“…A lot of Republicans seem to believe that if they can gum up the works and make this law fail, they’ll somehow be sticking it to me.  But they’d just be sticking it to you.

Some even say that if you call their office with questions about the law, they’ll refuse to help.  Call me old-fashioned – but that’s lousy constituent service.  And it’s not what you deserve…”

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

The White House

August 17, 2013

Hi, everybody.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve been visiting with Americans across the country to talk about what we need to do to secure a better bargain for the middle class.

We need to rebuild an economy that rewards hard work and responsibility; an economy built firmly on the cornerstones of middle-class life.  Good jobs.  A good education.  A home of your own.  A secure retirement.  And quality, affordable health care that’s there when you need it.

Right now, we’re well on our way to fully implementing the Affordable Care Act.  And in the next few months, we’ll reach a couple milestones with real meaning for millions of Americans.

If you’re one of the 85% of Americans who already have insurance, you’ve already got new benefits and protections under this law that you didn’t before.  Free checkups, mammograms, and contraceptive care.  Discounted prescription medicine on Medicare.  The fact you can stay on your parents’ plan until you turn 26.  And much, much more.  And it’s okay if you’re not a fan of the Affordable Care Act – you can take advantage of these things anyway.

If you don’t have insurance, beginning on October 1st, private plans will actually compete for your business.  You can comparison shop in an online marketplace, just like you would for cell phone plans or plane tickets.  You may be eligible for new tax credits to help you afford the plan that’s right for you.  And if you’re in the up to half of all Americans who’ve been sick or have a preexisting condition, this law means that beginning January 1st, insurance companies have to cover you – and they can’t use your medical history to charge you more than anybody else.

You can find out more about the law, and how to sign up to buy your own coverage right now at HealthCare.gov.  Tell your friends and neighbors without insurance about it, too.  And tell your kids that there’s a new, easy way to buy affordable plans specifically tailored to young people.

Many Members of Congress, in both parties, are working hard to inform their constituents about these benefits, protections, and affordable plans.  But there’s also a group of Republicans in Congress working hard to confuse people, and making empty promises that they’ll either shut down the health care law, or, if they don’t get their way, they’ll shut down the government.

Think about that.  They’re actually having a debate between hurting Americans who will no longer be denied affordable care just because they’ve been sick – and harming the economy and millions of Americans in the process.  And many Republicans are more concerned with how badly this debate will hurt them politically than they are with how badly it’ll hurt the country.

A lot of Republicans seem to believe that if they can gum up the works and make this law fail, they’ll somehow be sticking it to me.  But they’d just be sticking it to you.

Some even say that if you call their office with questions about the law, they’ll refuse to help.  Call me old-fashioned – but that’s lousy constituent service.  And it’s not what you deserve.

Your health insurance isn’t something to play politics with.  Our economy isn’t something to play politics with.  This isn’t a game.  This is about the economic security of millions of families.

See, in the states where governors and legislatures and insurers are working together to implement this law properly – states like California, New York, Colorado and Maryland – competition and consumer choice are actually making insurance affordable.

So I’m going to keep doing everything in my power to make sure this law works as it’s supposed to.  Because in the United States of America, health insurance isn’t a privilege – it is your right.  And we’re going to keep it that way.

Thanks.  And have a great weekend.

###

The White House Weekly Address, by Francine Wheeler:

Remarks of Francine Wheeler

The President’s Weekly Address

The White House

April 13, 2013

Hi.  As you’ve probably noticed, I’m not the President.  I’m just a citizen.  And as a citizen, I’m here at the White House today because I want to make a difference and I hope you will join me.  

My name is Francine Wheeler.  My husband David is with me.  We live in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.

David and I have two sons.  Our older son Nate, soon to be ten years old, is a fourth grader at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Our younger son, Ben, age six, was murdered in his first-grade classroom on December 14th, exactly four months ago this weekend.

David and I lost our beloved son, and Nate lost his best friend.  On what turned out to be the last  morning of his life, Ben told me, quite out of the blue, ” I still want to be an architect, Mama, but I also want to be a paleontologist, because that’s what Nate is going to be and I want to do everything Nate does.”

Ben’s love of fun and his excitement at the wonders of life were unmatched   His boundless energy kept him running across the soccer field long after the game was over.  And he couldn’t wait to get to school every morning. He sang with perfect pitch and had just played at his third piano recital.  Irrepressibly bright and spirited, Ben experienced life at full tilt.

Until that morning. Twenty of our children, and six of our educators – gone. Out of the blue.

I’ve heard people say that the tidal wave of anguish our country felt on 12/14 has receded.  But not for us. To us, it feels as if it happened just yesterday. And in the four months since we lost our loved ones, thousands of other Americans have died at the end of a gun. Thousands of other families across the United States are also drowning in our grief.

Please help us do something before our tragedy becomes your tragedy.

Sometimes, I close my eyes and all I can remember is that awful day waiting at the Sandy Hook Volunteer Firehouse for the boy who would never come home – the same firehouse that was home to Ben’s Tiger Scout Den 6. But other times, I feel Ben’s presence filling me with courage for what I have to do – for him and all the others taken from us so violently and too soon.

We have to convince the Senate to come together and pass commonsense gun responsibility reforms that will make our communities safer and prevent more tragedies like the one we never thought would happen to us.

When I packed for Washington on Monday, it looked like the Senate might not act at all. Then, after the President spoke in Hartford, and a dozen of us met with Senators to share our stories, more than two-thirds of the Senate voted to move forward.

But that’s only the start. They haven’t yet passed any bills that will help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. And a lot of people are fighting to make sure they never do.

Now is the time to act. Please join us. You can talk to your Senator, too.  Or visit WhiteHouse.gov to find out how you can help join the President and get involved.

Help this be the moment when real change begins.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

###

From the White House:

President Barack Obama (D): On behalf of the Obama family, Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo, and me I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.

For us, like so many of you, this is a day full of family and friends, food and football. It’s a day to fight the overwhelming urge to take a nap, at least until after dinner. But most of all, it’s a time to give thanks for each other, and for the incredible bounty we enjoy in this country.

That’s especially important this year. As a nation, we’ve just emerged from a campaign season that was passionate, noisy, and vital to our democracy. But it also required us to make choices, sometimes those choices led us to focus on what sets us apart instead of what ties us together, on what candidate we support instead of what country we all belong to. Thanksgiving is a chance to put it all in perspective, to remember that, despite our differences, we are, and always will be, Americans first and foremost. Today we give thanks for blessings that are all too rare in this world. The ability to spend time with the ones we love, to say what we want, to worship as we please, to know that there are brave men and women defending our freedom around the globe, and to look our children in the eye and tell them that, here in America, no dream is too big if they’re willing to work for it.

We’re also grateful that this country has always been home to Americans who see these blessings not simply as gifts to enjoy, but as opportunities to give back. Americans who believe we have a responsibility to look out for those who are less fortunate, to pull each other up and move forward together. Right now, as we prepare to gather around our dinner tables, there are families in the northeast who don’t have that luxury. Many of them have lost everything to Hurricane Sandy, homes, possessions, even loved ones. And it will be a long time before life gets back to normal for them. But in the midst of so much tragedy, there are also glimmers of hope. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen FEMA personnel, National Guard and first responders working around the clock in hard hit communities. We’ve seen hospital workers using their lunch breaks to distribute supplies. Families offering up extra bedrooms. The fire department advertising free hot showers. Buses full of volunteers coming from hundreds of miles away. Neighbors sharing whatever they have, food, water, electricity, and saying again and again how lucky they are to have a roof over their heads. It would have been easy for these folks to do nothing, to worry about themselves and leave the rest to someone else. But that’s not who we are. That’s not what we do.

As Americans, we are a bold, generous, big hearted people. When our brothers and sisters are in need, we roll up our sleeves and get to work, not for the recognition or the reward, but because it’s the right thing to do. Because there but for the grace of God go I. And because here in America, we rise or fall together, as one nation and one people. That’s something to be grateful for, today and every day.

So to all the Americans doing your part to make our world a better place, it is my great privilege to serve as your President. To all our service members, it is my honor to be your Commander in Chief. And from our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving everybody.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/all/modules/swftools/shared/flash_media_player/player.swf

The transcript:

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Weekly Address

Washington, DC

It was little more than one year ago that our country faced a potentially devastating crisis in our auto industry.  Over the course of 2008, the industry shed 400,000 jobs.  In the midst of a financial crisis and deep recession, both General Motors and Chrysler – two companies that for generations were a symbol of America’s manufacturing might – were on the brink of collapse.  The rapid dissolution of these companies – followed by the certain failure of many auto parts makers, car dealers, and other smaller businesses – would have dealt a crippling blow to our already suffering economy.  The best estimates are that more than one million American workers could have lost their jobs.

The previous administration extended temporary loans to both companies.  Even so, when I took office, the situation remained dire.  We had to determine whether or not we could justify additional taxpayer assistance.  After all, many of the problems in the auto industry were a direct result of poor management decisions over decades.  So it wasn’t an easy call.  But we decided that while providing additional assistance was a risk, the far greater risk to families and communities across our country was to do nothing.  We agreed to additional help, but only if the companies and their stakeholders were willing to break with the past.  They had to fundamentally reorganize, with new management that would reexamine the decisions that led to this mess and chart a path toward viability.  I knew this wasn’t a popular decision.  But it was the right one.

So, GM and Chrysler went through painful restructurings: ones that required enormous sacrifices on the part of all involved.  Many believed this was a fool’s errand.  Many feared we would be throwing good money after bad: that taxpayers would lose most of their investment and that these companies would soon fail regardless.  But one year later, the outlook is very different. In fact, the industry is recovering at a pace few thought possible.

Just this week we received some encouraging news.  Since General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, the auto industry has actually added 45,000 jobs – the strongest growth in a decade.  And Chrysler announced an operating profit in the first three months of this year.  This is the first time Chrysler has reported a profit since the beginning of the economic crisis.  What’s more, GM announced that it paid back its loans to taxpayers with interest, fully five years ahead of schedule.  It won’t be too long before the stock the Treasury is holding in GM can be sold, helping to reimburse the American people for their investment.

In addition, Chrysler Financial has already fully repaid with interest the loans it received to support auto financing.  And we are closing the books on the temporary program that helped parts suppliers weather this storm – returning this investment to the Treasury in full, with interest, as well.  Finally, we are bringing to an end many of the emergency programs designed to stabilize the financial sector and restart lending so folks could finance cars and trucks – as well as homes and small businesses.

On Friday, in fact, the Treasury Department informed Congress that this financial rescue – which was absolutely necessary to prevent an even worse economic disaster – will end up costing taxpayers a fraction of what was originally feared.  This is a direct result of the careful management of the investments made by the American people so that we could recoup as many tax dollars as possible – as quickly as possible.

These steps, as well as others we’ve taken, have meant that millions of people are working today who might otherwise have lost their jobs.  But these steps were never meant to be permanent.  As I’ve said many times, I did not run for president to get into the auto business or the banking business.  As essential as it was that we got in, I’m glad to see that we’re getting out.

At the same time, even as we have come a long way, we still have a ways to go.  The auto industry is more stable today.  The economy is on a better footing.  But people are still hurting.  I hear from them just about every day in the letters I read and in the cities and towns I visit.  No matter what the economic statistics say, I won’t be satisfied until folks who need work can find good jobs.  After a recession that stole 8 million jobs, this is gonna time.  And this will require that we continue to tackle the underlying problems that caused this turmoil in the first place.  In short, it’s essential that we learn the lessons of this crisis – or we risk repeating it.

Now, part of what led to the crisis in our auto industry – and one of the main causes of the economic downturn – were problems in our financial sector.  In the absence of common-sense rules, Wall Street firms took enormous, irresponsible risks that imperiled our financial system – and hurt just about every sector of our economy.  Some people simply forgot that behind every dollar traded or leveraged, there is family looking to buy a house, pay for an education, open a business, or save for retirement.

That’s why I went to New York City this week and addressed an audience that included leaders in the financial industry.  And I once again called for reforms to hold Wall Street accountable and to protect consumers.  These reforms would put an end – once and for all – to taxpayer bailouts.  They would bring greater transparency to complex financial dealings.  And they will empower ordinary consumers and shareholders in our financial system.  Folks will get clearer and more concise information when they make financial decisions – instead of having to worry about deceptive fine print.  And shareholders and pension holders will have a stronger voice in the boardrooms of the companies in which they invest their savings.

That’s how we’ll restore trust and confidence in our markets.  That’s how we’ll help to put an end to the cycles of boom and bust that we’ve seen.  And that’s how – after two very difficult years – we’ll not only revive the economy, but help to rebuild it stronger than ever before.

Thanks.

President Obama, tonight:

…There are also those who claim that our reform effort[s] will would insure illegal immigrants.  This, too, is false [voice: “Liar!”], the reforms, [the reforms] I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally [voice: “Lie!”]…

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) – health care town hall – Jefferson City

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): health care town hall in Jefferson City – prayer and first Q and A

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): health care town hall in Jefferson City – press conference

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): open forum in Hillsboro – photos

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): open forum in Hillsboro – press conference

Update:

jessicapodhola I can not believe in my lifetime I saw a member of cong yell at the president during a joint session wtf does he think this is a town hall?? 35 minutes ago from web

SharkFu RT @jenlabarberaRT @theuptake CNN’s Dana Bash reports: shout of “you lie” [ … ] came from Rep. Joe Wilson (SC) #hometrainingfail 15 minutes ago from web

They must have had the same people attending their town halls in South Carolina.

Update II:

Senator Claire McCaskill:

clairecmc Biggest disappointmnt of evening, the total lack of respect shown by one member for the President.Never acceptable to behave like a jerk. 1 minute ago from UberTwitter

Senator McCaskill would know, having been on the receiving end of boorish behavior during the previous month (see above).

Update III:

Statement on President Obama’s speech by Senator Claire McCaskill:

“After hosting town halls throughout Missouri, I think the President did a good job correcting all the misinformation that has been spread. Now with the stakes made clear, it’s time to work on reasonable health insurance reform that will bring down the cost of health care, improve the way care is provided, and do it in a way that doesn’t saddle our grandchildren with our debt.

“He did a great job of explaining that the price of doing nothing is much too steep and those who are blocking health care reform are engaged in very risky behavior.”

Update IV:

Democratic candidate Rob Miller is challenging Rep. Joe “I like to yell at the President during his speech” Wilson (r). As WillyK pointed out in the comments below, there’s an ActBlue page where you can throw some coin to help out a good Democrat challenging a boorish republican.