8:10 p.m. – As we await the President’s appearance, some words from AUL Staff Counsel Mary Harned, who has seen an advance copy of part of Obama’s speech: “No matter how President Obama and Congress change the structure of the health care reform proposals — whether there is a public option, co-op, exchange, etc. — any legislation that provides government funding for health care must contain explicit language that excludes abortion. Abortion is not health care; however, based on how courts have interpreted Medicaid, we know that courts will interpret any legislation relating to government-funded health care as requiring abortion coverage unless there is an explicit prohibition (like Hyde).”
8:12 p.m. – The President is introduced.
8:17 p.m. – Obama starts by recounting America’s economic woes. “I will not let up until Americans who seek jobs can find them.” Applause.
8:18 p.m. – Claims that his “bold and decisive action” since January has “pulled the economy back from the brink.”
8:19 p.m. – “I am not the first President to take up this cause [health care], but I am determined to be the last.” Applause.
8:20 p.m. – “Our collective failure to meet this challenge … has led us to the breaking point.” He is trying to highlight a sense of urgency.
8:21 p.m. – “We are the only democracy, the only advanced democracy” [perhaps correcting himself due to speed-reading his Teleprompter] that “allows such hardship” (as being uninsured) for millions of its people.
8:22 p.m. – He’s now running down a list of horror stories about problems of uninsured people in America.
8:25 p.m. – “Our health care system is putting an unsustainable burden on taxpayers.” And YOUR agenda will cost us HOW much, Mr. President? Have you looked at your own CBO’s figures?
8:26 p.m. – Obama says that some think the only way to fix the system is to have a single-payer system like that in Canada. Someone in the hall thinks it’s an applause line. He goes on to say that he’d rather “build on what works and fix what doesn’t rather than building an entirely new system from scratch.” But the current House plan would in fact build an entirely new system.
8:28 p.m. – Starts complaining about “scare tactics” by opponents of Obamacare. “The time for bickering is over.” He’s raising his voice. “NOW IS THE SEASON FOR ACTION!” Applause.
8:29 p.m. – Claims his plan would “slow the growth of health care costs.” But is it a new plan — his own? He’s not specifying that he is in fact offering a plan.
8:29 p.m. – “Nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.” But what is “our” plan? He’s implying he has his own plan, but hasn’t actually said he’s offering one. As Michael Steele said in Politico (will link the article shortly), there is NO plan currently in Congress that has all the things the Prez claims “our plan” has.
8:32 p.m. – He’s running down a long list of what his plan will offer. It’s much like RNC Chairman Michael Steele wrote earlier today:
Here’s what we know for sure – the president will give a good speech Wednesday night. He always does. We also know that he will say a lot of things that the American public likes and agrees with when it comes to health care reform. He always does.
But there is one small problem. Speaker Pelosi’s bill, a bill that the president has endorsed, doesn’t have anything in common with the president’s eloquent, poll-tested rhetoric. In fact, no Democrat proposal exists from the president or any of his congressmen that has anything in common with the president’s rhetoric.
8:35 p.m. – Says his plan will REQUIRE individuals to carry basic health insurance, just like drivers are required to carry auto insurance.
8:36 p.m. – “While there remain some significant aspects of the plan to be ironed out” — this line is met with laughter.
8:38 p.m. – Anger erupts from the crowd as Obama insists his reform would not cover illegal immigrants.
8:38 p.m. – “No federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.” WHAT conscience laws — the regulations he put on ice when he took office? And to say that federal dollars will not be used to fund abortions is misleading, as every plan in Congress right now would mandate abortion funding. Unless the President plans to immediately demand that abortion be explicitly excluded from any health care plan, the courts, under existing laws, will be required to read abortion into any plan passed by Congress. See AUL’s RealHealthCareRespectsLife.com for details on this.
Liveblogging will continue presently in a new post.
