Obama urges healthcare reform

By Whitney Burbank

BOSTON – “I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last,” said President Obama as he urged Congress to reform United States healthcare in his speech last Wednesday. He said the healthcare bill would allow those with health insurance to keep it along with providing insurance at low competitive rates for those without it.

The bill would make it illegal for insurance companies to deny people insurance for a pre-existing condition or drop them for getting sick. He said that his bill would encourage fair and healthy competition among insurance agencies and cause them to get new customers. He insisted that by gaining customers and eliminating overhead costs of insurance the bill would pay for itself. Obama said that the bill would not contribute in any way to the national deficit and any budget cuts as a result of the bill would be publicized.

Obama expressed the goal of establishing a public option for those without health care. He said that only a small portion of the bill was dedicated to a public option and that it should not get in the way of the passage of the bill. He said he would be open to any suggestions made by Congressmen. Republicans responded by holding up copies of their own version of the healthcare bill. Republicans seemed resistant, but Obama encouraged bipartisanship and asked Congressmen stop their “bickering”. He insisted they focus on improving US healthcare in order to prevent the bankruptcy of small businesses and families as well as the unnecessary deaths of those without coverage.

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