Morning News
President Obama's health reform proposal:
From the New York Times:
The most basic facts to keep in mind are that Mr. Obama’s plan, which builds on a sound bill already passed by the Senate, would provide coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people while reducing future deficits and beginning to rein in medical costs.
Mr. Obama’s plan also adds important new features that should make it more attractive to House Democrats and to the general public.
His boldest new idea is to give the federal government powers, in conjunction with state insurance regulators, to reject excessive premium increases. Anyone who read in horror, as we did last week, about rate increases of up to 39 percent for some California clients of Anthem Blue Cross should find that idea a particular relief...
Americans also need to keep in mind what Republican leaders mean when they talk about health care reform. All of their ideas have these basic facts in common: they would not reduce the number of uninsured Americans substantially; they would not guarantee affordable coverage for people with pre-existing conditions; they make only feeble attempts to rein in medical costs; and their proposals to slow the rise in the cost of premiums would mostly benefit the healthy. That is not enough.
Mr. Obama’s proposals provide a firm basis for both the Senate and House to move forward with comprehensive reforms. If the Republicans resort to filibusters to block passage, the Democrats should use a budget reconciliation procedure that requires only a majority vote for passage in the Senate.
This may be the last best chance for decades to come to reform the nation’s broken health care system. Mr. Obama and Democratic leaders should fight to win.
From the Washington Post:
President Obama signaled his determination to forge ahead with a Democratic vision of comprehensive health-care reform as he unveiled on Monday an ambitious proposal that would extend coverage to 31 million people, raise taxes on the wealthy and ratchet up regulations on insurers.
The proposal is a carefully calibrated attempt to relaunch a nearly year-long effort that has stalled: It tries to combine the separate bills that narrowly passed the House and Senate into a final version that could pass muster in both chambers. Like the Senate and House bills, the proposal would require almost everyone to obtain insurance or pay a fine and provide income-based subsidies to those who cannot afford it. It would expand Medicaid for the working poor and impose new requirements on insurers that sell policies in a new "exchange," or marketplace, where those without employer-based benefits could buy coverage.
From the Los Angeles Times:
In an 11th-hour bid to rally Democrats behind a sweeping healthcare overhaul, President Obama offered his own detailed plan Monday that would expand coverage, tighten regulation of the insurance industry and seek greater efficiencies in the nation's medical system.
The 10-year $950-billion blueprint -- released by the White House three days before a healthcare summit with congressional Democrats and Republicans -- would also raise a variety of taxes and cut Medicare spending while reducing the federal deficit by $100 billion.
In unveiling the plan, the White House also challenged GOP leaders to offer an alternative.
Senate moves forward with jobs bill:
From Reuters:
President Barack Obama welcomed a U.S. Senate vote that advanced a modest job-creation bill on Monday, calling it an "important step forward" and vowing to work with both major parties to pass legislation.
"The American people want to see Washington put aside partisan differences and make progress on jobs," Obama said in a statement after the newest Senate Republican bucked his party and sided with Democrats on a $15 billion package, overcoming a procedural hurdle that sets up a final vote this week.
"This is one of many efforts we need to tackle our economic challenges, and we will continue to work with Congress on additional job creation measures," Obama said. "Jobs remain our top priority, and I look forward to working with members from both parties to get legislation signed and the American people back to work.
From the Associated Press:
Highlights of bipartisan jobs legislation that cleared a GOP filibuster on Monday:
Hiring tax incentives — Exempts employers from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax this year on newly hired workers that have been unemployed for 60 days or more. Provides additional $1,000 tax credit for workers retained for at least a year. Cost: $13 billion.
Highway programs — Reauthorizes through the end of 2010 the highway trust fund to use gasoline taxes to help state Buy Cialis and local governments pay for highway and transit projects. Deposits an additional $20 billion into the trust fund.
Equipment write-offs — Permits businesses to write off equipment as a business expense rather than depreciating them over time. Cost: $35 million.
Build America Bonds — Expands the Build America Bonds program to subsidize the interest costs of bonds to include certain school and energy projects. Cost: $2.3 billion.