Obama Renews Call for Action on Health Care

The President says the failure of health insurance reform legislation will endanger the middle class and the nation's overall finances

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Continuing his campaign for health insurance reform, President Barack Obama argued to the American public on Wednesday, July 22, that inaction on the issue poses a grave danger to the middle class and to the nation's overall finances.

"Let me be clear: If we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day," Obama said. "These are the consequences of inaction. These are the stakes of the debate we're having right now." The President held a prime-time press conference as part of his invigorated campaign over the last two weeks to get health-care legislation passed by Congress and to his desk by yearend.

The fourth Presidential news conference came one day after Obama marked his six-month anniversary in office and at a time when polls show slipping support for an ambitious, costly revamp of the U.S. medical insurance system.

Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed concern that fast-tracked reform may be faulty and end up costing more than necessary. Others oppose the plan outright. "The last time the President made grand promises and demanded passage of a bill before it could be reviewed or even read, we ended up with the colossal stimulus failure and unemployment near 10%," Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said July 20 in a speech on the Senate floor. "Now the President wants Americans to trust him again. But he can't back up the utopian promises he's making about a government takeover of health care." Conservative Democrats have also been stalling legislation in the House, fighting to minimize costs further and opposing $500 billion worth of taxes on the wealthy that are intended to partially finance the overhaul.

President: Goal Is Deficit Reduction

On Wednesday, however, Obama remained firm that he was not willing to wait long. "I'm rushed because I get letters every day from families who are getting clobbered by health-care costs," he said. "In a country like ours, that's not right."

The President also acknowledged that many Americans are leery of what may be considered "yet another government program" when it comes to his latest legislative project. "What's in this for me? What does my family stand to benefit from health-care reform?" Obama asked rhetorically. His answer? Greater security and stability, he said, insisting that his plan would reorder incentives for medical professionals and ensure affordable coverage while giving preventive care an increased focus. Estimates of the plan he favors, Obama said, indicate that it will provide coverage to at least 97% of Americans.

"Reform is about every American," he said, adding that while the biggest driving force behind the federal deficit is the costs of Medicare and Medicaid, reform will win his support only if it is paid for and deficit-neutral. "Health-care reform is not going to add to that deficit; it's designed to lower it. That's part of the reason why it's so important to do," he said. Americans should be getting "the best bang for our health-care dollar."

David Kendall, a senior fellow at Third Way, a moderate progressive think tank in Washington, says Obama—at least to the general public—has remained out of the legislative fray over the issue so far. The news conference on health-care reform, plus a July 23 visit to the Cleveland Clinic, is part of an effort to engage more visibly. "We have a President who has said that to the far left: No, we're not going to have government health care. And he's said to the right: No, we're not going to let people fend for themselves," Kendall said. "This is about stability for people who are in the middle class who'd like coverage for the most part but would like to see it become better."

Deprez is a reporter for BusinessWeek.