Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

Yesterday, President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, delivering a significant down payment on his ambitious agenda to make higher education more affordable. Below, please find a fact sheet outlining the some of the benefits this bill will have for New York families.


New York & Education in The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

“We will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”


- President Barack Obama - February 24, 2009
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The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 delivered a significant down payment on the President’s ambitious agenda to make higher education more affordable and help more Americans earn a college degree. The law raises the maximum Pell Grant, makes loan payments more affordable for students with unmanageable debt, increases investments in community colleges, and extends support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions, all at no additional cost to taxpayers according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. The education initiatives funded by the law are fully paid for by ending government subsidies that were being given to financial institutions making guaranteed federal student loans.

Building on existing accomplishments since the President took office—raising the maximum Pell Grant by more than $800 and tripling the largest college tax credit now known as the American Opportunity Tax Credit—the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act will help expand college access and increase graduation rates for New York’s students.

To support New York’s students’ success in higher education, the new law:

Increases Pell Grants: The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act invests more than $40 billion in Pell Grants to ensure that all eligible students receive an award and that these awards will be increased in future years to help keep pace with the rising cost of college. These investments, coupled with the President’s previous investments, more than double the total amount of funding provided for Pell Grants since the President took office. The law increases the Federal Pell Grant maximum award by the Consumer Price Index from 2013 through 2017, which is estimated to raise the award from $5,550 to $5,975, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. By academic year 2020-2021, the Department of Education estimates New York’s students will receive an additional $698 million in Pell Grants due to the changes in the new law.

Expands Income Based Repayment: Because of the high cost of college, about two-thirds of students take out college loans with an average student debt of over $23,000. This debt is particularly burdensome for graduates who choose to enter lower-paying public service careers, suffer setbacks such as unemployment or serious illness, or fail to complete their degree. To ensure that Native Americans can afford their student loan payments, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act makes the existing income-based student loan repayment program more generous for new borrowers after July 1, 2014. They will be allowed to cap their student loan repayments at 10 percent of their discretionary income and, if they keep up with their payments over time, forgive their balance after 20 years. As under current law, public service workers—such as teachers, nurses, and those in military service—will see any remaining debt forgiven after only 10 years. According to Department of Education estimates, 1.2 million borrowers are projected to qualify and take part in the expanded IBR program between 2014 and 2020.

Increases Support for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs): While many of today’s colleges and universities are facing a host of challenges—shrinking endowments, decreasing state appropriations, deteriorating facilities and increasing costs—many of America’s Minority Serving Institutions are feeling the pain more acutely. They do more with less and enroll higher proportions of low- and middle-income students. That’s why the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act provides $2.55 billion to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions over the next ten years. These dollars can be used to renew, reform, and expand programming to ensure that students at these colleges and universities are given every chance to live up to their full potential. HBCUs and MSIs in New York will be eligible to receive an additional $118 million in funding under the new law.

Funding for College Access Grants: The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act extends and increases mandatory funding for the existing College Access Challenge Grant Program to $150 million per year over the next four years. This program provides grants to States to help organizations provide services that increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter college and manage their student loans, such as by developing financial literacy and debt management skills. New York is expected to receive approximately $38 million in additional funding due to the changes in the new law.

Investments in Community Colleges & Career Training: As the largest part of the nation’s higher education system, community colleges enroll more than 6 million students and are growing rapidly. They feature affordable tuition, open admission policies, flexible course schedules, and convenient locations. Community colleges are particularly important for students who are older, working, or need remedial classes. Community colleges work with businesses, industry and government to tailor training programs to meet economic needs like nursing, health information technology, advanced manufacturing, and green jobs. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act includes $2 billion over four years for community colleges. These resources will help community colleges and other institutions develop, improve, and provide education and career training programs suitable for workers who are eligible for trade adjustment assistance. Each state will receive at least 0.5 of the total funds appropriated to this program each fiscal year.

Ultimately, the education related provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act are fully paid for by ending the government subsidies currently given to financial institutions that make guaranteed federal student loans. Starting July 1, all new federal student loans will be direct loans delivered and collected by private companies under performance-based contracts with the Department of Education. According to the Congressional Budget Office, ending these wasteful subsidies frees up nearly $68 billion which this new law reinvests back into students and into reducing the deficit. As a result of the savings and investments in this new law, New York and its students are expected to receive more than $854 million by academic year 2020-2021 in additional benefits for higher education.

Jackson Five: Looking through the Window

Singer Erykah Badu strips at JFK assassination site in new video

story by CNN
written by Alan Duke
See Video - click title or link: http://erykahbadu.com/

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Erykah Badu shed her clothes as she walked along a Dallas, Texas, sidewalk until she was nude and then fell near where President Kennedy was assassinated.

The result was a controversial video, released Saturday, for her song "Window Seat," which Badu said was "shot guerrilla style" with no crew and in one take March 17.

Children could be seen nearby as Badu stripped in Dealey Plaza, a popular tourist spot since Kennedy's 1963 assassination.

The singer's management did not immediately respond to request for comment, but Badu responded to the controversy via Twitter.

She tweeted that "there were children there. i prayed they wouldnt b traumatized."

Badu will not face indecent exposure charges for shedding her clothes on the Dallas, Texas, sidewalk, a Dallas Police spokeswoman said.

Although children were nearby, no one filed a complaint against Badu after the March 17 incident, Dallas Police Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther said.

"But if we had had a call and would have caught Ms. Badu in the act of walking down the street taking her clothes off, she would have been charge with a Class B misdemeanor," she said.

The R&B singer said she was making a statement against "groupthink," which she tweeted was an "unwritten rule" that "i will not express my true opinion if it opposes those i love and fear."

Some fans sent tweets praising Badu's artistic vision.

One fan tweeted to Badu on Sunday: "thank you, because your being brave, i no longer feel afraid to say what i really feel."

The video opens with a November 22, 1963, radio broadcast describing Kennedy's motorcade turning onto Elm Street seconds before fatal shots were fired.

In the video, Badu is behind the wheel of a 1965 Lincoln Continental, parked along Kennedy's route. A single camera focuses on her as she walks toward Elm Street and the book depository where Kennedy's assassin fired his rifle.

Badu tweeted that "i was petrified while shooting this video ... but liberation began to set in. i conquered many fears in that few moments."

She said she was "too busy lookin for cops" to be embarrassed by her nudity. "i been naked all along in my words actions and deeds. thats the real vulnerable place," she tweeted.

The video does not include shouts from people off camera, she said. "they were yelling, 'THIS IS A PUBLIC PLACE : YOU OUGHTA BE ASHAMED : PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON : DAMN GIRL! etc," Badu tweeted.

More than a dozen people stood along the plaza's "grassy knoll" when Badu took off the last piece of clothing.

"the people caught in the shot were trying hard to ignore me," she tweeted.

As she reached the spot where Kennedy was first struck by a bullet, the crackle of a gunshot is heard and Badu's head snaps back and she falls to the ground as if dead.

Badu said when the camera stopped "we ran."

The singer was born in Dallas, where she is raising her three children -- ages 1, 5 and 12

She tweeted to fans about her 5-year-old daughter's response when told of her plans for the video: "she looked at me with a blank face and replied ok mama can i have another pudding?"

The video was released days before the singer's next album, "New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh," hits record stores. The single "Window Seat" is at No. 28 on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart.

Congressional disapproval ratings hit 72 percent, now at late-1994 levels

story by The Hill
written by Aaron Blake

TOP OF THE BALLOT: A side effect of the healthcare process is the highest congressional disapproval since October 1994; members ready for town hall craziness; Tea Party meets its resistance

Highest disapproval of Congress since Oct. 31, 1994

The jury is in, and Democrats did indeed get a slight bump from healthcare reform. But will the sausage-making do them in?

Tucked away inside a new Washington Post/ABC News poll is a key figure — 72 percent. That’s the percentage of voters who disapprove of the job Congress is doing, and the number hasn’t been that high since — you guessed it — the week before the 1994 election.

The Cornhusker Kickback and Gator-aid — two controversial provisions in the healthcare bill — are a couple of attractively named and accessible reasons why people don’t like how Congress operates. And at no point in the last 16 years has that picture been so clear to voters.

Other signs in the poll are more positive for Democrats, though. It pegs President Barack Obama’s approval rating at 53 percent (43 percent disapproval). And the bill itself is up a slight two points from last month. Also, of the 46 percent of voters who approve overall, the group that strongly approves of the bill rose by 10 points, to 32 percent.

Town hall fun ahead

If Democratic members of Congress thought August was fun, wait till they find out what recess is like after you pass healthcare reform.

The at-times violent and vulgar reaction to the passage of the bill last week will be front and center as members return home for a two-week recess. Already, members are dealing with protests at their homes, being spat on and being cursed at. And for the members who have the courage to hold public events, it could only be the beginning.

Democratic leaders have sought to put the issue behind them, complaining that it distracts from their momentous legislative victory. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) on Friday said it was appropriate for his party to call attention to what certain conservative activists are subjecting his members to, but he also declined to elaborate on his comments suggesting GOP leaders had fomented the events.

Look for these kinds of stories to continue over the next two weeks.

Tea Party under attack

The Tea Party is an emerging force in the political landscape, but resistance is building.

Remember Scott Ashjian, the third-party Tea Party candidate who threatened to take double digits in Nevada and keep Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in office? He now faces felony theft charges and is being derided by Tea Party activists locally for being an opportunist.

And over at The Fix, Chris Cillizza has the scoop on Democratic consultant Craig Varoga creating an anti-Tea Party political action committee, called the Patriot Majority PAC. Varoga managed Tom Vilsack’s 2008 presidential campaign.

The group is reportedly looking at getting involved in 12 to 15 races where Tea Party candidates are running.

Suicide bombers kill 38 in Moscow’s subway

story by NBC

MOSCOW - Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up on Moscow's subway system as it was jam-packed with rush-hour passengers Monday, killing at least 38 people, officials said.

Witnesses described panic at two stations, with commuters falling over each other in dense smoke and dust as they tried to escape the worst attack on the Russian capital in six years.

The head of Russia's main security agency said preliminary investigation places the blame on rebels from the restive Caucasus region that includes Chechnya, where separatists have fought Russian forces since the mid-1990s. Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB, told President Dmitry Medvedev the bombs were filled with bolts and iron rods.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who built much of his political capital by directing a fierce war with Chechen separatists a decade ago, vowed that "terrorists will be destroyed."


In the wake of the explosions, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced a "heightened security presence," NBC News reported.

The first blast just before 8 a.m. (12.00 a.m. ET) tore through the second carriage of a train as it stood at the Lubyanka metro station. The explosion killed at least 23 people.

The headquarters of the FSB, Russia's main domestic security service and the successor to the Soviet-era KGB, is located in a building above the station.


'Stampede'

Another blast about 40 minutes later wrecked the second carriage of a train waiting at the Park Kultury metro station, killing at least 14 more people.

"I heard a bang, turned my head and smoke was everywhere. People ran for the exits screaming," said 24-year-old Alexander Vakulov, who said he was waiting on the platform opposite the targeted train at Park Kultury.

"I saw a dead person for the first time in my life," said 19-year-old Valentin Popov, who also was standing on the opposite platform. "Everyone was screaming. There was a stampede at the doors. I saw one woman holding a child and pleading with people to let her through, but it was impossible."

Surveillance camera footage posted on the Internet showed motionless bodies lying in Lubyanka station lobby and emergency workers treating victims.

Emergency Minister Sergei Shoigu initially said the toll was 37 killed and 102 injured, according to Russian news agencies.

President Barack Obama on the Student Loan Reform -- Reforms Will End Student Loan Bank Subsidies and Expand Access to College -- and the President highlights Health Care benefits

WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Barack Obama praised the bold reforms to the higher education system passed by Congress this week. These reforms save the taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade by ending the subsidies given to banks and middlemen who handle student loans. The money saved will help expand and strengthen the federal Pell Grant program. The reforms will also cap college graduates’ annual student loan repayments at 10% of their income, revitalize community colleges, and increase support for Minority Serving Institutions.

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

The White House

March 27, 2009

This was a momentous week for America. It was a week in which together, we took bold new steps toward restoring economic security for our middle class and rebuilding a stronger foundation for our future. It was a week in which some of the change that generations have hoped for and worked for finally became reality in America.

It began with the passage of comprehensive health insurance reform that will begin to end the worst practices of the insurance industry, rein in our exploding deficits, and, over time, finally offer millions of families and small businesses quality, affordable care – and the security and peace of mind that comes with it.

And it ended with Congress casting a final vote on another piece of legislation that accomplished what we’ve been talking about for decades – legislation that will reform our student loan system and help us educate all Americans to compete and win in the 21st century.

Year after year, we’ve seen billions of taxpayer dollars handed out as subsidies to the bankers and middlemen who handle federal student loans, when that money should have gone to advancing the dreams of our students and working families. And yet attempts to fix this problem and reform this program were thwarted by special interests that fought tooth and nail to preserve their exclusive giveaway.

But this time, we said, would be different. We said we’d stand up to the special interests, and stand up for the interests of students and families. That’s what happened this week. And I commend all the Senators and Representatives who did the right thing.

This reform of the federal student loan programs will save taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade. And with this legislation, we’re putting that money to use achieving a goal I set for America: by the end of this decade, we will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

To make college more affordable for millions of middle-class Americans for whom the cost of higher education has become an unbearable burden, we’re expanding federal Pell Grants for students: increasing them to keep pace with inflation in the coming years and putting the program on a stronger financial footing. In total, we’re doubling funding for the federal Pell Grant program to help the students who depend on it.

To make sure our students don’t go broke just because they chose to go to college, we’re making it easier for graduates to afford their student loan payments. Today, about 2 in 3 graduates take out loans to pay for college. The average student ends up with more than $23,000 in debt. So when this change takes effect in 2014, we’ll cap a graduate’s annual student loan repayments at 10 percent of his or her income.

To help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates over the next decade, we’re revitalizing programming at our community colleges – the career pathways for millions of dislocated workers and working families across this country. These schools are centers of learning; where students young and old can get the skills and technical training they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow. They’re centers of opportunity; where we can forge partnerships between students and businesses so that every community can gain the workforce it needs. And they are vital to our economic future.

And to ensure that all our students have every chance to live up to their full potential, this legislation also increases support for our Minority Serving Institutions, including our Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to keep them as strong as ever in this new century.

Education. Health care. Two of the most important pillars of a strong America grew stronger this week. These achievements don’t represent the end of our challenges; nor do they signify the end of the work that faces our country. But what they do represent is real and major reform. What they show is that we’re a nation still capable of doing big things. What they prove is what’s possible when we can come together to overcome the politics of the moment; push back on the special interests; and look beyond the next election to do what’s right for the next generation.

That’s the spirit in which we continue the work of tackling our greatest common tasks – an economy rebuilt; job creation revitalized; an American Dream renewed – for all our people.


Thank you.


President Barack Obama

Clear Channel spent $819,000 in Fourth Quarter lobbying Congress

story by AP


Clear Channel Communications Inc., a radio station operator (near monopoly owning more than a thousand US radio stations) and outdoor advertising company, spent nearly $819,000 in the fourth quarter lobbying the federal government.

That's higher than the $790,000 it spent in the third quarter but less than the $900,000 incurred in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Clear Channel lobbied on digital billboards (no plaster would be needed), radio ownership rules (own more automated radio stations?) and enforcement of broadcast indecency standards (hmmm...really).

The company also lobbied on proposals for the Federal Communications Commission to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine," a policy that called for holders of broadcast licenses to air key issues to the public in a way that presents a diversity of opinions (that's a good one).

The San Antonio, Texas, company lobbied Congress and the FCC, according to a filing made Jan. 19 with the House clerk's office.

"Whites-Only" Scholarship Creates Outrage

College Republicans Say Scholarship Was Created to Spark Debate

story by ABC News
written by Anne-Marie Dorning

Joe Mroszczyk, president of the College Republicans at Boston University, admits he set out to stir up a hornet's nest when he came up with the idea of offering a whites-only scholarship at the school. But he got a little more buzz than he bargained for.

"To tell you the truth, we didn't see this coming," Mroszczyk said. "The Drudge Report picked it up yesterday, and today I just finished a round of national interviews. It's kind of overwhelming."

All the media attention is focused on a $250 Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship offered by Mroszczyk and the BU chapter of the College Republicans. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher; they must write two essays; and, here's the kicker, they must be at least one-quarter Caucasian.

The application itself offers an explanation: "We believe that racial preferences in all their forms are perhaps the worst form of bigotry confronting America today."

According to Mroszczyk, his group is offering the scholarship to point out "how ridiculous it is to have any sort of racially based scholarship."

At BU, for example, students who are at least one-quarter Hispanic can apply for a National Hispanic Recognition Scholarship.

"There are plenty of poor, white, academically gifted students who need that money just as much," Mroszczyk said.

It isn't the first time a group of students has tried this kind of stunt.

Two years ago a chapter of the College Republicans at Roger Williams University also offered a $250 whites-only scholarship. That's where the BU students got the idea.

"We are not doing this as some kind of white supremacy thing. I wanted to have a dialogue about racial preference," Mroszczyk said.

It seems as if Mroszczyk has gotten his wish. People from across the country are now weighing in on the idea through e-mail and the radio. And closer to home, some BU students are having their say too.

"It's a poor way to talk about affirmative action," said David Coreas, the 21-year-old senior who is president of the Latino fraternity Phi Iota Alpha at BU. "If they want to have a scholarship, then let them have a scholarship, but they're stirring up controversy in the wrong way."

Coreas said he believes that racially based scholarships are necessary to level a very uneven academic playing field.

"We have to look at the situation honestly," he said. "Caucasians tend to have a higher per capita income than Latinos and other minorities. We have to have scholarships to survive."

Coreas said he would welcome an honest dialogue on campus about race and affirmative action.

Mroszczyk admits even some of his good friends are shaking their heads.

"They said I can't believe you're doing this," he said.

But for all the talk, there are still no takers for the scholarship. The application has been available online since Nov. 7, and so far not one student has filled it out.

That's money wasted, according to David Coreas.

"I wish I could apply: That $250 could help me pay for my textbooks," he said.
Coreas isn't eligible, though.

But for BU students who have a pretty good GPA and can write a couple of essays, there's still time, as long as they're also 25 percent Caucasian. The deadline for applications is Nov. 30.

Director of White House Office of Health Reform discusses benefits from the Health Care Bill

Good afternoon,

Since the House of Representatives voted to pass health reform legislation on Sunday night, the legislative process and its political impact have been the focus of all the newspapers and cable TV pundits.

Outside of DC, however, many Americans are trying to cut through the chatter and get to the substance of reform with a simple question: "What does health insurance reform actually mean for me?" To help, we've put together some of the key benefits from health insurance reform.

Let's start with how health insurance reform will expand and strengthen coverage:

• This year, children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance coverage. Once the new health insurance exchanges begin in the coming years, pre-existing condition discrimination will become a thing of the past for everyone.
•  This year, health care plans will allow young people to remain on their parents' insurance policy up until their 26th birthday.
• This year, insurance companies will be banned from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, and they will be banned from implementing lifetime caps on coverage. This year, restrictive annual limits on coverage will be banned for certain plans. Under health insurance reform, Americans will be ensured access to the care they need.
• This year, adults who are uninsured because of pre-existing conditions will have access to affordable insurance through a temporary subsidized high-risk pool.
• In the next fiscal year, the bill increases funding for community health centers, so they can treat nearly double the number of patients over the next five years.
• This year, we'll also establish an independent commission to advise on how best to build the health care workforce and increase the number of nurses, doctors and other professionals to meet our country's needs. Going forward, we will provide $1.5 billion in funding to support the next generation of doctors, nurses and other primary care practitioners -- on top of a $500 million investment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Health insurance reform will also curb some of the worst insurance industry practices and strengthen consumer protections:

• This year, this bill creates a new, independent appeals process that ensures consumers in new private plans have access to an effective process to appeal decisions made by their insurer.
• This year, discrimination based on salary will be outlawed. New group health plans will be prohibited from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that discriminate in favor of higher-wage employees.
• Beginning this fiscal year, this bill provides funding to states to help establish offices of health insurance consumer assistance in order to help individuals in the process of filing complaints or appeals against insurance companies.
• Starting January 1, 2011, insurers in the individual and small group market will be required to spend 80 percent of their premium dollars on medical services. Insurers in the large group market will be required to spend 85 percent of their premium dollars on medical services. Any insurers who don't meet those thresholds will be required to provide rebates to their policyholders.
• Starting in 2011, this bill helps states require insurance companies to submit justification for requested premium increases. Any company with excessive or unjustified premium increases may not be able to participate in the new health insurance exchanges.

Reform immediately begins to lower health care costs for American families and small businesses:

• This year, small businesses that choose to offer coverage will begin to receive tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums to help make employee coverage more affordable.
• This year, new private plans will be required to provide free preventive care: no co-payments and no deductibles for preventive services. And beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare will do the same.
• This year, this bill will provide help for early retirees by creating a temporary re-insurance program to help offset the costs of expensive premiums for employers and retirees age 55-64.
• This year, this bill starts to close the Medicare Part D 'donut hole' by providing a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the gap in prescription drug coverage. And beginning in 2011, the bill institutes a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the 'donut hole.'

Thank you,


Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform

President Obama explains Health Care Bill -- What is it? Answers below

Kirk --

I'm writing to you on a great day for America.

This morning, I gathered with members of Congress, my administration, and hardworking volunteers from every part of the country to sign comprehensive health care reform into law. Thanks to the immeasurable efforts of so many, the dream of reform is now a reality.

The bill I just signed puts Americans in charge of our own health care by enacting three key changes:

1. It establishes the toughest patient protections in history.

2. It guarantees all Americans affordable health insurance options, extending coverage to 32 million who are currently uninsured.

3. And it reduces the cost of care -- cutting over 1 trillion dollars from the federal deficit over the next two decades.

To ensure a successful, stable transition, many of these changes will phase into full effect over the next several years.

But for millions of Americans, many of the benefits of reform will begin this year -- some even taking effect this afternoon. Here are just a few examples:

• Small businesses will receive significant tax cuts, this year, to help them afford health coverage for all their employees.

• Seniors will receive a rebate to reduce drug costs not yet covered under Medicare.

• Young people will be allowed coverage under their parents' plan until the age of 26.

• Early retirees will receive help to reduce premium costs.

• Children will be protected against discrimination on the basis of medical history.

• Uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions can join a special high-risk pool to get the coverage they need, starting in just 90 days.

• Insured Americans will be protected from seeing their insurance revoked when they get sick, or facing restrictive annual limits on the care they receive.

• All Americans will benefit from significant new investments to train primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, and the creation of state-level consumer assistance programs to help all patients understand and defend our new rights.

As I've said many times, and as I know to be true, this astounding victory could not have been achieved without your tireless efforts.

So as we celebrate this great day, I want to invite you to add your name where it belongs: alongside mine as a co-signer of this historic legislation. Organizing for America will record the names of co-signers as a permanent commemoration of those who came together to make this moment possible -- all of you who refused to give up until the dream of many generations for affordable, quality care for all Americans was finally fulfilled.

So, if you haven't yet, please add your name as a proud health care reform co-signer today:

http://my.barackobama.com/cosigner

Please accept my thanks for your voice, for your courage, and for your indispensable partnership in the great work of creating change.

History, and I, are in your debt.

President Barack Obama

President Obama officially signs the Health Care Bill -- March 23, 2010

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

­­______________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release March 23, 2010

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT

AT SIGNING OF HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM BILL

President Obama and Marcellas Owens of Seattle at signing of Health Care Reform Bill

East Room

11:29 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Fired up! Ready to go! Fired up! Ready to go!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Mr. President, I think we got a happy room here. (Laughter.) It seems ridiculous to say thank you all for being here. (Laughter.) Ladies and gentlemen, to state the obvious, this is a historic day. (Applause.)

In our business you use that phrase a lot, but I can't think of a day in the 37 years that I've been a United States senator and the short time I've been Vice President that it is more appropriately stated. This is a historic day.

And history -- history is not merely what is printed in textbooks. It doesn’t begin or end with the stroke of a pen. History is made. History is made when men and women decide that there is a greater risk in accepting a situation that we cannot bear than in steeling our spine and embracing the promise of change. That's when history is made. (Applause.)

History is made when you all assembled here today, members of Congress, take charge to change the lives of tens of millions of Americans. Through the efforts of those of us lucky enough to serve here in this town, that's exactly what you’ve done. You’ve made history.

History is made when a leader steps up, stays true to his values, and charts a fundamentally different course for the country. History is made when a leader’s passion -- passion -- is matched with principle to set a new course. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, you are that leader. (Applause.)

Mr. President, your fierce advocacy, the clarity of purpose that you showed, your perseverance -- these are in fact -- it is not hyperbole to say -- these are the reasons why we're assembled in this room together, today. But for those attributes we would not be here. Many, many men and women are going to feel the pride that I feel in watching you shortly, watching you sign this bill, knowing that their work -- their work has helped make this day possible. But, Mr. President, you’re the guy that made it happen. (Applause.)

And so, Mr. President, all of us, press and elected officials, assembled in this town over the years, we’ve seen some incredible things happen. But you know, Mr. President, you’ve done what generations of not just ordinary, but great men and women, have attempted to do. Republicans as well as Democrats, they’ve tried before. Everybody knows the story, starting with Teddy Roosevelt. They’ve tried. They were real bold leaders.

But, Mr. President, they fell short. You have turned, Mr. President, the right of every American to have access to decent health care into reality for the first time in American history. (Applause.)

Mr. President, I’ve gotten to know you well enough. You want me to stop because I’m embarrassing you. (Laughter.) But I’m not going to stop for another minute, Mr. President, because you delivered on a promise -- a promise you made to all Americans when we moved into this building.

Mr. President, you are -- to repeat myself -- literally about to make history. Our children and our grandchildren, they’re going to grow up knowing that a man named Barack Obama put the final girder in the framework for a social network in this country to provide the single most important element of what people need -- and that is access to good health -- (applause) -- and that every American from this day forward will be treated with simple fairness and basic justice.

Look, the classic poet, Virgil, once said that “The greatest wealth is health.” The greatest wealth is health. Well, today, America becomes a whole lot wealthier because tens of millions of Americans will be a whole lot healthier from this moment on.

Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you everybody. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Please, have a seat.

Thank you, Joe. (Laughter.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good to be with you, Mr. President. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Today, after almost a century of trying; today, after over a year of debate; today, after all the votes have been tallied –- health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America. (Applause.) Today.

It is fitting that Congress passed this historic legislation this week. For as we mark the turning of spring, we also mark a new season in America. In a few moments, when I sign this bill, all of the overheated rhetoric over reform will finally confront the reality of reform. (Applause.)

And while the Senate still has a last round of improvements to make on this historic legislation -- and these are improvements I’m confident they will make swiftly -- (applause) -- the bill I’m signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for, and marched for, and hungered to see.

It will take four years to implement fully many of these reforms, because we need to implement them responsibly. We need to get this right. But a host of desperately needed reforms will take effect right away. (Applause.)

This year, we’ll start offering tax credits to about 4 million small businessmen and women to help them cover the cost of insurance for their employees. (Applause.) That happens this year.

This year, tens of thousands of uninsured Americans with preexisting conditions, the parents of children who have a preexisting condition, will finally be able to purchase the coverage they need. That happens this year. (Applause.)

This year, insurance companies will no longer be able to drop people’s coverage when they get sick. (Applause.) They won’t be able to place lifetime limits or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care they can receive. (Applause.)

This year, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care. And this year, young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ policies until they’re 26 years old. That happens this year. (Applause.)

And this year, seniors who fall in the coverage gap known as the doughnut hole will start getting some help. They’ll receive $250 to help pay for prescriptions, and that will, over time, fill in the doughnut hole. And I want seniors to know, despite what some have said, these reforms will not cut your guaranteed benefits. (Applause.) In fact, under this law, Americans on Medicare will receive free preventive care without co-payments or deductibles. That begins this year. (Applause.)

Once this reform is implemented, health insurance exchanges will be created, a competitive marketplace where uninsured people and small businesses will finally be able to purchase affordable, quality insurance. They will be able to be part of a big pool and get the same good deal that members of Congress get. That’s what’s going to happen under this reform. (Applause.) And when this exchange is up and running, millions of people will get tax breaks to help them afford coverage, which represents the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history. That's what this reform is about. (Applause.)

This legislation will also lower costs for families and for businesses and for the federal government, reducing our deficit by over $1 trillion in the next two decades. It is paid for. It is fiscally responsible. And it will help lift a decades-long drag on our economy. That's part of what all of you together worked on and made happen. (Applause.)

That our generation is able to succeed in passing this reform is a testament to the persistence –- and the character -– of the American people, who championed this cause; who mobilized; who organized; who believed that people who love this country can change it.

It’s also a testament to the historic leadership -– and uncommon courage –- of the men and women of the United States Congress, who’ve taken their lumps during this difficult debate. (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes, we did. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: You know, there are few tougher jobs in politics or government than leading one of our legislative chambers. In each chamber, there are men and women who come from different places and face different pressures, who reach different conclusions about the same things and feel deeply concerned about different things.

By necessity, leaders have to speak to those different concerns. It isn’t always tidy; it is almost never easy. But perhaps the greatest –- and most difficult –- challenge is to cobble together out of those differences the sense of common interest and common purpose that’s required to advance the dreams of all people -- especially in a country as large and diverse as ours.

And we are blessed by leaders in each chamber who not only do their jobs very well but who never lost sight of that larger mission. They didn’t play for the short term; they didn’t play to the polls or to politics: One of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Nancy! Nancy! Nancy! Nancy!

THE PRESIDENT: One of the best majority leaders the Senate has ever had, Mr. Harry Reid. (Applause.)

To all of the terrific committee chairs, all the members of Congress who did what was difficult, but did what was right, and passed health care reform -- not just this generation of Americans will thank you, but the next generation of Americans will thank you.

And of course, this victory was also made possible by the painstaking work of members of this administration, including our outstanding Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius -- (applause) -- and one of the unsung heroes of this effort, an extraordinary woman who led the reform effort from the White House, Nancy-Ann DeParle. Where’s Nancy? (Applause.)

Today, I’m signing this reform bill into law on behalf of my mother, who argued with insurance companies even as she battled cancer in her final days.

I’m signing it for Ryan Smith, who’s here today. He runs a small business with five employees. He’s trying to do the right thing, paying half the cost of coverage for his workers. This bill will help him afford that coverage.

I’m signing it for 11-year-old Marcelas Owens, who’s also here. (Applause.) Marcelas lost his mom to an illness. And she didn’t have insurance and couldn’t afford the care that she needed. So in her memory he has told her story across America so that no other children have to go through what his family has experienced. (Applause.)

I’m signing it for Natoma Canfield. Natoma had to give up her health coverage after her rates were jacked up by more than 40 percent. She was terrified that an illness would mean she’d lose the house that her parents built, so she gave up her insurance. Now she’s lying in a hospital bed, as we speak, faced with just such an illness, praying that she can somehow afford to get well without insurance. Natoma’s family is here today because Natoma can’t be. And her sister Connie is here. Connie, stand up. (Applause.)

I’m signing this bill for all the leaders who took up this cause through the generations -- from Teddy Roosevelt to Franklin Roosevelt, from Harry Truman, to Lyndon Johnson, from Bill and Hillary Clinton, to one of the deans who’s been fighting this so long, John Dingell. (Applause.) To Senator Ted Kennedy. (Applause.) And it’s fitting that Ted’s widow, Vicki, is here -- it’s fitting that Teddy’s widow, Vicki, is here; and his niece Caroline; his son Patrick, whose vote helped make this reform a reality. (Applause.)

I remember seeing Ted walk through that door in a summit in this room a year ago -- one of his last public appearances. And it was hard for him to make it. But he was confident that we would do the right thing.

Our presence here today is remarkable and improbable. With all the punditry, all of the lobbying, all of the game-playing that passes for governing in Washington, it’s been easy at times to doubt our ability to do such a big thing, such a complicated thing; to wonder if there are limits to what we, as a people, can still achieve. It’s easy to succumb to the sense of cynicism about what’s possible in this country.

But today, we are affirming that essential truth -– a truth every generation is called to rediscover for itself –- that we are not a nation that scales back its aspirations. (Applause.) We are not a nation that falls prey to doubt or mistrust. We don't fall prey to fear. We are not a nation that does what’s easy. That’s not who we are. That’s not how we got here.

We are a nation that faces its challenges and accepts its responsibilities. We are a nation that does what is hard. What is necessary. What is right. Here, in this country, we shape our own destiny. That is what we do. That is who we are. That is what makes us the United States of America.

And we have now just enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care. (Applause.) And it is an extraordinary achievement that has happened because of all of you and all the advocates all across the country.

So, thank you. Thank you. God bless you, and may God bless the United States. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you.

All right, I would now like to call up to stage some of the members of Congress who helped make this day possible, and some of the Americans who will benefit from these reforms. And we’re going to sign this bill.


This is going to take a little while. I’ve got to use every pen, so it’s going to take a really long time. (Laughter.) I didn’t practice. (Laughter.)

(The bill is signed.)

We are done. (Applause.)

END 11:56 A.M. EDT

President Obama signs healthcare into law

story by The Hill
written by Eric Zimmermann
photo by Getty

President Barack Obama signed healthcare reform into law on Tuesday, capping a legislative victory Democrats have sought for decades.

"Today, after almost a century of trying; today, after over a year of debate; today, after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America," Obama said minutes before signing the legislation.

"Here in this country we shape our own destiny," Obama said. "We have now just enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle that everyone should have some basic security when it comes to their healthcare."

He later added that he was signing the bill for his mother, who he said had battled with insurance companies.

Obama was surrounded by House and Senate leaders and key committee chairmen who had worked on healthcare reform as he signed the legislation. Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) were the closest to Obama.

Others in the picture included Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Acting Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who stepped down from that committee.

The late Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-Mass.) widow Vicki was nearby, as was Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle.

Scores more House and Senate Democrats were bused to the White House to view the ceremony. Many took pictures to document the moment; before Obama came out for the ceremony, members posed in front of his podium.

When Obama arrived, the audience of Democrats started a "fired up, ready to go" chant that was used during Obama's presidential campaign.

Obama praised Pelosi and Reid, who hugged one another.

Obama thanked Congress for grinding through the process, acknowledging lawmakers for "taking its lumps" on the issue.

"Yes we did!" an unidentified lawmaker shouted, prompting laughter.

Senate Democrats are still working on a package of adjustments to the legislation Obama signed into law on Tuesday. The Senate hopes to vote on that package by the end of the week, when it would then be sent to Obama for his signature.

Once those changes are made, the law would expand healthcare access to an estimated 31 million Americans at a cost of $940 billion over 10 years. Those costs are to be offset by a series of reforms and taxes, and congressional budget examiners estimate it will cut $138 billion from deficit over the next decade.

Republicans have scoffed at those projections, and outside observers have raised questions over whether future Congresses will go along with reforms intended to reduce the budget deficit.

The House demanded the package of changes as a condition for passing the Senate bill. The legislation is to be considered under budget reconciliation rules that prevent a GOP filibuster.

Obama and his congressional allies chose to highlight the passage of the Senate bill with a ceremonial bill-signing after a grueling year of legislating.

Though liberals in his party have criticized the president for not pushing stronger reform, Democrats largely reacted with a mixture of relief and exuberance to the passage of a bill that was pronounced dead on more than one occasion.

At points in the debate, it seemed possible Obama would repeat the failure of President Bill Clinton, whose ambitious plans for healthcare reform collapsed in Congress. Democrats went on to be crushed in the following midterms.

Democrats hope that the controversy surrounding the current legislation will subside by November, alleviating what they fear could be substantial losses in both chambers.

Thank You letter from the President on Health care Reform Victory

Kirk --

For the first time in our nation's history, Congress has passed comprehensive health care reform. America waited a hundred years and fought for decades to reach this moment. Tonight, thanks to you, we are finally here.

Consider the staggering scope of what you have just accomplished:

Because of you, every American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable health care coverage.

Every American will be covered under the toughest patient protections in history. Arbitrary premium hikes, insurance cancellations, and discrimination against pre-existing conditions will now be gone forever.

And we'll finally start reducing the cost of care -- creating millions of jobs, preventing families and businesses from plunging into bankruptcy, and removing over a trillion dollars of debt from the backs of our children.

But the victory that matters most tonight goes beyond the laws and far past the numbers.

It is the peace of mind enjoyed by every American, no longer one injury or illness away from catastrophe.

It is the workers and entrepreneurs who are now freed to pursue their slice of the American dream without fear of losing coverage or facing a crippling bill.

And it is the immeasurable joy of families in every part of this great nation, living happier, healthier lives together because they can finally receive the vital care they need.

This is what change looks like.

My gratitude tonight is profound. I am thankful for those in past generations whose heroic efforts brought this great goal within reach for our times. I am thankful for the members of Congress whose months of effort and brave votes made it possible to take this final step. But most of all, I am thankful for you.

This day is not the end of this journey. Much hard work remains, and we have a solemn responsibility to do it right. But we can face that work together with the confidence of those who have moved mountains.

Our journey began three years ago, driven by a shared belief that fundamental change is indeed still possible. We have worked hard together every day since to deliver on that belief.

We have shared moments of tremendous hope, and we've faced setbacks and doubt. We have all been forced to ask if our politics had simply become too polarized and too short-sighted to meet the pressing challenges of our time. This struggle became a test of whether the American people could still rally together when the cause was right -- and actually create the change we believe in.

Tonight, thanks to your mighty efforts, the answer is indisputable: Yes we can.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP CONGRESSMAN JIM CLYBURN: THIS IS THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF THE 21st CENTURY

Clyburn Floor Statement on Historic Health Insurance Reform Legislation

WASHINGTON, DC—House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today delivered remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives in favor of H.R. 4872, Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, landmark legislation that enacts the toughest insurance reforms in history, reduces the cost of health care for millions of American families and businesses, including those who have health insurance, cuts waste, expands benefits and strengthens the solvency of Medicare and is one of the biggest deficit reduction bills in history.

“Mr. Speaker, we have come to a defining moment in our nation's history. Tonight I’m thinking about the woman who called into a talk radio program that I appeared on last August. She called in to take issue with the gentleman who had just called in earlier to say that he did not support our efforts to reform the health care system because he liked the insurance he had. The caller shared her experience of having been dropped from coverage by an insurance company she thought she liked, just as she started her second treatment for breast cancer. She said to the gentleman, that maybe he liked the insurance he had because he had never tried to use it.

“With these reforms, dropping people from coverage when they are diagnosed with catastrophic illnesses would no longer be allowed and denying insurance to children with diabetes and other pre-existing conditions will end immediately. These reforms will allow children to remain on their parents' insurance policies until their 26th birthday. This bill will immediately begin closing the doughnut hole for prescription medications for seniors and eliminate burdensome co-pays or deductibles for their preventive care.

“Despite deafening protests from the other side, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the reforms included in this bill will reduce our deficit by $143 billion in the first 10 years and $1.2 trillion in the second 10 years. This bill will also create jobs, 400,000 good-paying jobs, reliable jobs, for every year and for small businesses. Small businesses will get a tax break on their health care premiums that will free up money for them to hire 80,000 more employees.

“Mr. Speaker, we have debated this issue for several generations. The time has come to act. This is the Civil Rights Act of the 21st Century. Tonight, we will take a significant step to move our country forward. I yield back the balance of my time.”

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE HOUSE VOTE ON HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM

March 21, 2010

East Room

11:47 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everybody. Tonight, after nearly 100 years of talk and frustration, after decades of trying, and a year of sustained effort and debate, the United States Congress finally declared that America’s workers and America's families and America's small businesses deserve the security of knowing that here, in this country, neither illness nor accident should endanger the dreams they’ve worked a lifetime to achieve.

Tonight, at a time when the pundits said it was no longer possible, we rose above the weight of our politics. We pushed back on the undue influence of special interests. We didn't give in to mistrust or to cynicism or to fear. Instead, we proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things and tackling our biggest challenges. We proved that this government -- a government of the people and by the people -- still works for the people.

I want to thank every member of Congress who stood up tonight with courage and conviction to make health care reform a reality. And I know this wasn’t an easy vote for a lot of people. But it was the right vote. I want to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her extraordinary leadership, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn for their commitment to getting the job done. I want to thank my outstanding Vice President, Joe Biden, and my wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, for their fantastic work on this issue. I want to thank the many staffers in Congress, and my own incredible staff in the White House, who have worked tirelessly over the past year with Americans of all walks of life to forge a reform package finally worthy of the people we were sent here to serve.

Today’s vote answers the dreams of so many who have fought for this reform. To every unsung American who took the time to sit down and write a letter or type out an e-mail hoping your voice would be heard -- it has been heard tonight. To the untold numbers who knocked on doors and made phone calls, who organized and mobilized out of a firm conviction that change in this country comes not from the top down, but from the bottom up -- let me reaffirm that conviction: This moment is possible because of you.

Most importantly, today’s vote answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a health care system that works for insurance companies, but not for ordinary people. For most Americans, this debate has never been about abstractions, the fight between right and left, Republican and Democrat -- it’s always been about something far more personal. It’s about every American who knows the shock of opening an envelope to see that their premiums just shot up again when times are already tough enough. It’s about every parent who knows the desperation of trying to cover a child with a chronic illness only to be told “no” again and again and again. It’s about every small business owner forced to choose between insuring employees and staying open for business. They are why we committed ourselves to this cause.

Tonight’s vote is not a victory for any one party -- it's a victory for them. It's a victory for the American people. And it's a victory for common sense.

Now, it probably goes without saying that tonight’s vote will give rise to a frenzy of instant analysis. There will be tallies of Washington winners and losers, predictions about what it means for Democrats and Republicans, for my poll numbers, for my administration. But long after the debate fades away and the prognostication fades away and the dust settles, what will remain standing is not the government-run system some feared, or the status quo that serves the interests of the insurance industry, but a health care system that incorporates ideas from both parties -- a system that works better for the American people.

If you have health insurance, this reform just gave you more control by reining in the worst excesses and abuses of the insurance industry with some of the toughest consumer protections this country has ever known -- so that you are actually getting what you pay for.

If you don’t have insurance, this reform gives you a chance to be a part of a big purchasing pool that will give you choice and competition and cheaper prices for insurance. And it includes the largest health care tax cut for working families and small businesses in history -- so that if you lose your job and you change jobs, start that new business, you’ll finally be able to purchase quality, affordable care and the security and peace of mind that comes with it.

This reform is the right thing to do for our seniors. It makes Medicare stronger and more solvent, extending its life by almost a decade. And it’s the right thing to do for our future. It will reduce our deficit by more than $100 billion over the next decade, and more than $1 trillion in the decade after that.

So this isn’t radical reform. But it is major reform. This legislation will not fix everything that ails our health care system. But it moves us decisively in the right direction. This is what change looks like.

Now as momentous as this day is, it's not the end of this journey. On Tuesday, the Senate will take up revisions to this legislation that the House has embraced, and these are revisions that have strengthened this law and removed provisions that had no place in it. Some have predicted another siege of parliamentary maneuvering in order to delay adoption of these improvements. I hope that’s not the case. It’s time to bring this debate to a close and begin the hard work of implementing this reform properly on behalf of the American people. This year, and in years to come, we have a solemn responsibility to do it right.

Nor does this day represent the end of the work that faces our country. The work of revitalizing our economy goes on. The work of promoting private sector job creation goes on. The work of putting American families’ dreams back within reach goes on. And we march on, with renewed confidence, energized by this victory on their behalf.

In the end, what this day represents is another stone firmly laid in the foundation of the American Dream. Tonight, we answered the call of history as so many generations of Americans have before us. When faced with crisis, we did not shrink from our challenge -- we overcame it. We did not avoid our responsibility -- we embraced it. We did not fear our future -- we shaped it.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

END 11:55 P.M. EDT

House passes Senate Health Care Bill, 219-212

House passes Senate Health Care Bill, 219-212

President Obama: "It was the right vote"

The House has passed both the Senate health care legislation and the reconciliation bill. The reconciliation bill now goes to the Senate for debate and the passed Senate bill heads to President Obama for his signature.

House passes Senate Health Care Bill, 219-212. The President is expected to sign the Health Care Bill within three days following other procedural votes. The biggest hurdle was the House vote that just passed.

The President spoke immediately after the House passage of the Senate Bill "complimenting all of Congress for their steadfastness and patience during this long debate. "We proved that this government -- a government of the people and by the people -- still works for the people. I want to thank every member of Congress who stood up tonight with courage and conviction to make health care reform a reality. And I know this wasn’t an easy vote for a lot of people. But it was the right vote."

Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Ca) stated that "affordable Health Care is now here. It is an All-American act. 32 million Americans will now have access to Health Care." Pelosi thanked the President and the Democratic wing of the House.

Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.) reminised about the passage of Medicare while a law student at Georgetown University. Rep. Hoyer considered the passage of the Health Care Bill "as great a moment as the passage of Medicare by President Lyndon Johnson. Hoyer complimented Pelosi for her courage on behalf of the American people.

Majority House Whip Jim Clyburn (SC) was thankful and also complimentary of Pelosi as a tactician and for her leadership. Rep. Clyburn called the Health Care Bill "the Civil Rights issue of the 21st Century".

Tiger Woods answers questions from Golf Channel reporter

photo by Getty Images

Link Below to Video interview with Tiger Woods on the Golf Channel:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-videos/-13811/?ref=26000

On why he got married:

Woods: "Why? ‘Cause I loved her. I loved Elin with everything I have. And that's something that makes me feel even worse. That I did this to someone I loved that much."

On the depth of his infidelity:

Woods: "Well, just one is enough. Um, and obviously that wasn't the case, and I've made my mistakes. And as I've said, I've hurt so many people, and so many people I have to make an amends to, and that's living a life of amends."

On all that has happened over the past year:

Woods: "A lot has transpired in my life. A lot of ugly things have happened. Things that have.....I've done some pretty bad things in my life. And uh, all came to a head. But now, after treatment, going for inpatient treatment for 45 days and more outpatient treatment, um, I'm getting back to my old roots."

On what happened the day of the car accident:

Woods: "Well you know it's all in the police report. Beyond that everything's between Elin and myself and that's private."

On why he didn't seek treatment before all the news broke:

Woods: "Well I didn't know I was that bad....stripping away denial, rationalization. You strip that away and you find the truth."

On the low points -- the moments of having to tell his wife and mother:

Woods: "They both have been brutal. They've both been very tough. Because I hurt them the most. Those are the two people in my life who I'm closest to and to say the things that I've done, truthfully to them, is...honestly was...very painful."

On what his measure of success will be at the Masters:

Woods: "Well, playing is one thing. I'm excited to get back and play, I'm excited to get to see the guys again. I really miss a lot of my friends out there. I miss competing. But still, I still have a lot more treatment to do, and just because I'm playing, doesn't mean I'm gonna stop going to treatment."

On the expected/hopeful reception from fans:

Woods: "I don't know. I don't know. I'm a little nervous about that to be honest with you...It would be nice to hear a couple claps here and there...but also hope they clap for birdies too (laughs)."

Tea Party Express protest the Health Care Reform Bill in Washingon

Jimi Hendrix Tops Elvis Presley

by Paul Grein in Chart Watch

Week Ending March 14, 2010:


The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Valleys Of Neptune enters The Billboard 200 at #4, putting the rock legend back in the top five nearly 40 years after he died at the tragically young age of 27. No other artist has cracked the top five this long after his death. Elvis Presley is in second place. His Elvis: 2nd To None debuted at #3 in October 2003, a little more than 26 years after his death..

Hendrix is the second music legend to make the top five posthumously in the past two weeks. Johnny Cash bowed at #3 two weeks ago with American VI: Ain't No Grave. But Cash died less than seven years ago. It's more remarkable for an artist who died four decades ago to make significant chart waves..

Valleys Of Neptune is, incredibly, Hendrix's 34th posthumous album to make The Billboard 200..

Hendrix was a star for just three years, from June 1967, when he played the Monterey International Pop Festival, to September 1970, when he died in London of a drug overdose. The guitar hero had four top five albums in his lifetime. This is his third top five album since his death. It follows The Cry Of Love, which hit #3 in 1971, and Crash Landing, which reached #5 in 1975..

Four of Hendrix's catalog albums re-enter The Billboard 200 this week. 1967's Are You Experienced? bows at #44, followed by 1968's Electric Ladyland at #60, the 1997 compilation First Rays Of The New Rising Sun at #63 and 1968's Axis: Bold As Love at #67..

Experienced? first cracked The Billboard 200 on Aug. 26, 1967. It was only the 10th highest new entry of the week (!), opening at an unimpressive #190. The album took 59 weeks to reach its #5 peak in October 1968. This week's debut of Valleys Of Neptune gives Hendrix a nearly 41-1/2 year span of top five albums.

Tea Partyers Shout N-Word at Black Congressmen leaving House Office Building

story by AP 
written by Alan Fram
photo left by Congress of Rep. John Lewis (Ga.)

(THE CAPITOL/WASHINGTON DC) — House Democrats heard it all Saturday — words of inspiration from President Barack Obama and raucous chants of protests from demonstrators. And at times it was flat-out ugly, including some racial epithets aimed at black members of Congress.

Most of the day's important work leading up to Sunday's historic vote on health care was being done behind closed doors. Democratic leaders cajoled, bargained and did what they needed to nail down the votes they will need to finally push Obama's health care overhaul bill through the House.

But much else about the day was noisy, emotional and right out in the open. After more than a year debating the capstone of Obama's domestic agenda and just hours to go before the showdown vote, there was little holding back.

The tone was set outside the Capitol. Clogging the sidewalks and streets of Capitol Hill were at least hundreds — no official estimate was yet available — of loud, furious protesters, many of them tea party opponents of the health care overhaul.

Rallies outside the Capitol are typically orderly, with speeches and well-behaved crowds. Saturday's was different, with anger-fueled demonstrators surrounding members of Congress who walked by, yelling at them. "Kill the bill," the largely middle-aged crowd shouted, surging toward lawmakers who crossed the street between their office buildings and the Capitol.

The motorcade that carried Obama to Capitol Hill to whip up support for the bill drove past crowds waving signs that read "Stop the spending" and "Get your hands out of my pocketbook and health care." Many booed and thrust their thumbs down as Obama rode by. As police held protesters back to clear areas for lawmakers outside the Capitol Obama's speech, some jeered and chanted at the officers, "You work for us."

Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., told a reporter that as he left the Cannon House Office Building with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a leader of the civil rights era, some among the crowd chanted "the N-word, the N-word, 15 times." Both Carson and Lewis are black. "It was like going into the time machine with John Lewis," said Carson, a large former police officer who said he wasn't frightened but worried about the 70-year-old Lewis, who is twice his age. "He said it reminded him of another time."

Kristie Greco, spokeswoman for Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said a protester spit on Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., who is black. Clyburn (photo right by Politico), who led fellow black students in integrating South Carolina's public facilities a half century ago, called the behavior "absolutely shocking." "I heard people saying things today that I have not heard since March 15, 1960, when I was marching to try to get off the back of the bus," Clyburn told reporters.

Inside House office buildings, protesters made their views known by visiting lawmakers' offices and chanting at legislators walking by. Among the demonstrators was Delane Stewart, 65, of Cookeville, Tenn., who had come with her husband, Jesse. "You know what's coming next if this happens?" she said, referring to the health bill's passage. "They're going to come after gun control." Retired businessman Randy Simpson, 67, of Seneca, S.C., also said the health bill was just a first step. "My concerns are about the health care bill, and the direction it takes us is toward communism, quite frankly," he said.

At a daylong meeting of the House Rules Committee, members of both parties squeezed into a tiny hearing room traded accusations in a session that was often a shouting match. "You all in the minority know what the American people think," Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., said loudly and mockingly at Republicans repeatedly saying the public overwhelmingly opposes health care. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said a tricky voting procedure Democrats had been contemplating "corrupts and prostitutes the system" and would "unleash a cultural war in this country."

Obama's Capitol Hill visit was the day's emotional peak for House Democrats as he sought to energize them to finally approve the legislation. He conceded that it could be tough for some to vote for the bill, but predicted it would end up being politically smart because once it becomes law people will realize they like its provisions like curbs on insurance companies. "It is in your hands," the president said in what Clyburn later called the best speech he'd ever heard Obama make. "It is time to pass health care reform for America, and I am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow." — Associated Press reporters Charles Babington and Christine Simmons contributed to this report.

Panelists urge the President to address African-Ameicans’ needs

story by conservative Chicago Tribune newspaper
written by Dahleen Glanton

photo right of Tavis Smiley (at mic) with Tom Burrell, Minister Farrakhan, and Jesse Jackson

On the eve of a crucial vote in Congress on health care legislation, thousands of African-Americans gathered in Chicago to urge President Barack Obama to pay more attention to blacks.

The president has pointed to his efforts to overhaul the health care system, rebuild the economy and improve education as inclusive policies that will affect the nation as a whole, while also improving conditions for minorities who have suffered disproportionately in the recession.

But many blacks have become increasingly frustrated with Obama for failing to develop programs targeting the hardest-hit communities.

"President Obama is not addressing our black agenda because he has been told (by some black leaders) that he doesn't have to," said former Chicago Ald. Dorothy Tillman, one of 12 panelists at Saturday's symposium at Chicago State University. "We are so happy to have a black face in the White House that we think we have to get back in our place."

The "We Count!" event, which at times resembled a church rally with people standing and shouting "Amen," was an effort to voice the concerns of African-Americans and offer constructive criticism that could lead to policy changes, said Tavis Smiley, the television and radio host who organized it.

Participants urged Obama to stand up for African-Americans, who gave him 97 percent of their votes in the election and continue to give him record high approval ratings as he loses support from other groups.

Minister Louis Farrakhan, whose Nation of Islam followers provided security at the event, said that despite black turnout, it was the white power structure that put Obama in office and the same wealthy whites are controlling the agenda.

"When you are running (for office), you can say a lot of things …" Farrakhan said. "President Obama does not run this country, he has been chosen to run white affairs. If (African-Americans) get something, it is because we organized and forced the government to speak to our needs."

As a symbol of respect and admiration for the president despite the disagreements, a cube with the word "love" written on it was placed at the center of the table to indicate that the event was not an attack on Obama.

But that is not how everyone saw it. April Lewis, a 30-year-old Chicago State student, said she expected to get some answers about health care reform and the recession. Instead, she said, it was an "Obama-bashing event."


"I wanted them to focus on issues in Congress and what our community needs to do to help the president get things done. I wanted to hear more answers and solutions," Lewis said, adding that she would definitely vote for Obama again. "I think his heart is in the right place, and we should stop looking to criticize him so much."


Rashidi Baruti, 58, of Chicago, said he thinks Obama needs to do more to help African-Americans and is not sure at this point whether he would vote for him a second time.

"When other groups address their issues, nobody says anything," said Baruti, who works in the medical field. "It is time for us to get him to address our issues. We shouldn't feel uncomfortable doing it. Fear is what holds us back."

The debate over the "black agenda" has resulted in strong disagreements among some black leaders and the president's outspoken critics. Smiley said he hopes both sides eventually come together.

"This was a conversation whose time has come in black America," he said. "I hope all the drama and nonsense has been put to rest."

Your Comments welcome:

Lorraine315: I watched the whole thing yesterday and as much as I respect many on the panel, I have come to realize that they are simply what I consider “Buy My Book Activist” In other words their leadership is no longer in the streets its in Barnes and Noble. Tavis said something that really p*ssed me off- he made sure to point out the Obama Admin was invited but they declined. President Obama canceled EVERYTHING(his overseas trip) to see this health care reform through. What makes Travis think the President would take from the most important bill in modern history to send someone to talk to his crazy azz? The only one on the panel that really “inspired” me was Minister Farrahkan!

Tammy Lee: LEVEL THE OTHER PARTS OF THE PLAYING FIELD. And, I'm good.

Mark Gunn: "Black Leadership" is a misnomer ! THERE'S NO SUCH THING ! These idiots are whining and moaning about problems their lack of action has helped to create. The American Agenda IS the Black Agenda. Is health care just for White Folks ? Are Whites the only ones being affected by the economy ?Dumb asses ! Where's your "leadership" when it comes to ... See Moredealing with drugs, gangs, HIV/Aids ? Where's your "leadership" when it comes to educating Blacks about the political process ?Instead of trying to "hold the President's feet to the fire", you need to SHUT THE F*^K UP and do the job you were elected to do ! Trust me. Bitching and moaning ain't it !

Carolyn B. Baker: Some of us are sooooo stupid that it is appalling!Amen Mark...and who the f*^K appointed them anyway?

Mark Gunn: There was no memo, no meeting, nothing !

Anita Toney: Why is Tavis so against the President?

Robbie Jones: Can we just support our President and get him to his second term where he can do more!