Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Rain expected in Makkah and Jeddah on Saturday    Al-Jadaan: Crown Prince's directives confirm government's ability to bring back balance to real estate market    China retaliates against Trump's trade war with 34% reciprocal tariffs on US goods    Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli escalation, targeting of civilians and Saudi warehouse in Gaza    Danish PM dismisses US desire to annex Greenland 'You cannot annex another country'    Macron lashes out against Trump's 'brutal' tariffs, calls for a pause in investment    Saudi Crown Prince, Iranian president discuss regional developments in Eid phone call    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    New Laws of Commercial Registration and Trade Names take effect on Thursday    New fleet of 76 public transport buses starts operation in Jeddah on Tuesday Environmentally friendly electric buses introduced for first time    Foreign investors are allowed to engage in real estate business outside Makkah and Madinah Commercial speculation should not be the purpose of real estate transaction    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Cristiano Ronaldo joins Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Swedish table tennis legend Jörgen Persson appointed head coach of Saudi national team    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Obama: 'Time to deliver' on health care
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 06 - 06 - 2009


President Barack Obama issued a strong
plea for action on his health care agenda Saturday, using
his weekly radio and Internet address to focus on his top
domestic priority even while traveling overseas, according to AP.
«It's time to deliver,» said Obama, in a talk timed to
gatherings in living rooms and coffee shops around the
country by tens of thousands of Americans organized by his
campaign to talk about health care. The aim of the
community gatherings beginning Saturday morning and
continuing through the weekend was to build a groundswell
of support for congressional action.
«If we do nothing, everyone's health care will be put in
jeopardy,» Obama said.
«Fixing what's wrong with our health care system is no
longer a luxury we hope to achieve _ it's a necessity we
cannot postpone any longer,» the president said.
Obama, who's been traveling in the Middle East and Europe,
spoke as the first bill containing language to implement
his health care goals began circulating on Capitol Hill.
Draft legislation from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's health
committee would require employers to cover their employees
or pay a penalty, and would guarantee coverage for all.
That parallels Obama's goals of lowering costs, ensuring
choice, and providing coverage to some 50 million uninsured
Americans.
Obama articulated those goals again in his radio address
and in a videotaped message that was being shown to
supporters at the community meetings.
«Any health care reform must be built around fundamental
reforms that lower costs, improve quality and coverage and
also protect consumer choice,» Obama said in the radio
address.
He said that he supports a plan that would not add to the
budget deficit, touching on a major issue that remains
unresolved little more than a week away from the first
scheduled votes in Senate committees.
Congress still hasn't figured out how to pay for a health
overhaul that could cost $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion or
even more over a decade. Obama has put forward some ideas,
including cuts to Medicare and Medicaid _ the
government-sponsored programs that provide health care
coverage to the elderly, poor and disabled . Others he's
suggested, including limiting some tax deductions rich
people can take, have already gotten shot down on Capitol
Hill.
And despite Obama's stated preference for a bipartisan
solution, that's looking hard to achieve.
Although he didn't mention the issue in his radio address,
Obama supports a new public insurance plan that would give
all Americans the opportunity of getting
government-sponsored care.
Private insurers are adamantly opposed, fearing they would
be driven out of business, as are most Republicans. Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered speeches on the
Senate floor almost every day this past week railing
against the concept, and reiterated the point in an
interview with radio reporters Friday.
«The key to a bipartisan bill is to not have a government
plan in the bill, no matter what it's called,» the
Kentucky Republican said. «When I say no government plan,
I mean no government plan. Not something described some
other way, not something that gets us to the same place by
indirection. No government plan.»
Obama barely alluded to such opposition in his radio
address.
«When you bring together disparate groups with differing
views, there will be lively debate. And that's a debate I
welcome,» the president said. «But what we can't welcome
is reform that just invests more money in the status quo _
reform that throws good money after bad habits.»


Clic here to read the story from its source.