Obama Blog

House passes health bill, on to Senate

2009-11-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

With the passage of the House version of the health care reform bill passing last night, the issue now moves to the Senate, which must pass its own version.

Since it is expected that the Republicans will try to filibuster the senate bill, there are two ways that the Democrats can beat a filibuster.

The most common method would be a vote for cloture to stop debate on the legislation, which requires 60 votes. There are 58 Republicans and two Independents, but one of the latter, Joe Lieberman, has said that he will support a filibuster. Not known whether any Republicans will break ranks. Olympia Snowe from Maine is probably the best bet although she has said she doesn't support an opt-out public option. The other senator from Maine, Susan Collins, is another possible crossover Republican. She's known to be quite moderate and pragmatic.

If the Democrats do not have enough votes for cloture, there is parliamentary procedure that can allow them to force a vote with a simple majority of the 100 senators, i.e., 51 votes. A move of this type was used to pass the Civil Rights Act.

If a senate bill should pass, the two houses of Congress will then work to reconcile the two versions and a final vote will be taken.

Were the Tuesday elections a sign of things to come?

2009-11-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

Did last night's election indicate problems for Obama and the Democrats ahead in 2010?

That's what one reads quite a bit about in the press today. However, we should note that the exit polls did not actually link Obama to the failed gubernatorial campaigns of Democratic candidates in New Jersey and Virginia.

Indeed, the exit polls showed that Obama still has a favorable rating among those who voted on Tuesday.

I'm not trying to downplay the difficulties for Democrats that the elections may have been demonstrated by the Democratic losses.

The polls right now just are not indicating any apocalypse for Democrats in 2010, at least not at the congressional level. In fact, the current polls even indicate that the Democrats could increase their majority in the Senate. And there is nothing in the House polls to suggest with any confidence that the Democrats are looking at a net loss there either.

And the Democrats did have some good news on Tuesday. They gained a House seat in upstate New York due to some bloody infighting between conservative and moderate factions in the Republican Party. This split was probably more important than the actual victory, although the winner Bill Owens will be able to help Obama with his agenda for at least a year. John Garamendi also easily won the other House race in California.

While much analysis still has to be done, I think that probably traditional Democratic laziness and low turnout may have sunk Corzine in New Jersey, while in Virginia, the Republican seemed to simply be a superior opponent in state that can easily swing either way.

Still yesterday should be a wakeup call for Democrats. In order to move voters the way they did during the Obama campaign, they need to reproduce the same energy and work. They cannot expect that everything is going to go their way with the Republicans in some kind of permanent retreat mode.

Election seen as test for Obama

2009-11-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's elections are seen as sort of a test for the Obama administration and the Democrats in general. Such an expectation on the small number of races may not be totally valid, but we will probably see things spun in this direction.

President Barack Obama is taking no chances and he has appeared on behalf of New Jersey governor Jon Corzine who is facing a tough Republican opponent. In New York, things turned positively for the Democrats when the Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava dropped out of a special House seat race and endorsed her Democratic opponent Bill Owens.

House unveils health reform bill

2009-10-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the new House health care reform bill today. The plan includes a "government option," which is a new name for what has been called the public option.

The plan may cost more than $1 trillion over the next decade but it is actually expected to reduce the overall budget deficit, even more so in the decade after that.

Pelosi said the insurance plan "covers 96 percent of all Americans, and it puts affordable coverage in reach for millions of uninsured and underinsured families, lowering health care costs for all of us."

Sen. Reid announces Senate bill including public option

2009-10-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Sen. Harry Reid announced today that the Senate health care reform bill will include an "opt out" public option.

According to this proposal, states will have one year after the health bill is fully implemented in 2013 to opt out of the public option part of the reform package.

Reid said the bill was to be sent to the Congressional Budget Office later in the day on Monday. After the cost analysis of the bill, a vote will take place. The Republicans could attempt a filibuster, but Democrat Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. said that his party is very close to having the 60 votes needed to overturn such a move. Last Thursday, Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) said that the Democrats have enough votes to block a filibuster, a move known as cloture.

Yes, Obama has time for climate change

2009-10-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

The ABC News article Climate Concerns: Is President Obama's Plate Too Full? asks a question that seems a little too easy to answer from my perspective. Not to bash on author Huma Khan as this question has been popping up quite a bit in the media lately.

The simple fact is for anyone who believes the majority of scientists commissioned by the UN or working at major universities, the only answer to the question of whether Obama has time for climate change is 'doh, yes!' Now, if you believe in a small minority of scientists, most of whom have have been shown to be on the payroll of energy companies, who say humans cannot do anything about global warming, then maybe such a question reasonably exists.

But Obama does not belong to that minority of people on this globe. He has clearly stated that he fully accepts the threats posed by climate change, and the ability of humanity to do something tangible in combating those threats.

Now, the climate change threat is not something that will only effect tiny island nations out in the Pacific. Most U.S. cities are located in areas that will feel the impact of rising sea levels. The entire Gulf coast and the Eastern seaboard are all under threat of an increase in the number and intensity of tropical storms that are fed by warming oceans. Indeed, there is no spot on earth that will not suffer some types of serious problems when normal climate patterns change.

So, the question is sort of like asking FDR during WWII, "We're pretty busy with Japan, do we really have the time to deal with Hitler and the Nazis?"

Yes, the president is going to be very busy mainly due to having inherited so many problems from the previous administration, but in no way can he afford to put climate change on the back burner.

Senate committee approves heathcare reform bill

2009-10-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Senate Finance Committee passed its version of the healthcare reform bill that was widely opposed by Republicans despite not even containing the contentious public option found in all other versions of the bill passed by both the House and Senate. Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican, voted for the bill.

The Senate will not work to merge all versions of the bill -- a process that could be done in a few days. However, it is not certain that a plan that includes a public option will avoid a filibuster by opponents. It takes a vote of at least 60 senators to overturn a filibuster.

Even if President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies cannot beat a filibuster they have another strategy that they can pull out as a last resort. A parliamentary move allows them to avoid a filibuster and pass a bill with only 51 votes.

Obama bags Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in a decision that surprised many including the president himself.

Obama accepted the award despite the calls of many that he should turn down the prize. "I will accept this award as a call to action," he said.

Some have called the prize an award for "good intentions," but I think that it also has a lot to do with his moves on a nuclear-free world.

Obama to meet with Congress on Afghan war

2009-10-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

One of President Barack Obama's most difficult problems is the war in Afghanistan. During the campaign, Obama pledged to wind down efforts in Iraq and focus more on combating terrorism in Afghanistan.

The war in Afghanistan though is not popular with the people or many in his own party, and many believe the war has no clear objectives or end game strategy.

America has been fighting in Afghanistan for eight years with no one able to say when troops will be able to leave the country. As in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan seems to be one in which whatever "stability" exists in the country appears dependent on a large scale presence of U.S. troops.

There are many who believe that regardless of whether the U.S. pulls out now or decades from now, there will still be a violent struggle for power in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama celebrate 17th anniverary

2009-10-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, celebrated their 17th anniversary at a dinner in Washington on Saturday night.

The first couple ate at the Blue Duck Tavern in Washington's West End.

The Obamas married at the Trinity Church of Christ in Chicago on Oct. 3, 1992.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, walk to the Blueduck Tavern, in West End area of Washington, Saturday, Oct 3, 2009. The first couple is celebrating their seventeenth wedding anniversary Saturday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The Obamas on their wedding day.

Obama to lobby for Chicago's Olympic bid

2009-10-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama will make a pitch in support of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey lobbied for Chicago, which is competing with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

Obama will travel to Copenhagen, Denmark to woo the 101 Olympic delegates that will choose the 2016 host city.

Senate bill proposes 20 percent cut in greenhouse emissions

2009-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

The Senate looks ready to pass a climate bill with deeper cuts than those proposed in the House version. The new energy and climate legislation will seek a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

Co-sponsors Sen. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) will announce the bill on Wednesday according to congressional sources. The proposal comes after countries like Japan and China,at the G-20 conference, suggested they were willing to make deep cuts of their own .

Reduction of greenhouse emissions is not necessarily a negative for the economy as many suggest. Indeed, so long as an equally vigorous effort is directed at developing cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, the shift can be economically beneficial instead.

One controversial feature of the Senate bill is the inclusion of incentives for new nuclear power plant building. This concession will not likely please a good portion of green energy activists who believe that nuclear power, while not a carbon-emitting technology, is still not "clean" or sustainable.

A lot of wheeling and dealing is expected to occur during the negotiations to reconcile the two versions.

Many environmentalists expressed satisfaction with the Senate proposal ahead of climate hange talks schedule two months from now in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Tweet you senators to pass healthcare reform now!

2009-09-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

To help President Obama push through healthcare reform, you can send a tweet message to your senators from barackobama.com by simply entering in your zip code:

http://www.barackobama.com/twitter/tweetyoursenator/

In this message you can voice your support for timely passage of a reform bill.

Barack Obama addresses UN General Assembly

2009-09-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama spoke before the United Nations General Assembly today saying that he was ready for a new relationship between nations.

Obama outlined his principles for this new relationship:

Disarmament and non-proliferation.
Peace and security.
Preservation of our planet.
World economy that offers opportunity for everybody.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi spoke for about an hour on various subjects and also praised Obama, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called a renewal of the spirit of unity between nations -- a spirit in which the UN was created.

Obama hits Sunday morning talk shows

2009-09-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama appeared in five morning talk shows on Sunday in an unprecedented and all-out effort to push his healthcare reform package.

Personally I think that there should be some taxes raised on the wealthy and the medical industry to cover a future reform program. Just look at what happened to the Social Security Sytem. But the president continues to insist on a program that will survive by simply saving costs on the current system.

Things always look possible on paper, but its better to have something flexible, like a tax rate, that will be there if things don't turn out as intended.

Obama explains missile defense decision

2009-09-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama explains why he canceled the missile shield plan for eastern Europe.

The missile shield was supposedly to protect Poland and neighboring companies from Iranian missiles, but it was causing a lot of friction with Russia.

There will still be a defense system against the unlikely possibility that Iran should launch a ballistic missile at Europe. This system will be more based on sea using current interceptors to shoot down short range missiles.

Obama notes rise in number of healthcare uninsured

2009-09-13T18:01:00.001-07:00

President Barack Obama mentioned Census figures and other surveys that the number of uninsured has swelled by 6 million people over the last 12 months. The number of adults who receive workplace insurance has also dropped.

He also mentioned that having insurance is not very ensuring any more, since you can be dropped at any time if you're considered too much of a cost-risk.

Obama said that if a healthcare package is passed, he would "own" it and accept responsibility if medical costs did not come under control, or the problem of the uninsured was not solved. He said he was open to managing medical malpractice suits, a key Republican issue, but indications are that he is not that receptive to the idea.

The president said that we are not the first generation to take up the issue of healthcare reform, but he hopes that we will be the last.

Democrats rally behind Obama

2009-09-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama's address to Congress last night on health care appears to have unified most of the Democratic Party behind him, and has really ignited his grassroots base.

The White House today also released a letter to the president by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy just shortly before his death on Aug. 25. This is firing up Obama supporters even more. Kennedy came out strongly for Obama during the election campaign and had been one of his strongest supporters during his first year as president. The text of the letter is appended below:

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Dear Mr President,
I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me – and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth.
On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life.
You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.
When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the president who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society. For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me – and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination.
There will be struggles – there always have been – and they are already under way again. But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat – that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.
And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family's health will never again depend on the amount of a family's wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfil the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.
In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign – and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young president who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young president inspires another generation and once more on America's behalf inspires the entire world.
So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend – and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become.
At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on.
And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.
With deep respect and abiding affection,
(Ted)

Obama addresses students at start of school year

2009-09-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama helped kick off the school year with a message to students across the nation. The broadcast message had caused controversy among some conservatives who claimed the president was trying to politically influence young minds. Obama spoke to a student audience at a high school gymnasium in a Washington suburb.

Obama urged kids to stay and school and to take their studies very seriously.

Van Jones resigns

2009-09-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Oabma administration suffered a big blow today when green jobs czar Van Jones resigned today under increasing pressure from Republicans.

Jones was attacked by conservatives for statements he made against Republicans and for signing a petition in 2004 that questioned whether George W. Bush allowed 9-11 to occur to help start a war in the Middle East.

"I have been inundated with calls -- from across the political spectrum -- urging me to 'stay and fight.' But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future," Jones said in a statement announcing his resignation.

MiamiHerald.com

Obama Aide Van Jones Resigns After GOP Attacks NBC Washington

Van Jones Resigns As White House Advisor CBS News

Obama to appear on GMA before address

2009-09-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama will appear on Good Morning America in an interview with Robin Roberts on Wednesday, the day he gives an address on health reform before Congress.

Roberts will reportedly talk to Obama mainly on the subject of education. Roberts was the first to interview Obama after he became president.

In related news, Fox still hasn't confirmed that it will broadcast Obama's address. ABC, CBS and NBC will all be televising the prime time event. Fox also failed to air Obama's last prime time address in July.

Obama to take greater role, address Congress

2009-09-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama will address Congress on the subject of health reform on Sept. 9.

Obama's strategy was to let Congress come up with a plan on their own, not wishing to repeat the mistakes of the Clinton administration, which attempted to push a plan through Congress. However, many heath reform supporters are unclear as to exactly what Obama wants and they want him to take more of the lead on crafting a bill.

Congress resumes session next week and is expected to immediately take up the health reform debate.

Public option lives on

2009-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

I've been reading for several months now how the public option was toast, roadkill, dead in the water, etc. Yet, in reality, the public option hasn't really gone anywhere.

Health care reform really will not mean anything without a public option or something rather identical. You need something that gives the uninsured an affordable or free option and also offers something for people who are underinsured.

There are two of the big health care problems. The uninsured drive up rates by using emergency rooms for their health needs. These emergency room costs are passed on to all consumers. Underinsured folk are now the leading statistic among people declaring bankruptcy. Their medical costs are driving them into insolvency. The number of underinsured people has been rising at an alarming rate. As they go down financially, they help drag the general economy down with them.

A public option could also help bring down overall medical costs just by providing more competition. Currently, health care costs are threatening to shut down retirement plans including the largest plan of them all -- Social Security and Medicare.

Without a public option, we're not likely to see any major change in the economic situation soon. There's too much tied into the health care system. There's at least as much tied into the health care system as was linked to the real estate market, and we saw what happened when that sector collapsed.

Democrats invoke Kennedy in health care push

2009-08-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

The late Sen. Ted Kennedy was as strong a supporter of universal health care as there was in Congress. In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Kennedy implicitly made known his dying wish was to pass health reform. He asked the governor to appoint someone temporarily in his place to take part in the voting for Obama's health bill.

Democratic groups, politicians and activists have been using rallies, email, social networking sites and everything else available to get this message across -- to honor Kennedy by passing health reform.

Kennedy's niece, Maria Shriver says her uncle's death may provide the impetus needed to push health reform through Congress. Expect Kennedy's name to be invoked quite often when Congress resumes session in September.

Obama eulogizes Ted Kennedy

2009-08-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama gave a moving eulogy for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy at today's funeral mass in Boston, Massachusetts.

Obama again called Kennedy the 'greatest senator of our times," but said that the tears shed for the senator were more for his personal qualities rather than his legislation.

Others at the mass also gave moving eulogies including his son's Teddy Jr. and Patrick. Kennedy was laid to rest as the sun set at Arlington National Cemetery near his brothers, John and Bobby.

Sen. Ted Kennedy's sons, Ted Kennedy Jr. and Patrick Kennedy, speak about their memories of their father.