Obama's final health care push: "Everything has been said" (Roundup)

By Chris Cermak Mar 3, 2010, 20:18 GMT

Washington - President Barack Obama on Wednesday declared that the time for talk on controversial health care reforms had come to an end and called on lawmakers to put a comprehensive bill up for a vote in Congress in the next few weeks.

'Everything there is to say about health care has been said and just about everyone has said it,' Obama said in a speech at the White House. 'So now is the time to make a decision.'

After more than a year of divisive debate about health care, Obama made clear that he refused to back down on what has been his top domestic priority since entering office, and which has been largely opposed by conservative Republicans.

'I do not know how this plays politically, but I know it's right,' Obama said of his plan, which costs nearly 1 trillion dollars over 10 years and aims to expand coverage to about 30 million Americans who have no health insurance.

Taking full ownership of the legislation that has been haggled over by lawmakers for the past year, Obama said his proposals would lower insurance premiums for families and businesses, cut the long- term federal budget deficit and end abusive practices by the insurance industry.

Coming after a rare seven-hour health care 'summit' with lawmakers from both political parties last week, Obama insisted the reforms encapsulated ideas from both Republicans and Democrats. He rejected critics who argued the measures were too costly and would place too much regulation on the largely private health insurance industry.

Passing the comprehensive bill still remains a difficult task in a divided Congress, where Republicans are united in opposition and some moderate Democrats have also expressed concerns.

'The sales pitch may be new, but the bill isn't,' Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, said on the chamber's floor on Wednesday. 'The proponents of this plan are still determined to force this distorted vision of health care reform on a public thats overwhelmingly opposed to it.'

Obama rejected conservative calls to start over with the negotiations and adopt a more piecemeal approach. Instead, he challenged opposition Republicans who had insurmountable differences to vote against the health legislation.

The bill would mark the first major overhaul of the massive US health care sector since the 1960s, when government-run insurance plans were created for seniors and the poor.

Differing versions of the latest reforms had already been approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate late last year. But efforts to reconcile the two bills were halted by the shock January election victory of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts, which robbed Democrats of their super majority in the Senate.

Obama made clear that he supported using a controversial procedural manoeuvre in the Senate that would allow the legislation to be passed by a simple majority. He called on the congressional leadership to set a vote in the coming weeks.

'No matter which approach you favour, I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform,' Obama said. 'From now until then, I will do everything in my power to make the case for reform.'

Republicans have warned of - and some Democrats fear - a political backlash in November's midterm congressional elections should the reforms be adopted without broad support.

'History is clear: Big legislation always requires big majorities,' McConnell said. 'And this latest scheme to lure Democrats into switching their votes ... will be met with outrage.'

Obama said he was willing to pay the political consequences for pushing through a bill that has sharply divided the US public.

'I will leave it to others to sift through the politics, because thats not what this is about. Thats not why were here,' Obama said.