WASHINGTON — facing possible defeat on his signature domestic policy priority, President Barack Obama appealed on Wednesday for Americans to put aside fears about health care reform and back sweeping changes that include the creation of a government-run medical insurance program.
During a prime time news conference in which he linked passage of health care legislation to the nation’s overall economic stability, Mr. Obama also claimed his administration’s controversial US$787-billion stimulus package and financial industry bailouts had all but rescued the American economy from collapse.
“As a result of the action we took in those first weeks (in office), we have been able to pull our economy back from the brink,” Mr. Obama said.
The president’s declaration of victory in the fight to save the economy came amid a wave of recent criticisms that the stimulus has done little to stem the tide of job losses. It’s expected the U.S. unemployment rate could rise above 10% later this year.
“We still have a long way to go,” Mr. Obama acknowledged. “I’ll be honest with you – new hiring is always one of the last things to bounce back after a recession.”
With Congress now wavering on White House demands to pass a US$1-trillion-plus health care bill before the fall, Mr. Obama warned a failure to overhaul the system now will lead to ballooning costs and force millions of more Americans to lose their coverage over the next decade.
“If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket,” Mr. Obama said. “If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction.”
Answering Republican opponents who this week predicted the health care issue would be his “Waterloo,” Mr. Obama made a defiant prediction: “We will do it this year.” Read More EMR Stimulus Package