President Obama outlined his vision of a 10-year, $900 billion health care plan on Wednesday, challenging Republican critics to drop their "bogus claims" about his proposals and help address the problems of rising medical costs and Americans who lack insurance.
"The time for bickering is over," Obama said. "The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action."
"There are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot get coverage.” Obama went on to claim, While at a presser in Mexico,on 8/10/09 he claimed: “We've got 46-47 million people without health insurance in our country.”
Obama attacked "bogus claims" made about his plan. Calls the allegations of "death panels" nothing more than "a lie, plain and simple." Says it is "false" to claim his plan would provide insurance for illegal immigrants, or would create a "government takeover" of the health care system.
Obama addressed another touchy issue: How to pay for his plan. He pledged not to add a single pennyto the deficit. Says he will seek spending cuts in other areas if his health care plan doesn't realize projected savings. That includes saving waste and inefficiency in Medicare, Assures seniors their Medicare benefits will not be cut, attributing "scary stories" from those who "have fought against Medicare in the past, and just this year supported a budget that would have essentially turned Medicare into a privatized voucher program."
The bottom line financially: Around $900 billion over 10 years -- "less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans that Congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration."
Obama pledges to work with Republicans -- but also issues them a warning: "I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it ... If you misrepresent what's in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now."
"The time for bickering is over," Obama said. "The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action."
"There are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot get coverage.” Obama went on to claim, While at a presser in Mexico,on 8/10/09 he claimed: “We've got 46-47 million people without health insurance in our country.”
Obama attacked "bogus claims" made about his plan. Calls the allegations of "death panels" nothing more than "a lie, plain and simple." Says it is "false" to claim his plan would provide insurance for illegal immigrants, or would create a "government takeover" of the health care system.
Obama addressed another touchy issue: How to pay for his plan. He pledged not to add a single pennyto the deficit. Says he will seek spending cuts in other areas if his health care plan doesn't realize projected savings. That includes saving waste and inefficiency in Medicare, Assures seniors their Medicare benefits will not be cut, attributing "scary stories" from those who "have fought against Medicare in the past, and just this year supported a budget that would have essentially turned Medicare into a privatized voucher program."
The bottom line financially: Around $900 billion over 10 years -- "less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans that Congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration."
Obama pledges to work with Republicans -- but also issues them a warning: "I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it ... If you misrepresent what's in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now."
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