President Obama Turns Up The Heat On His Health Care Reform Agenda

Tick Tock, the president's Health Care Reform agenda clock is ticking.

Today President Obama turned up the heat as it relates to his Health Care Reform agenda.

He urged Congress to stop playing political games with the lives of American voters and get that bill on his desk.

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi gave him her full support. (Thank you Nancy)

His new target for this legislation is July 31st. Now let's see if Congress both Democrats and Republicans, will be able to work together to help their constituents reduce Health Care costs or still act the fool like they did over his Stimulus Package.

President Obama: "This is a gorgeous day and an encouraging day."

"On health care, as Speaker Pelosi just mentioned, the House is working to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31st, before they head out for the August recess. And that's the kind of urgency and determination that we need to achieve what I believe will be historic legislation."

"As I've said before, and as all Americans know, our health care system is broken. It's unsustainable for families, for businesses. It is unsustainable for the federal government and state governments."

"We've had a lot of discussions in this town about deficits and people across the political spectrum like to throw barbs back and forth about debt and deficits. The fact of the matter is the most significant driver by far of our long-term debt and our long-term deficits is ever-escalating health care costs. And if we don't reform how health care is delivered in this country, then we are not going to be able to get a handle on that."

"Now, in addition to the implications for the federal budget, obviously we're also thinking about the millions of American families out there who are struggling to pay premiums that have doubled over the last decade -- rising four times the rate of their wages -- and 46 million Americans who don't have any health insurance at all."

"In the coming weeks and months, I believe that the House and Senate will be engaged in a difficult issue, and I'm committed to building a transparent process to get this moving. But whatever plans emerge, both from the House and the Senate, I do believe that they've got to uphold three basic principles: first, that the rising cost of health care has to be brought down; second, that Americans have to be able to choose their own doctor and their own plan; and third, all Americans have to have quality, affordable health care."



Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Healthreform.gov, WSJ, LA Times, Youtube