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[Barack Obama] "It will break him."

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:59:05 PDT

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

Last week, Republican Senator Jim DeMint made it pretty clear why the opponents of health care reform are fighting so hard. As he told a special interest attack group, "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." Here's how the President responded:

Think about that. This isn't about me. This isn't about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America's families, breaking America's businesses and breaking America's economy. And we can't afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care. Not this time, not now. There are too many lives and livelihoods at stake.

With Congress only days away from finalizing their plans for reform, it's time to stand up with the President and fight back against this disastrous brand of old-style politics. So we need as many people as possible to publicly support the President's principles for health care reform and call on Congress to act.

Before the first full votes in Congress, we'll publish the signatures in newspaper ads across the nation, to make sure your voice is heard.

Watch President Obama's full response, then add your name in support of reform. Or if you've already signed, please forward this message to every one of your friends and neighbors so they can join you.

The President is more dedicated than ever to passing health care reform that satisfies the three requirements he's been talking about for months: Health care reform must reduce costs, guarantee choice -- including the choice of a strong public insurance option -- and ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care.

If we do not reform our broken health care system this year, we will only shackle future generations with spiraling costs and deteriorating care. The cost of inaction is simply more than this country can afford.

But the special interests who profit from the status quo won't go down without a fight. The ads, the smears, and the attacks -- targeting both President Obama and members of Congress who support reform -- will only get worse. So it's crucial that we show huge backing before Congress finalizes their plans this month.

Stand with President Obama on health care reform.

Thanks for standing up for change.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

[Barack Obama] "Not this time."

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:29:39 PDT

Now, we've talked this problem to death, year after year. But unless we act -- and act now -- none of this will change. Just a quick statistic I heard about this hospital: Just a few years ago, there were approximately 50,000 people coming into the emergency room. Now they've got 85,000. There's been almost a doubling of emergency room care in a relatively short span of time, which is putting enormous strains on the system as a whole. That's the status quo, and it's only going to get worse.

If we do nothing, then families will spend more and more of their income for less and less care. The number of people who lose their insurance because they've lost or changed jobs will continue to grow. More children will be denied coverage on account of asthma or a heart condition. Jobs will be lost, take-home pay will be lower, businesses will shutter, and we will continue to waste hundreds of billions of dollars on insurance company boondoggles and inefficiencies that add to our financial burdens without making us any healthier.

So the need for reform is urgent and it is indisputable. No one denies that we're on an unsustainable path. We all know there are more efficient ways of doing it. We just -- I spoke to the chief information officer here at the hospital and he talked about some wonderful ways in which we could potentially gather up electronic medical records and information for every child not just that comes to this hospital but in the entire region, and how much money could be saved and how the health of these kids could be improved. But it requires an investment.

Now, there are some in this town who are content to perpetuate the status quo, are in fact fighting reform on behalf of powerful special interests. There are others who recognize the problem, but believe -- or perhaps, hope -- that we can put off the hard work of insurance reform for another day, another year, another decade.

... We can't afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care. Not this time. Not now.
... Now, we always knew that passing health care reform wouldn't be easy. We always knew that doing what is right would be hard. There's just a tendency towards inertia in this town. I understand that as well as anybody. But we're a country that chooses the harder right over the easier wrong. That's what we have to do this time. We have to do that once more.

Read the President's full remarks . . .

[Barack Obama] A Week of Action

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:13:11 PDT

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

Organizing for America volunteers have done amazing work over the last couple weeks -- and the pressure is working. Congress is moving rapidly toward finalizing health care reform legislation, with crucial votes expected in both the House and the Senate within days. With so much at stake -- and the D.C. lobbyists going into overdrive -- we have to take our grassroots campaign to the next level.

So we're announcing the Health Care Reform Week of Action. All this week, OFA volunteers like you will be knocking on doors, making calls to neighbors, and attending public events to build the local support for health care reform we need to pass a strong final bill. If you can spare an hour or two for health care reform, this is the week to do it.

Find and sign up for a Health Care Reform Week of Action event near you.
Things are moving quickly in Washington. Key committees in both the House and Senate have passed early versions of the bill that reflect the President's principles for real health care reform. We're making progress in large part because legislators are hearing from Americans who have waited far too long for reform.

But the opposition also knows how crucial this week is. That's why they're spending as much as $1.4 million every single day sending high-powered lobbyists around D.C. to hold back reform. Our best weapon against these insider tactics is publicly demonstrating support back home -- exactly what this week's actions are designed to do.

So please join us for the Health Care Reform Week of Action. As we get closer to final votes in Washington, we need to keep pounding the pavement, hitting the phones, and reaching out to the public every way we can.

Find and RSVP for an event near you at.

Hope to see you out there,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

[Barack Obama] President to Hold Prime Time Press Conference Wednesday at 9PM EDT

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:07:13 PDT

On Friday afternoon, the White House announced via Twitter that the President will be holding a prime time press conference this Wednesday at 9:00 PM Eastern.

[Barack Obama] Open Thread

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:01:22 PDT

[Barack Obama] Weekly Address: Health Care Reform Cannot Wait

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:57:32 PDT

This is what the debate in Congress is all about: Whether we’ll keep talking and tinkering and letting this problem fester as more families and businesses go under, and more Americans lose their coverage. Or whether we’ll seize this opportunity – one we might not have again for generations – and finally pass health insurance reform this year, in 2009.
Now we know there are those who will oppose reform no matter what. We know the same special interests and their agents in Congress will make the same old arguments, and use the same scare tactics that have stopped reform before because they profit from this relentless escalation in health care costs.
...The good news is that people who know the system best are rallying to the cause of change. Just this past week, the American Nurses Association, representing millions of nurses across America, and the American Medical Association, representing doctors across our nation, announced their support because they’ve seen first-hand the need for health insurance reform.

They know we cannot continue to cling to health industry practices that are bankrupting families, and undermining American businesses, large and small. They know we cannot let special interests and partisan politics stand in the way of reform – not this time around.

The opponents of health insurance reform would have us do nothing. But think about what doing nothing, in the face of ever increasing costs, will do to you and your family.

So today, I am urging the House and the Senate, Democrats and Republicans, to seize this opportunity, and vote for reform that gives the American people the best care at the lowest cost; that reins in insurance companies, strengthens businesses and finally gives families the choices they need and the security they deserve.

[Barack Obama] LIVE: President Obama to Speak on Health Care

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:46:31 PDT

The President is expected to deliver an update on the ongoing health care reform efforts shortly. You can watch live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

[Barack Obama] "Small Businesses Need Health Care Reform"

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:59:28 PDT

Dan Hannaher, 56, is from Fargo, ND. He employs 22 at his office furnishings business, Hannaher’s, Inc. and served as chairman of North Dakota’s state Democratic Party from 1995 to 1997. We asked him if you would write a guest post for the OFA blog the importance of health care reform to small businesses, and he graciously agreed to.

I’ve operated a small family business in Fargo, North Dakota, for over 30 years. We help people work more effectively by providing quality office environments to businesses throughout eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. For years, I’ve taken pride in being able to provide my employees with good, substantial health insurance.

Lots of people think health care is a just a question of dollars and cents for a business owner like me. But they’re wrong; it’s so much more than that. Health care is the foundation of the employee/employer relationship – it’s a way for me to demonstrate my commitment to my staff and the value they provide. I want to be able to ensure that the people who work for me, and their families, are taken care of and have what they need.

We’re blessed with great health care providers who are highly skilled and caring. Their quality is top notch. But the ways in which we insure affordable access to these systems of care is fractured. Promises to control costs keep coming up short. In the last five years, our health insurance costs have gone up 50 percent! My employees are paying higher premiums for fewer services, and coupled with the economic recession our firm can't bear any more rate increases in the employer share of our pact.

President Obama’s commitment to health care reform is one of the reasons why I supported his candidacy, and it’s the reason I’m working with Organizing for America now. My business and my employees literally can’t afford to wait another year for health care reform.

On Thursday, Dan participated in a press conference call about the importance of health care reform to small businesses (listen to an audio recording of the call).

[Barack Obama] "Why I walk and call"

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:17:30 PDT

Earlier today, OFA had a chance to send out a unique message from a special guest sender:

I'm Patricia, from Hallandale Beach, Florida (just a little north of Miami). Like you, I support President Obama, and I want to help his agenda become a reality.

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I'm luckier than many -- I have insurance. But when I had to stop working because of the chemo, I could no longer afford my rapidly increasing health care insurance premiums. I went through my entire retirement savings, then had to start taking out loans from my bank to keep up. Now, with my credit drying up, I'm scared that I'll lose my home and my insurance.

This shouldn't happen in America. A bad diagnosis shouldn't have to mean that everything you've worked so hard to save, and all the plans you've made, are suddenly gone.

So that's why I'm working for real health care reform. Because no one should have to feel the anguish and fear I've felt constantly these last two years. Because this crisis needs to end -- and because I know that will only happen if each of us does our part.

Today, I'm asking you to join me and volunteer with Organizing for America. OFA volunteers are out there every day, talking to our neighbors, organizing community events, and doing everything we can to build the public awareness and support we'll need to pass reform this year.

Will you sign up to join a Health Care Canvass or Phonebank in your area this week?
As the President said on election night last November, "This victory alone is not the change we seek -- it is only the chance to make that change."

We all did a lot to get to this point, but now the real work truly begins. Just yesterday, a key Senate committee passed a strong health care bill, and earlier this week the House released legislation that reflects President Obama's principles for reform. We can't let up now.

So this week, I'll be contacting my neighbors, asking them to declare their support for the President's core principles of reform and then contact their representatives in Congress.

If you join me, and others all around the country do the same, our voices will be louder than the special interests and lobbyists who have preserved this awful system for so many years.

Please join me, and sign up today for a Health Care Canvass or Phonebank in your area.
Thank you for reading my story and considering my request,

Patricia

Patricia L.
Organizing for America Volunteer
Hallandale Beach, FL

P.S. -- If you can't make it to any events in your area, don't worry. You can still use Organizing for America's Neighbor to Neighbor tool to call folks near you.

[Barack Obama] Faces of Health Care Reform: Kristine

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:17:31 PDT

[Barack Obama] President Obama Speaks on Health Care Reform

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:49:51 PDT

The President is scheduled to speak on health care reform today at 1:05 PM Easter. You can watch live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATED: Here are the President's full remarks, as prepared for delivery:

I’m pleased to be joined today by representatives from the American Nurses Association on behalf of the 2.9 million registered nurses in America – men and women who know as well as anyone the urgent need for health reform.

I should disclose right off the bat that I have a long-standing bias towards nurses. When Sasha, our younger daughter, contracted a dangerous case of meningitis when she was just three months old, we were terrified. But it was the nurses who were there with us, explaining what was going on, telling us it would all be okay.

So I know how important nurses are, and the nation does too. Nurses aren’t in health care to get rich; they’re in it to care for us from the time they bring new life into this world to the moment they ease the pain of those who pass from it. If it weren’t for nurses, many Americans in underserved and rural areas would have no access to health care at all.

That’s why it’s safe to say few understand why we have to pass reform as intimately as our nation’s nurses. They see firsthand the heartbreaking cost of our health care crisis. They hear the same stories I’ve heard across this country – of treatment deferred or coverage denied by insurance companies; of insurance premiums and prescriptions that are so expensive they consume a family’s entire budget; of Americans forced to use the emergency room for something as simple as a sore throat just because they can’t afford to see a doctor.

This is a problem we can no longer wait to fix. Deferring reform is nothing more than defending the status quo – and those who would oppose our efforts should take a hard look at just what it is they’re defending. Over the last decade, health insurance premiums have risen three times faster than wages. Deductibles and out-of-pocket costs are skyrocketing. And every single day we wait to act, thousands of Americans lose their insurance, some turning to nurses in the emergency room as their only recourse.

So make no mistake: The status quo on health care is not an option for the United States of America. It is threatening the financial stability of our families, our businesses, and government itself. It is unsustainable.

I know a lot of Americans who are satisfied with their health care right now are wondering what reform would mean for them. Let me be clear: If you like your doctor or health care provider, you can keep them. If you like your health care plan, you can keep that too.

But here’s what else reform will mean for you: you’ll save money. If you lose your job, change your job, or start a new business, you’ll still be able to find quality health insurance you can afford. If you have a preexisting medical condition, no insurance company will be able to deny you coverage. You won’t have to worry about being priced out of the market. You won’t have to worry about one illness leading your family into financial ruin. That’s what reform means.

The naysayers and the cynics still doubt we can do this. But it wasn’t too long ago that those same naysayers doubted that we’d be able to make real progress on health care reform. And thanks to the work of key committees in Congress, we are now closer to the goal of health reform than we have ever been.

Yesterday, the House introduced its health reform proposal. And today, thanks to the unyielding passion and inspiration provided by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and the bold leadership of Senator Chris Dodd, the Senate HELP Committee reached a major milestone by passing a similarly strong proposal for health reform. It’s a plan that was debated for more than 50 hours and includes more than 160 Republican amendments – a hopeful sign of bipartisan support for the final product.

Both proposals will take what’s best about our system today and make it the basis of our system tomorrow – reducing costs, raising quality, and ensuring fair treatment of consumers by the insurance industry. Both include a health insurance exchange, a marketplace that will allow families and small businesses to compare prices, services and quality so they can choose the plan that best suits their needs; and among the choices available would be a public health insurance option that would make health care more affordable by increasing competition, providing more choices, and keeping insurance companies honest. Both proposals will offer stability and security to Americans who have coverage today, and affordable options for Americans who don’t.

This progress should make us hopeful – but it shouldn’t make us complacent. It should instead provide the urgency for both the House and the Senate to finish their critical work on health reform before the August recess.

America’s nurses need us to succeed, and not just on behalf of all the patients they sometimes have to speak up for. If we invest in prevention, nurses won’t have to treat diseases or complications that could’ve been avoided. If we modernize health records, we’ll streamline the paperwork that can take up more than one-third of a nurse’s day, freeing them to spend more time with their patients. If we make their jobs just a little bit easier, we can attract and train the young nurses we need to make up a nursing shortage that’s only getting worse. Nurses do their part every time they check another healthy patient out of the hospital. It’s time for us to do ours.

We’re going to get this done. These nurses are on board. The American people are on board. It’s up to us now. We can do what we’ve done for so long and defer tough decisions for another day – or we can step up and meet our responsibility as leaders. We can look beyond the next news cycle and the next election to the next generation, and come together to build a system that works not just for these nurses, but for the patients they care for; for doctors and hospitals; for families and businesses – and for our very future as a nation.

[Barack Obama] Statement by the President on the Health Care Reform Legislation Introduced in the House Today

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:17:34 PDT

Following the official release of the House health care bill today, President Obama released the following statement:

"For decades, Washington failed to act as health care costs continued to rise, crushing businesses and families and placing an unsustainable burden on governments. But today, key committees in the House of Representatives have engaged in unprecedented cooperation to produce a health care reform proposal that will lower costs, provide better care for patients, and ensure fair treatment of consumers by the insurance industry.

This proposal controls the skyrocketing cost of health care by rooting out waste and fraud and promoting quality and accountability. Its savings of more than $500 billion over 10 years will strengthen Medicare and contribute to our goal of reforming health care in a fiscally responsible way. It will change the incentives in our health care system so that Americans can receive the best care, not the most expensive care. And it will offer families and businesses more choices and more affordable health care.

This proposal will also prevent insurance companies from denying people coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition. It will ensure that workers can still have health insurance if they lose their job, change their job or start a new business. And it includes a health insurance exchange that will allow families and small businesses to compare prices and quality so they can choose the health care plan that best suits their needs. Among the choices that would be available in the exchange would be a public health insurance option that would make health care affordable by increasing competition, providing more choices, and keeping the insurance companies honest.

The House proposal will begin the process of fixing what’s broken about our health care system, reducing costs for all, building on what works, and covering an estimated 97% of all Americans. And by emphasizing prevention and wellness, it will also help improve the quality of health care for every American.

I thank Chairmen Rangel, Waxman, and Miller for their hard work on this bill that fundamentally reforms the health care system. As this process moves forward, I look forward to continuing to work with all House members in ensuring this legislation helps all Americans and plays an essential role in reducing deficits and bringing fiscal sustainability to our nation.”

[Barack Obama] President Obama and You, One-On-One

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:36:01 PDT

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

Every single day, special interests spend a staggering $1.4 million lobbying Congress to shut down the President's agenda for health care reform. To fix our broken system, we'll have to counter big corporate money with a grassroots network of folks like you.

More than 100,000 Americans have now donated to our grassroots campaign for health care reform. Because of that support, volunteers are knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors, health care story ads are on the air, and voters are writing and calling Congress to make their voices heard. We're off to a great start, but as the pressure builds in Washington we need to ramp up our efforts to build support in every corner of the country.

If you make a donation by midnight on Thursday, July 16th to power our health care campaign, you could join President Obama in Chicago so he can thank you in person.

Will you make a donation of $5 or more today, and be entered for the opportunity to meet the President in Chicago?
You'll also be invited to a special Organizing for America strategy briefing to discuss the latest in our campaign for real health care reform.

Your donation will help fund our grassroots campaign for real care reform that reduces costs, guarantees every American the choice of plan and doctor -- including a public insurance option -- and ensures quality care for all.

The chance to make this kind of fundamental change is exactly why we put it all on the line to win last year's election. Now is our moment to deliver the real progress America needs.

Will you make a donation of $5 or more by midnight on Thursday, July 16th to support health care reform, and be entered for the opportunity to join the President in Chicago next week?

Thanks for your support,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

P.S. -- Can't make a donation right now? That's ok, you can sign up here to be entered for the opportunity to meet President Obama in Chicago and join us for a special strategy briefing.

[Barack Obama] Faces of Health Care Reform: "Cesar"

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:33:27 PDT

[Barack Obama] Open Thread

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:44:48 PDT

[Barack Obama] The President's Weekly Address: "Recovery and the Jobs of the Future"

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:38:17 PDT

[Barack Obama] "A crucial week for Sotomayor"

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:10:04 PDT

From Vice-President Joe Biden:

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings begin Monday, and that means we're one step closer to getting her on the Supreme Court.

Since President Obama nominated her back in May, Judge Sotomayor's brilliance and unique legal qualifications have stood strong against fierce scrutiny. Law enforcement officials have praised her tough-mindedness and experience as a prosecutor and trial judge, and just this week she earned the highest possible rating from the American Bar Association. There's no doubt -- the President picked the right person for the job.

Next week, the Senate hearings will once again focus the press on this historic nomination, and those who are desperate to play politics with the President's nominee will see this as their last, best chance. Your support for Judge Sotomayor at this critical step will make a big difference.

Visit Organizing for America's online action center where you can write a letter to a local paper, call your senators, and share the facts with friends and neighbors.

Judge Sotomayor has earned praise from across the political spectrum. Her vast legal experience and commitment to the rule of law, widely recognized brilliance, and common sense understanding of how the law affects our daily lives makes her an outstanding choice for the Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, some people would rather try anything to score political points than debate honestly about the facts. Some people are even trying to say Judge Sotomayor's proud record as a civil rights advocate in the Latino community is evidence of "extremism." Well, there was a time when standing up for the disadvantaged and fighting for equal rights was called extreme -- but now we just call it doing what's right.

Now is the critical moment for us to stand up and fight back against these attacks. Together, we'll make our case to the public, the media, and decision makers in the Senate that the Supreme Court needs a strong defender of justice like Sonia Sotomayor.

Visit our online action center now, and show your support for this great nominee. The action center has all the tools you need to write a letter to the editor, tell your senators why Judge Sotomayor should be our next Supreme Court Justice, and spread the word to everyone you know.

I've been through many confirmation hearings, and believe me, what you say and do right now matters a lot. So please join me in becoming a part of this historic moment for the Court and our country.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor? I can't wait.

Thank you,

Vice President Joe Biden

[Barack Obama] Flu.gov

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:08:11 PDT

The Obama Administration is holding a day-long summit on the H1N1 virus today, and in an effort to encourage flu preparedness, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced a new PSA campaign contest. Participants are encouraged to submit their own 15, 30 or 60 second Public Service Announcement to educate Americans about how to plan for and prevent the spread of the flu and the H1N1 virus.

From WhiteHouse.gov:

The videos can be funny, cute, dramatic, but most of all, they should help make a positive impact. HHS is organizing an expert panel to evaluate submissions and will present the best PSAs to the public so everyone can vote on their favorite submission. The winning PSA will receive $2,500 in cash and will appear on national television. To learn more about the contest details, as well as our larger effort to plan and prepare for the flu season, please go to www.flu.gov. To take a crack at the PSA contest, just post a response to Secretary Sebelius' video below, but skim over the rules first.

You can learn more at Flu.gov.

[Barack Obama] Open Thread: Faces of Health Care Reform

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:02:25 PDT

[Barack Obama] A Critical Time for Health Care Reform

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:16:42 PDT

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

As we speak, key committees in Congress are weighing options and making final decisions about how to tackle health care reform. This could be one of the last opportunities to shape the legislation before it's written.

The behind-the-scenes committee negotiations aren't front-page news, but the lobbyists trying to block reform are following every detail, and they won't miss a day. If the final plan is to uphold President Obama's principles of reduced costs, guaranteed choice -- including the choice of a robust public insurance option -- and quality care for all, your voice must be heard.

Please write a short letter to the editor of your local paper expressing your support for President Obama's three principles for real health care reform, and asking your Congressional representatives to do the same. You can write and submit your letter in just a few minutes using our simple online tool.
These letters are an easy but powerful way to make a difference. The letters section is one of the most-read parts of the newspaper, and decision-makers in Congress and the media watch it closely to gauge where the public stands.

Good letters are usually just two or three short paragraphs. You can just explain that you're a local resident who knows we need real health care reform following the President's three principles, and we need it now. If you have a personal experience with the health care system that motivates you, that will make the letter even more powerful.

The opponents of real reform have deep pockets and insider access, and they're holding nothing back in their drive to derail progress before the plans go public.

Your letter, submitted at this time, can help remind your representatives that the American people are counting on them to stand up to special interests and deliver the comprehensive reform we so desperately need.

http://my.barackobama.com/healthcareletter

Thanks for all that you do,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

P.S. -- These letters are a vital first step. Stay tuned for other critical ways to organize locally and make a difference in this campaign. We can only win this thing if we all work together every step of the way.

[Barack Obama] LIVE: Vice President Biden Makes Health Care Announcement

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:16:10 PDT

Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to make an important announcement on health care today at 10:30 AM Eastern. He will be joing by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance Max Baucus. You can watch the announcment live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

[Barack Obama] The High Costs of Care

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:58:13 PDT

From the Democrats.org blog:

If you’ve listened to President Obama talk about health care reform in the past several weeks, you’ve probably heard him talk about how we should study communities around America that provide better coverage for less and replicate their success. He often talks about the high cost of health care in McAllen, Texas, a town on the Mexican border that has one of the most expensive health care markets in the country.

The June 1st issue of The New Yorker magazine included an article about the soaring costs in McAllen. A few key passages are excepted below – here’s a link to this must read, The Cost Conundrum. The bottom line? More expensive care doesn’t necessarily lead to better health outcomes.

...The explosive trend in American medical costs seems to have occurred here in an especially intense form. Our country’s health care is by far the most expensive in the world. In Washington, the aim of health-care reform is not just to extend medical coverage to everybody but also to bring costs under control. Spending on doctors, hospitals, drugs, and the like now consumes more than one of every six dollars we earn. The financial burden has damaged the global competitiveness of American businesses and bankrupted millions of families, even those with insurance. It’s also devouring our government.

Read the full article . . .

[Barack Obama] Open Thread

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:27:19 PDT

[Barack Obama] "We're in this together"

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:49:30 PDT

Here's a look at more coverage from last week's Health Care Day of Service events:

Residents of Evansville, Indiana, volunteered to help a community health center. The ECHO Community Health Center -- which provides health care to people without insurance, including the homeless -- was in the process of relocating and needed help. Volunteers carried boxes of medical records to the center’s new facility. WTVW FOX Evansville reported:

The local chapter of Organizing for America is helping ECHO Community Health Center move to its new location. Evansville for Change helped with the move as part of OFA's National Health Service Day. The move was from ECHO's former headquarters at 501 John St. to a new facility at 315 Mulberry. A local moving crew transported most of the heavy medical equipment for the new facility. Volunteers loaded and unloaded boxes of medical records... The new facility will be open to the public July 6.

Residents of Central New York provided free rides for people with medical appointments. These organizers provided relief to people who are affected by the changing economy and may by uninsured. The group also put up fliers with information about SCHIP. By providing free rides and raising awareness of health care reform, these organizers helped people get the care they need. News 10 Syracuse reported:

One Central New York group answered President Obama's call for a National Health Care Day of Service by launching a new project in the community.
Organizing for America volunteers from around the region are introducing "Rides for Reform," which will offer free rides to medical appointments for people in need. Organizers hope the program brings more people to their cause of reforming health care.
"If we're going to ask the government to reform health care and do something good for our community here, then we need to do some service that shows we're in this together," said event organizer John DeSantis.
The group will also distribute fliers to let the community know about low-cost children's health care.

Jeff from Columbiana County, Ohio, volunteered at a healthy food drive. Not only did Jeff help feed the hungry, he encouraged preventative care. He felt especially passionate about donating food due to the economic difficulties in Ohio. Along with the other volunteers, he collected food outside several grocery stores, and all food was donated to local food banks. From WYTV ABC Youngstown:

A group of people in Columbiana County wants to make sure everyone can eat right. The group asked for health food donations like pasta and tuna. They organized the food drive to help people in need, and at the same time, promote good nutrition and wellness. Everything collected gets donated to Columbiana County Food Banks.
Jeff Martin, from the Healthy Food Drive, said, "This is National Service Day, and we are working with a group called Organizing for America. Our local food banks are depleted down in this area because of hard economic times and we are just trying to help people out; get some food to the people who need it."
The group collected food at four different locations on Saturday, including Giant Eagles in Salem, Calcutta, and East Liverpool.

Another food drive took place in Savannah, Georgia. Residents of Savannah volunteered for Second Harvest Food Bank, an organization dedicated to providing nutritious food to the hungry. From The Coastal Source:

Savannahians lend a helping hand to Second Harvest Food Bank. Saturday afternoon as part of Citizens for Better Health Day, a food drive was held in front of the Brighter Day health food store on Park Avenue.

Residents could bring any kind of non-perishable food with them and donate it to the Second Harvest Food Bank, who never has any shortage of people looking for food.

"Because of the changing economy, people don't have as much money to spend for food," said Organizing for America volunteer Marie Simpson. "Some people maybe homeless and Second Harvest has a goal to help end hunger and that's what we're hoping to do."

Citizens for Better Health Awareness Day is part of National Health Care Day of Service taking place across the country.

Finally, here's a look at photos from events across the country:

[Barack Obama] Look Back: National Health Care Day of Service

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:52:24 PDT

The group Organizing for America is headquartered only two blocks from the Capitol, but when horse-trading over healthcare legislation intensified there this week, Barack Obama's grass-roots advocacy operation turned its attention away from Washington. [Last weekend], the group recruited thousands of its volunteer members to gather in farmers' markets, rehab clinics, parks, and libraries nationwide as part of a National Health Care Day of Service." -- Boston Globe

While families across the country enjoy this 4th of July weekend, we wanted to take time to look back at the events of last weekend, when supporters across the country took place in a National Health Care Day of Service. Here are just a few of the reports we've gotten back from hosts of last weekend's events:

It was truly fantastic. People came to our booth with food they had picked from their home garden, and others came to the market specifically to shop for the Healthy Food Drive. We ended up with a full pick-up load of fresh food -- vegetables, fruit, and assorted pasta, bread, hand-made tortillas, etc. It's difficult to estimate amount, but some thought we had at least 200 pounds of food. When we showed up at the Food Bank with our load of food, they were awestruck. What I noticed is that throughout the day, the faces and the voices of both volunteers and donors were lit up, both in the giving and the receiving. Some folks, donors and volunteers, asked, "When are we doing this again?" -- Saoirse C-G, Golden, CO

I had a healthy food drive outside of ShopRite. As people walked into the grocery store, we handed them ideas of healthy foods they may want to buy and then at the exit we had a table with baskets to collect food in, information about the Children's Health Insurance Program, information about President Obama's health care plan, and health care declarations to sign...I will definitely host another event like this. It felt great to collect food for people in need in the area. All of my volunteers were super excited and really want to get involved again, so I will definitely get in touch with them and see if I can plan something else. -- Linda M, Warminster, PA

In an email to thousands of event attendees, OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird explained:

Last weekend, you were part of something big.

Americans like you came together across the country -- in community health centers, outside of supermarkets, in local schools -- to serve together and improve health care in your community.

While serving your neighborhoods, you raised your voice and built momentum to finally fix this broken health care system. Thank you for your work.
We can't -- and we won't -- stop now. We've got more work to do to achieve our goal of real health care reform this year, and you'll be an integral part of this effort at every step of the way.

[Barack Obama] An Independence Day Message from the President

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:44:40 PDT

This weekend, our family will join millions of others in celebrating America. We will enjoy the glow of fireworks, the taste of barbeque, and the company of good friends. As we all celebrate this weekend, let's also remember the remarkable story that led to this day.

Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, our nation was born when a courageous group of patriots pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the proposition that all of us were created equal.

Our country began as a unique experiment in liberty -- a bold, evolving quest to achieve a more perfect union. And in every generation, another courageous group of patriots has taken us one step closer to fully realizing the dream our founders enshrined on that great day.

Today, all Americans have a hard-fought birthright to a freedom which enables each of us, no matter our views or background, to help set our nation's course. America's greatness has always depended on her citizens embracing that freedom -- and fulfilling the duty that comes with it.

As free people, we must each take the challenges and opportunities that face this nation as our own. As long as some Americans still must struggle, none of us can be fully content. And as America comes ever closer to achieving the perfect Union our founders dreamed, that triumph -- that pride -- belongs to all of us.

So today is a day to reflect on our independence, and the sacrifice of our troops standing in harm's way to preserve and protect it. It is a day to celebrate all that America is. And today is a time to aspire toward all we can still become.

With very best wishes,

President Barack Obama

July 4th, 2009

P.S. -- Our nation's birthday is also an ideal time to consider serving in your local community. You can find many great ideas for service opportunities near you at http://www.serve.gov.

You can watch the Independence Day celebrations at the White House live online tonight, starting at 6:45 PM Eastern.

[Barack Obama] The President's Weekly Address: On the 4th of July

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:50:15 PDT

[Barack Obama] Open Thread: Life-Size

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:52:36 PDT

[Barack Obama] Message from David Plouffe: "It's a go"

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:33:08 PDT

From David Plouffe:

Earlier in the week, we asked if you thought we should put the experiences of real American families on the air and online to show why we need heath care reform. The overwhelming answer? Yes.

Thanks to your support, we were able to spring into action and share with America the very personal reasons why we cannot afford to miss this one chance to finally reform our health care system.

I want you to be the first to see this powerful ad. It features real people telling their true stories of lost coverage, watching loved ones go without care, and making the case for why we need reform.

Once you watch this, you'll see what we mean about how powerful these personal stories can be -- and why we need to get them on the air right away.

Will you watch the video now, and then donate $25 or more to put it on the air?
As we speak, Congress is rapidly hammering out the details of the health care bill, and getting this message out now is crucial. Our representatives must understand how strongly we feel about the need for real reform -- and that we need it now.

In the next few days, we must decide how many of these ads we can make, where we can air them, and how many views we can guarantee. The more resources we have, the greater the impact we'll be able to make.

So watch this first video, and then please dig deep with a donation of $25 or more so we can get this ad and others like it on the air and online in key areas across the country.

https://donate.barackobama.com/healthcaread

Thanks for making it happen,

David Plouffe

P.S. -- Over 99,000 people have already donated to power our campaign for health care reform. This is the perfect time to join them, and help us hit our big goal of 100,000 donors for health care.

[Barack Obama] Full Video: A National Discussion on Health Care Reform

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:57:03 PDT

Here's the full video of yesterday's online town hall, in which the President answered questions submitted from Americans across the country:

[Barack Obama] Message from Mitch Stewart: "How big could this be?"

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:08:00 PDT

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

Did you see Vice President Biden's email last week, sharing personal health care stories from supporters across the country? Well, the stories have been read millions of times, and the reaction is an overwhelming, "Wow -- we've got to get to work."

It's not surprising -- these stories show the human face of the health care debate and inspire us all to act.

So here's our latest idea: Putting our supporters in coast-to-coast television and online ads, telling their own stories, in their own voice. It could be a breakthrough moment in this debate, when millions of Americans realize how urgent reform really is.

But recording and nationally broadcasting these stories won't be cheap. We can only go forward if you're ready to chip in. So what do you say -- should we do it?

Yes. I think this is a great idea, and I'm ready to contribute so it can happen.

No, I'm not ready to contribute to this plan.

How big could this be? Many experts believe health care reform was defeated in the early 90's by the infamous "Harry and Louise" ads. They featured actors sitting around a fake kitchen table, pretending to be a family that was frightened by reform.

So just imagine if this time around, the debate is shaped by real people, looking us in the eye, telling their actual story, and asking for our help to fix this broken system.

Phony stories helped defeat health care reform in the past. But this time, real stories could be the reason we win.

If enough Organizing for America supporters say yes and then donate the resources we need to pull it off, we'll start filming and distribution right away. So what do you say?

Yes, let's get these real stories on the airwaves. I'm ready to contribute.

No, I don't think this is a good idea or I can't contribute at this time.
We'll keep you posted with the results and what happens next.

Thanks, as always, for making it all possible.

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

[Barack Obama] LIVE: A National Discussion on Health Care Reform

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:47:40 PDT

President will hold a national discussion on health care today through an online town hall meeting at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale. In addition to the live audience, questions will come from online communities such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Senior advisor to President Obama Valerie Jarrett will moderate the town hall.

You can watch the event live at WhiteHouse.gov/live starting at 1:15 Eastern.

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Barack Obama — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:26:29 PDT

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[Barack Obama] On the Ground: Minnesota

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:56:47 PDT

Today, volunteers throughout the Minneapolis area are organizing a series of health care related events -- canvassing, phone banking, and participating in public forums. OFA Minnesota State Director Jenn Brown explained in an email:

The fight to fix our broken health care system is heating up -- and we need your help to make sure all Americans have the care that many have lacked for far too long.

Our opponents have beaten back reform in the past, and they're ready again with seasoned lobbyists and big-money donors. But we've shown them before what our movement is capable of.

This Wednesday, we will show them again. Minnesotans from across the Twin Cities area will knock on doors, call neighbors, speak out at public forums, and build support for the President's principles for health care reform.
...When Americans get together and organize door-by-door, block-by-block, and neighborhood-by-neighborhood, we can build a movement from coast-to-coast. It's how we won a historic election -- and how we'll bring real change to America.

To fix our health care crisis, we need people like you to be part of the solution. With your help, we will prove that not only can we elect a new President -- we can build on that victory to tackle the problems facing Americans every day.

We'll have more info in the coming days on events like these throughout the country. If you live in or around Minneapolis, you can find an event today.

[Barack Obama] Statement from the President on Senator-Elect Al Franken

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:51:27 PDT

In a 5-0 decision, the Minnesota State Supreme Court today declared Al Franken the winner of the state's Senate race. Shortly thereafter, Franken's opponent Norm Coleman officially conceded.

In an official statement, President Obama congratulated Franken, saying:

"I look forward to working with Senator-Elect Franken to build a new foundation for growth and prosperity by lowering health care costs and investing in the kind of clean energy jobs and industries that will help America lead in the 21st century.”

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[Barack Obama] Open Thread

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:59:36 PDT

"The first step we're taking sets new efficiency standards on fluorescent and incandescent lighting. Now I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and our businesses. Between 2012 and 2042, these new standards will save consumers up to $4 billion a year, conserve enough electricity to power every home in America for 10 months, reduce emissions equal to the amount produced by 166 million cars each year, and eliminate the need for as many as 14 coal-fired power plants."

[Barack Obama] Join the National Online Discussion on Health Care Reform

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:41:33 PDT

On Wednesday, President Obama will hold another online town hall, this time focused on health care reform. From WhiteHouse.gov:

This online town hall will be a little different than the last one. This time around, we are engaging online networks outside of WhiteHouse.gov, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
You can get started today by watching the President's video and posting your 20-30 second video response here:

Later this afternoon, Nancy-Ann DeParle will be hosting a live-streamed, online chat to discuss health care reform. You can take part using the White House Facebook live chat feature, starting at 5:00 PM Eastern.

[Barack Obama] Message from Joe Biden: "You've got to read these"

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:58:34 PDT

From Vice President Joe Biden:

A few weeks ago, President Obama asked you to share your personal story about how the health care crisis has affected you and the ones you love. Hundreds of thousands of stories poured in from every corner of the country. The President and I have read through many of them ourselves -- and now I'm encouraging you to do so as well.

Read these powerful, personal stories from people in your area and around the country.
And after you do, please forward this note on to as many people as you can.

For folks who don't yet understand why health care reform is such an urgent priority, these stories make the case far better than any statistics ever could.

For those who support health care reform but haven't yet found the time to join our campaign, these stories provide more motivation than any speech any politician could ever give.

So please read these stories, pass this note on to everyone in your address book, and help us show everyone in America why fixing our broken health care system is a necessity that just can't wait:

http://healthcare.barackobama.com/stories

Thank you,

Vice President Joe Biden

[Barack Obama] National Health Care Day Of Service

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:07:40 PDT

The National Health Care Day of Service is today, and volunteers across the country are taking place in thousands of events designed to raise visibility for health care reform in their communities. These health care service projects give volunteers a chance to make an impact in their own communities and improve the lives of their neighbors in the short term -- and they are just one step forward in the larger fight for long term, comprehensive health care reform.

Shonda from Greensboro, North Carolina, is making an impact on her community. Her National Health Care Day of Service event this Sunday will provide materials to local parents about State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). She is expecting about 70 people to attend, including families she met at schools, churches, day cares and summer camps.

The Family Fair is being held at the Greensboro Public Library. The focus of the fair is providing information and applications for SCHIP to families in need. There will be tables with SCHIP information and applications, as well as food and entertainment for the kids. Two guest speakers, whose families are enrolled in SCHIP, are set to speak at the fair. Shonda has even arranged for a Spanish translator. Despite her busy schedule, Shonda is passionate about the impact of her community service.

"We are really trying to make a difference and help out as much as we can," Shonda explained. "Even with our personal lives and schedules, we find ways to make it work."

Meanwhile Pat from Chesapeake, Virginia, is planning a similar event. This Saturday, Pat will provide SCHIP information and applications to customers at local businesses, such as shopping malls and grocery stores. He is expecting a diverse crowd of around 30 volunteers to help him. The group will include health care professionals, educators, and people who are struggling with their own health care.

These are two of the many of events taking place today, and with more events scheduled tomorrow as well. There may still be time to find a service event in your area this weekend. If you attended an event, let us know how it went in the comments below.

[Barack Obama] The President's Weekly Address: "The First Step Towards a New Energy Economy"

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:21:49 PDT

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama praised the House of Representatives for passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act last night. This historic piece of legislation will lessen our dependence on foreign oil and spark a clean energy transformation in our economy that will create millions of new American jobs -- jobs that are critical to building a new foundation for our economy.

"Now my call to every Senator, as well as to every American, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past. Don’t believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. It’s just not true."

[Barack Obama] Open Thread: Service

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:26:54 PDT

[Barack Obama] "Now is the time to finally act"

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:06:17 PDT

Yesterday, President Obama urged the House of Representatives to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act -- a bill that is expected to come to a vote later today. In his remarks, he explained:

Right now, the House of Representatives is moving towards a vote of historic proportions on a piece of legislation that will open the door to a new clean energy economy.

For more than three decades, we've talked about our dependence on foreign oil. And for more than three decades, we've seen that dependence grow. We've seen our reliance on fossil fuels jeopardize our national security. We've seen it pollute the air we breathe and endanger our planet. And most of all, we've seen that others countries realize a critical truth: The nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy.

Now is the time for the United States of America to realize this, as well. Now is the time for us to lead. The energy bill before the House will finally create a set of incentives that will spark a clean energy transformation of our economy. It will spur the development of low-carbon sources of energy -- everything from wind, solar, and geothermal power to safe nuclear energy and cleaner coal. It will spur new energy savings like the efficient windows and other materials that reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer.

And most importantly, it will make possible the creation of millions of new jobs.

...I've often talked about the need to build a new foundation for economic growth so that we don't return to the endless cycle of bubble and bust that has led us into this deep recession. Clean energy and the jobs it creates will be absolutely critical to that new foundation.

...I know this is going to be a close vote, in part because of the misinformation that's out there that suggests there's somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and our economic growth. But my call to those members of Congress who are still on the fence, as well as to the American people, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future, and we can't be prisoners of the past. We've been talking about this issue for decades, and now is the time to finally act.

There is still time to contact your representative in the House, and ask him or her to support the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

[Barack Obama] Tonight: Help Create a Clean Energy Economy

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:19:28 PDT

OFA Political Director Addisu Demissie just sent out the following update to the President's message on the American Clean Energy and Security Act:

Any minute now, Congress will vote on historic climate change legislation that will transform the way we use and produce energy in America.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act creates a framework of clean energy incentives that will spur the development of new technologies -- innovations that have the potential to create millions of new, good green jobs that can't be shipped overseas.

But its passage out of the House is in jeopardy -- will you make a call today to ensure that it passes?

Click here to find your representative's number.
And after you've made your call, let us know whether or not your representative committed to supporting this legislation.

Making sure this bill passes the House is an important first step towards a comprehensive energy policy that breaks our dependence on foreign oil, reduces dangerous carbon pollution, and will help create millions of new, green jobs here at home.

Call your representative today, and help ensure that this crucial legislation passes.

Then let us know how the call went, so we can keep track of where your representative stands:

http://my.barackobama.com/energycall

Thank you,

Addisu

Addisu Demissie
Political Director
Organizing for America

[Barack Obama] President Obama on the Importance of Passing Historic Energy Bill

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:55:46 PDT

In advance of an expected vote in the House of Representatives on historic energy legislation, the President will deliver remarks from the White House lawn.

You can watch a live stream of the President's remarks at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATED: From the Associated Press:

President Barack Obama is pressing again for passage of legislation that would confront the problem of global warming head-on.
Speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, Obama said Washington must not miss the opportunity to work on cleaning the air and at the same time creating new "green" energy jobs. He called the measure "a jobs bill" and said the country for far too long has been too reliant on energy from fossil fuels.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act creates a framework of clean energy incentives that will spur the development of new technologies, and has the potential to create millions of new, good green jobs. The vote in the House is expected to be close, and could take place within the next 24 hours.

If you have a moment, you can use our online tool to contact your representative and ask him or her or support the American Clean Energy and Security Act. And after you've made your call, let us know whether or not your representative is committed to supporting this legislation.

[Barack Obama] The President and Health Care Reform on Prime Time TV

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:07:31 PDT

Last night, President Obama played host to ABC News and a 164 Americans from around the country at a special prime time White House in prime. The hour long program was dedicated to answering tough questions and concerns on the President’s proposals to reduce health care costs and provide quality health care for all Americans. The conversation then continued for an additional hour on Nightline, where the President discussed how the choice of a public option will affect you and your family.

We'll have more on last night's event later on, but you can watch clips from the program on ABC's website.

[Barack Obama] Message from the First Lady: "Serving together"

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:27:38 PDT

From First Lady Michelle Obama:

National and community service has been a cornerstone of my life, as I know it has been for many Americans. And with the daily struggles now confronting so many families, it's especially important for us to reach out to one another and offer a helping hand.

I've just launched United We Serve, a national initiative to tackle our toughest problems by working hand-in-hand in communities across the country. We aim to make a real difference right now and bring more and more Americans into a tradition of life-long service to make an even greater difference down the road.

I'd like to invite you to be a part of it by joining Organizing for America's National Health Care Day of Service this weekend. You can join up with other local OFA supporters to help improve health care services in your community and make a difference as we work to reform America's health care system.

Sign up now to participate in a National Health Care Day of Service event this Saturday, June 27th.
There's an old Thomas Edison quote I've always liked: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." It's no secret that our country faces some enormous challenges right now, and meeting them will take a lot of hard work. But in that work lies an equally great opportunity -- a chance to serve. And I do believe the chance to serve is a precious gift indeed.

Service has played a transformative role in my life -- bringing me tremendous joy and helping me find the path that led to where I am today. As a parent, I believe service is a great way to demonstrate values and to teach our children firsthand what it means to commit to a purpose beyond ourselves.

It should be a part of everyone's life. From the moment someone can walk to the day they leave this planet, service should be a part of how we give back, how we say thank you, how we express our gratitude for the lives that we've been given.

So I'm deeply honored for this chance to support our United We Serve initiative and Organizing for America, and I hope you'll be able to participate this weekend.
Please sign up now to volunteer at a local event.

Thank you,

First Lady Michelle Obama

[Barack Obama] Tonight: Health Care Town Hall with President Obama on ABC

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:33:39 PDT

President Obama will be hosting a special Health Care Town Hall at the White House today, that will air on ABC tonight at 10:00 PM Eastern.

[Barack Obama] "Clean Energy, Green Jobs and Climate"

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:14:59 PDT

From the Democrats.org blog:

The Obama Administration is dispatching cabinet secretaries and senior officials around the country this week to highlight the need for comprehensive energy legislation that makes us more energy independent, reduces climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions and creates millions of green jobs.
... In the lead up to the vote a diverse coalition of stakeholders have ramped up their efforts to build support for the bill. Late last week, the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the Center for American Progress (CAP), Green for All and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released two reports that outline how investments in a clean-energy economy will produce significant economic and job creation benefits.
-- The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy: How the Economic Stimulus Program and New Legislation Can Boost U.S. Economic Growth and Employment: Report explains how the investment of $150 billion annually, through public spending and private investment, would produce a net gain of 1.7 million new jobs. CAP compiled state-by-state fact sheets of clean energy jobs creation.
-- Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States: Report shows that shifting from traditional fossil fuel to clean energy will improve the standard of living for millions of Americans across all skill and education levels, especially among lower-income families.
In Case You Missed It: Last week, the White House also released a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) about the potential impact of climate change in the United States. The report lays out – in layman’s terms – how failure to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will result in significant changes to temperatures, rainfall patterns and sea level. Grist.org had a good round up.

Last month, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (also known as Waxman-Markey), cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee. Yesterday the bill was added to the schedule for the House of Representatives, and could come up for a vote by the end of the week.

[Barack Obama] Streaming Live at 12:30: The President's News Conference

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:56:07 PDT

From WhiteHouse.gov:

The President will be holding a news conference today at 12:30 in the White House Rose Garden. He will be discussing topics ranging from the energy legislation moving through Congress, to Iran, to health care and the economy. As always, watch it streamed at WhiteHouse.gov/live, or go to our "White House Live" Facebook application where you can watch and discuss it with others.

[Barack Obama] Open Thread: Rolling Up Your Sleeves

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:42:45 PDT

[Barack Obama] President Obama to Sign Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:50:19 PDT

President Obama will sign an historic bill into law this afternoon, giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco for the first time. The Huffington Post reported:

The law allows the FDA to reduce nicotine in tobacco products, ban candy flavorings and block labels such "low tar" and "light." Tobacco companies also will be required to cover their cartons with large graphic warnings.

The law won't let the FDA ban nicotine or tobacco outright, but the agency will be able to regulate what goes into tobacco products, make public the ingredients and prohibit marketing campaigns, especially those geared toward children.

Anti-smoking advocates looked forward to the bill after years of attempts to control an industry so fundamental to the U.S. that carved tobacco leaves adorn some parts of the Capitol.

You can watch the signing live from the Rose Garden at WhiteHouse.gov/live, starting at 2:00 PM Eastern.

UPDATED: From the President's remarks at the signing:

The legislation I'm signing today represents change that's been decades in the making. Since at least the middle of the last century, we've known about the harmful and often deadly effects of tobacco products. More than 400,000 Americans now die of tobacco-related illnesses each year, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. More than 8 million Americans suffer from at least one serious illness caused by smoking. And these health problems cost us all more than $100 billion a year.

What's even worse are the effects on our children. One out of every five children in our country are now current smokers by the time they leave high school. Think about that statistic: One out of every five children in our country are now current smokers by the time they leave high school. Each day, 1,000 young people under the age of 18 become new, regular, daily smokers. And almost 90 percent of all smokers began at or before their 18th birthday.

I know -- I was one of these teenagers, and so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time. And I also know that kids today don't just start smoking for no reason. They're aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They're exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn, and where they play. Most insidiously, they are offered products with flavorings that mask the taste of tobacco and make it even more tempting.

We've known about this for decades, but despite the best efforts and good progress made by so many leaders and advocates with us today, the tobacco industry and its special interest lobbying have generally won the day up on the Hill. When Henry Waxman first brought tobacco CEOs before Congress in 1994, they famously denied that tobacco was deadly, nicotine was addictive, or that their companies marketed to children. And they spent millions upon millions in lobbying and advertising to fight back every attempt to expose these denials as lies.

Fifteen years later, their campaign has finally failed. Today, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, health care and consumer advocates, the decades-long effort to protect our children from the harmful effects of tobacco has emerged victorious.
...When I ran for President, I did so because I believed that despite the power of the status quo and the influence of special interests, it was possible for us to bring change to Washington.

Read the text of the full remarks . . .

[Barack Obama] Open Thread: Fatherhood

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:11:33 PDT

[Barack Obama] A Father's Day Message from the President

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 06:21:42 PDT

Today's issue of PARADE magazine includes a special Father's Day article written by President Obama, reflecting on the importance and responsibility of fatherhood. "On this Father’s Day, I think back to the day I drove Michelle and a newborn Malia home from the hospital nearly 11 years ago," the President writes, "I think about the pledge I made to her that day: that I would give her what I never had—that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father."

As the father of two young girls who have shown such poise, humor, and patience in the unconventional life into which they have been thrust, I mark this Father’s Day—our first in the White House—with a deep sense of gratitude. One of the greatest benefits of being President is that I now live right above the office. I see my girls off to school nearly every morning and have dinner with them nearly every night. It is a welcome change after so many years out on the campaign trail and commuting between Chicago and Capitol Hill.

But I observe this Father’s Day not just as a father grateful to be present in my daughters’ lives but also as a son who grew up without a father in my own life. My father left my family when I was 2 years old, and I knew him mainly from the letters he wrote and the stories my family told. And while I was lucky to have two wonderful grandparents who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me, I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood.

As an adult, working as a community organizer and later as a legislator, I would often walk through the streets of Chicago’s South Side and see boys marked by that same absence—boys without supervision or direction or anyone to help them as they struggled to grow into men. I identified with their frustration and disengagement—with their sense of having been let down.

In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence—both in my life and in the lives of others. I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill. We can do everything possible to provide good jobs and good schools and safe streets for our kids, but it will never be enough to fully make up the difference.

That is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one.

As fathers, we need to be involved in our children’s lives not just when it’s convenient or easy, and not just when they’re doing well—but when it’s difficult and thankless, and they’re struggling. That is when they need us most.

And it’s not enough to just be physically present. Too often, especially during tough economic times like these, we are emotionally absent: distracted, consumed by what’s happening in our own lives, worried about keeping our jobs and paying our bills, unsure if we’ll be able to give our kids the same opportunities we had.

Our children can tell. They know when we’re not fully there. And that disengagement sends a clear message—whether we mean it or not—about where among our priorities they fall.

So we need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what’s going on in their lives.

We need to set limits and expectations. We need to replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done. We need to say to our daughters, Don’t ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for your goals. We need to tell our sons, Those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in our house, we find glory in achievement, self-respect, and hard work.

We need to realize that we are our children’s first and best teachers. When we are selfish or inconsiderate, when we mistreat our wives or girlfriends, when we cut corners or fail to control our tempers, our children learn from that—and it’s no surprise when we see those behaviors in our schools or on our streets.

But it also works the other way around. When we work hard, treat others with respect, spend within our means, and contribute to our communities, those are the lessons our children learn. And that is what so many fathers are doing every day—coaching soccer and Little League, going to those school assemblies and parent-teacher conferences, scrimping and saving and working that extra shift so their kids can go to college. They are fulfilling their most fundamental duty as fathers: to show their children, by example, the kind of people they want them to become.

It is rarely easy. There are plenty of days of struggle and heartache when, despite our best efforts, we fail to live up to our responsibilities. I know I have been an imperfect father. I know I have made mistakes. I have lost count of all the times, over the years, when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood. There were many days out on the campaign trail when I felt like my family was a million miles away, and I knew I was missing moments of my daughters’ lives that I’d never get back. It is a loss I will never fully accept.

But on this Father’s Day, I think back to the day I drove Michelle and a newborn Malia home from the hospital nearly 11 years ago—crawling along, miles under the speed limit, feeling the weight of my daughter’s future resting in my hands. I think about the pledge I made to her that day: that I would give her what I never had—that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father. I knew that day that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless she had every opportunity in hers. And I knew I had an obligation, as we all do, to help create those opportunities and leave a better world for her and all our children.

On this Father’s Day, I am recommitting myself to that work, to those duties that all parents share: to build a foundation for our children’s dreams, to give them the love and support they need to fulfill them, and to stick with them the whole way through, no matter what doubts we may feel or difficulties we may face. That is my prayer for all of us on this Father’s Day, and that is my hope for this nation in the months and years ahead. -- President Barack Obama

PARADE magazine also featured a special behind the scenes look on how today's article from the President came about.

[Barack Obama] The President's Weekly Address

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:14:07 PDT

[Barack Obama] On the Ground: Nebraska

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:28:03 PDT

From OFA Nebraska State Director Timothy Anderson:

The fight to fix our broken health care system is heating up... Our opponents have beaten back reform in the past, and they're ready again with seasoned lobbyists and big-money donors. But we've shown them before what our movement is capable of.

This weekend, we will show them again. Nebraskans will take our message door-to-door in canvasses all across the state -- from Omaha to Kearney, Lincoln to Scottsbluff -- asking their neighbors to sign on in support of the President's principles for health care reform.

... When regular folks get together, and organize door-by-door, block-by-block, and neighborhood-by-neighborhood, we can build a movement from coast-to-coast. It's how we won a historic election -- and how we'll bring real change to America.

We'll have more coverage from the Nebraska health care canvasses tomorrow. If you're on the ground in Nebraska, be sure to report back in the comments or email your photos and stories to blog@barackobama.com

[Barack Obama] LIVE: A Town Hall Conversation on Fatherhood

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:42:48 PDT

President Obama is scheduled to participate in a conversation on fatherhood today in the East Room, starting at 2:45 PM Eastern. The President will be joined by five fathers from a diversity of backgrounds who will be discussing their personal stories and commitment to fatherhood and personal responsibility. The session will also include questions from the audience.

You can watch the event live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.