades — a project right here in Georgia — (applause) — right here in Georgia — a project that’s going to create more than 3,000 construction jobs in the next few years and ultimately 800 permanent jobs operating the plant. We’re on track to create 700,000 jobs across America building advanced batteries for hybrid cars, and modernizing our electric grid, and doubling our capacity to generate clean energy.
And, in fact, here at Savannah Tech, the Recovery Act provided a grant to YouthBuild to help provide training in these very fields. (Applause.) Because I’m convinced that the country that leads in clean energy is also going to be the country that leads in the global economy. And I want America to be that nation. I don’t want us to be second place or third place or fourth place when it comes to the new energy technologies; I want us to be in first. (Applause.)
So we have the potential to create millions of jobs in this sector. These are jobs building more fuel-efficient cars and trucks to make us energy independent. These are jobs producing solar panels and erecting wind turbines. These are jobs designing and manufacturing and selling and installing more efficient building materials — because 40 percent of the energy we use is used by our homes and buildings. Think about that. All of us know that we use a lot of gas in our cars. But in terms of energy usage, 40 percent of it goes to our homes and our buildings.
So as we’re looking for additional initiatives to spur hiring, I think we ought to embrace what’s happening on this campus. I think we ought to continue to embrace the incredible potential that awaits us across America in clean energy. So in my State of the Union address, I called on Congress to pass a set of initiatives for homeowners who make their homes more energy-efficient — to continue the energy transformation that’s already begun. So today I want to explain the details of this program. And I also want to thank the members of the House and the Senate who are helping to usher this proposal through Congress.
Now, many of you have heard of “Energy Star” — how many people have heard of “Energy Star”? You’ve seen that “Energy Star” sticker on a computer or on a microwave? The Energy Star program was created to promote energy efficiency by letting consumers know which appliances, which electronics would save electricity and, therefore, would save them money over time. The program I’m describing today applies this concept not to the appliances, but to the home itself — and it takes it further. So we’re going to call it “Homestar,” just to make it easy to remember. (Applause.)
Here’s how it would work. We’d identify the kinds of building supplies and systems that would save folks energy over time. And here’s one of the best things about energy efficiency — it turns out that energy-efficient windows or insulation, those things are products that are almost exclusively manufactured right here in the United States of America. (Applause.) It’s very hard to ship windows from China. (Laughter.) So a lot of these materials are made right here in America.
So we take these materials, and if a homeowner decides to do work on his or her house — to put in new windows, to replace a heating unit, to insulate an attic, to redo a roof — the homeowner would be eligible for a rebate from the store or the contractor for 50 percent of the cost of each upgrade up to $1,500. Now, if you decided to retrofit your whole house to greatly reduce your energy use, you’d be eligible for a rebate of up to $3,000.
Now, these are big incentives. And you’d get these rebates instantly from the hardware store or the contractor. So if you went to Lowe’s or Home Depot or wherever you went, right there when you paid at the cash register you’d get that money. You wouldn’t have to mail in a long form, wait for a check to arrive months later. (Applause.)
Now, we know this will save families as much as several hundred dollars on their utilities. We know it will make our economy less dependent on fossil fuels, helping to protect the planet for future generations. But I want to emphasize that Homestar will also create business and spur hiring up and down the economy.
I was just meeting with a number of business leaders in different segments of this industry. We’ve got some manufacturers making insulation and windows and other products; we’ve got folks who are contractors. So — stand up, guys — the guys I just met with. See, they’re already — they’re ready to work. They’re ready to go. (Applause.) So we were just talking about how they are geared up and they’ve got the capacity to guarantee a homeowner that if they’re willing to do this work on their house, they will get their money back — not just through the rebate but in the energy savings that you’re seeing each year.
Let’s say you decide to use this rebate to seal up and insulate your attic — because you want to save electricity, but also because you’re tired of a drafty house. Think about all the ways in which that will stimulate jobs and growth. If you really knew what you were doing, you might do it yourself, but you’re probably going to have somebody come to the house to carry out the installation work — (laughter) — because you did the smart thing and you refused to let your husband do it himself. (Laughter.) That’s the smart thing. (Applause.) He’ll be stubborn. He’ll tell you he can do it — (laughter) — but don’t listen to him.
So that creates work for small businesses and contractors like some of the folks who are here today. And obviously construction work is — that’s been as hard hit as anything during this recession, so you’ve got a lot of skilled contractors ready to go. And that, in turn, means that the contractors start hiring some of these folks who may have been laid off — some of them may have been trained right here at Savannah Tech. Now, you also have to buy the insulation and the other materials, and that means you’re producing business for your local retailer. And that retailer has to purchase those supplies from manufacturers — as I said, most of them located right here in the United States of America. And I mentioned these domestic manufacturers who are in the crowd, they would benefit — they would benefit from this program. And then there’s this huge amount of capacity — excess capacity — in construction and related industries to meet any surge in demand that was out there.
So the fact is that there’s nearly 25 percent unemployment in the construction industry so far, so construction companies, hardware stores, contractors, manufacturers — they faced a rapid decline in demand in the wake of the mortgage crisis. And to make matters worse, these businesses have seen the same decline in credit that has hurt every sector of our economy.
So these are companies ready to take on new customers; they’re workers eager to do new installations and renovations; factories ready to produce new building supplies. All we’ve got to do is create the incentives to make it happen. And this is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea; this is a common-sense approach that will help jumpstart job creation while making our economy stronger. (Applause.)
Ultimately, that’s what we’re called to do. Just like a responsible homeowner will invest in their homes in the near term to fortify their economic security in the long term, we’ve got to do the same as a country. It will have some costs on the front end — you buy a new boiler, or you get some insulation, or you get some new windows, that’s going to have an initial cost, and the same is true from a government perspective. And it’s going to be politically difficult to do some of this, but it’s what’s right to plan for our future.
The same is true when it comes to reforming our education system. The same is true when it comes to trying to make our health care system more affordable. The same is true when it comes to energy. Each of these things are hard; some of them have some costs on the front end, and working stuff through Congress is more than a notion. (Laughter and applause.) But by taking these steps we’ll help foster the kind of broadly shared growth that will serve us in the years and the decades to come.
That’s how we’ll create the conditions for businesses to expand and hire. That’s how we’ll truly grow our middle class again. That’s how we’ll not only rebuild our economy but we’ll rebuild it stronger than it was before this crisis.
I am confident that we can do it. Savannah Tech is leading the way; a whole bunch of folks in this room are leading the way; and I just hope that Washington stands alongside you in making sure that we’ve got the kind of energy future that we need.
Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
END 12:48 P.M. EST
Below, from the Giannoulias campaign….
March 1, 2010
Giannoulias Continues to Lead in Public Polling
Research 2000 Findings Continue Trend of Surveys Showing Illinois
Democrat Ahead in Race for Senate
To: Interested Parties
From: MichaelBocian,GreenbergQuinlanRosner Jason McGrath, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
Last week’s Research 2000 survey of likely voters in the November election for U.S. Senate in Illinois is another in a series of polls that indicate that Democrat Alexi Giannoulias has a clear advantage in the race for the open Senate seat.
We fully expect this to be a closely contested matchup throughout the year, but Giannoulias starts with the upper hand.
Giannoulias holds a solid 43 – 36 percent lead over Republican Congressman Mark Kirk in the new survey, with a nearly unified base and an even division of Independent voters, who are moving away from Democrats in many other races around the country. Giannoulias even enjoys better standing among voters (including Independent voters) than Kirk, even though Kirk escaped from his primary relatively unscathed, while Giannoulias faced hundreds of thousands of dollars in attack ads.
Table 1: Recent publicly released surveys from the Illinois U.S. Senate race between Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Kirk (Percent responding)
This survey comes on the heels of a number of others in recent weeks that show the Democrat with a real advantage over Kirk. A Public Policy Polling survey from late January showed Giannoulias with an 8-point, 42 – 34 percent lead. Our own survey last month indicated a 49 – 45 percent lead for Giannoulias (this survey asked undecided voters which candidate they leaned towards supporting, resulting in a lower undecided figure).
While polls are just a snapshot of a race, the last several weeks have provided observers with a small photo album of data to indicate that Alexi Giannoulias holds a very real lead over Mark Kirk.
1 Research 2000 survey conducted February 22-24, 2010 among 600 likely voters. This survey includes a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval. 2 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research survey conducted February 9-14, 2010 among 600 likely voters. This survey includes a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval.
3 Public Policy Polling survey conducted January 22-25, 2010 among 1,062 likely voters. This survey includes a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval.
Washington, DC Seattle London Buenos Aries www.greenbergresearch.com
Giannoulias – Kirk
2/22 – 2/24 (R2K)1
43 – 36
2/9 – 2/14 (GQR)2
49 – 45
1/22 – 1/25 (PPP)3
42 – 34
Giannoulias Continues to Lead in Public Polling
The Research 2000 survey included a few important pieces of information within the data that are worth noting:
Giannoulias and Kirk are knotted up among Independent voters. This is the bad news for the Kirk campaign. Even in a down year for Democrats, Republicans in Illinois can’t win without a large advantage among Independent voters. The fact that Kirk can only manage a tie is a bad early sign for him. This follows our survey from last month that showed Giannoulias with a wide 58 – 34 percent advantage among voters who consider themselves moderates.
Giannoulias has positive standing across the electorate. Giannoulias is viewed favorably by both men and women, younger voters and older voters, Democrats and Independents. Overall, 49 percent of voters view him favorably and 34 percent view him unfavorably. Even though there was almost no negative advertising against Kirk in the primary, his standing is 42 percent favorable – 35 percent unfavorable, less positive than Giannoulias’.
Barack Obama remains incredibly popular in Illinois. Echoing our findings from February, Barack Obama continues to demonstrate very strong standing with likely voters in his home state. Voters view Obama favorably by 60 – 36 percent. Independents view him favorably by a similar 61 – 35 percent. Clearly, Barack Obama is an asset for Democrats in Illinois this year.
2010 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release March 2, 2010
LETTER TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS ON HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM
Please find attached and below a letter from President Obama to Congressional leaders on moving forward with health insurance reform legislation.
March 2, 2010
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid, Senator McConnell, and Representative Boehner:
Thank you again for the time, energy, and preparation you invested in last Thursday’s bipartisan meeting on health insurance reform. I have always believed that our legislative process works best when both sides can discuss our differences and common goals openly and honestly, and I’m very pleased that our meeting at Blair House offered the American people and their elected representatives a rare opportunity to explore different health reform proposals in extraordinary depth.
The meeting was a good opportunity to move past the usual rhetoric and sound-bites that have come to characterize this debate and identify areas on which we agree and disagree. And one point on which everyone expressed agreement was that the cost of health care is a large and growing problem that, left untended, threatens families, businesses and the solvency of our government itself.
I also left convinced that the Republican and Democratic approaches to health care have more in common than most people think.
For example, we agree on the need to reform our insurance markets. We agree on the idea of allowing small businesses and individuals who lack insurance to join together to increase their purchasing power so they can enjoy greater choices and lower prices. And we agree on the dire need to wring out waste, fraud and abuse and get control of skyrocketing health care costs.
But there were also important areas of disagreement. There was a fundamental disagreement about what role the oversight of the health insurance industry should play in reform. I believe we must insist on some common-sense rules of the road to hold insurance companies accountable for the decisions they make to raise premiums and deny coverage. I don’t believe we can afford to leave life-and-death decisions about health care for America’s families to the discretion of insurance company executives alone.
No matter how we move forward, there are at least four policy priorities identified by Republican Members at the meeting that I am exploring. I said throughout this process that I’d continue to draw on the best ideas from both parties, and I’m open to these proposals in that spirit:
1. Although the proposal I released last week included a comprehensive set of initiatives to combat fraud, waste, and abuse, Senator Coburn had an interesting suggestion that we engage medical professionals to conduct random undercover investigations of health care providers that receive reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal programs.
2. My proposal also included a provision from the Senate health reform bill that authorizes funding to states for demonstrations of alternatives to resolving medical malpractice disputes, including health courts. Last Thursday, we discussed the provision in the bills cosponsored by Senators Coburn and Burr and Representatives Ryan and Nunes (S. 1099) that provides a similar program of grants to states for demonstration projects. Senator Enzi offered a similar proposal in a health insurance reform bill he sponsored in the last Congress. As we discussed, my Administration is already moving forward in funding demonstration projects through the Department of Health and Human Services, and Secretary Sebelius will be awarding $23 million for these grants in the near future. However, in order to advance our shared interest in incentivizing states to explore what works in this arena, I am open to including an appropriation of $50 million in my proposal for additional grants. Currently there is only an authorization, which does not guarantee that the grants will be funded.
3. At the meeting, Senator Grassley raised a concern, shared by many Democrats, that Medicaid reimbursements to doctors are inadequate in many states, and that if Medicaid is expanded to cover more people, we should consider increasing doctor reimbursement. I’m open to exploring ways to address this issue in a fiscally responsible manner.
4. Senator Barrasso raised a suggestion that we expand Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). I know many Republicans believe that HSAs, when used in conjunction with high-deductible health plans, are a good vehicle to encourage more cost-consciousness in consumers’ use of health care services. I believe that high-deductible health plans could be offered in the exchange under my proposal, and I’m open to including language to ensure that is clear. This could help to encourage more people to take advantage of HSAs.
There are provisions that were added to the legislation that shouldn’t have been. That’s why my proposal does not include the Medicare Advantage provision, mentioned by Senator McCain at the meeting, which provided transitional extra benefits for Florida and other states. My proposal eliminates those payments, gradually reducing Medicare Advantage payments across the country relative to fee-for service Medicare in an equitable fashion (page 8). My proposal rewards high-quality and high-performing plans.
In addition, my proposal eliminates the Nebraska FMAP provision, replacing it with additional federal financing to all states for the expansion of Medicaid.
Admittedly, there are areas on which Republicans and Democrats don’t agree. While we all believe that reform must be built around our existing private health insurance system, I believe that we must hold the insurance industry to clear rules, so they can’t arbitrarily raise rates or reduce or eliminate coverage. That must be a part of any serious reform to make it work for the many Americans who have insurance coverage today, as well as those who don’t.
I also believe that piecemeal reform is not the best way to effectively reduce premiums, end the exclusion of people with pre-existing conditions or offer Americans the security of knowing that they will never lose coverage, even if they lose or change jobs.
My ideas have been informed by discussions with Republicans and Democrats, doctors and nurses, health care experts, and everyday Americans – not just last Thursday, but over the course of a yearlong dialogue. Both parties agree that the health care status quo is unsustainable. And both should agree that it’s just not an option to walk away from the millions of American families and business owners counting on reform.
After decades of trying, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to making health insurance reform a reality. I look forward to working with you to complete what would be a truly historic achievement.
Sincerely,
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