Obama Sends Health Care Reform Message To College

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

President Barack Obama held another in a series of health care rallies late Thursday morning, this time tailoring the health care reform message for college students.

“A lot of you here today and a lot of young people gave their time and their effort to this campaign because you believe America can still do great things,” Obama said to the heavily college aged crowd at the University of Maryland. “I may not be the first President to take up health care reform, but I am determined to be the last with your help.”

The President addressed the heated tone taken by opponents of Obama’s plan in recent months, describing their proposed solutions to the health care crisis as the “same old, same old.” However, Obama did note that tort reform, which has been pushed heavily by Republicans, was an idea worth considering.

“I’ve heard a lot of Republicans say they want to kill Obamacare. Some may even raise money off it. But when you ask these folks what exactly my plan does they have it all wrong,” Obama said.

Obama once again defended the notion of a public health care option, denying that it was a form of “government takeover.”

Obama also discussed education issues, noting that Congress would soon be voting on student loan reform.

“Because you voted for change in November, we’re going to bring change to the House of Representatives today,” Obama said.

At one point an excited student yelled out “I love you, Obama.”

“I love you back,” Obama replied.

Steele Condemns Democrats' Approach To Health Care Reform

By Learned Foote- Talk Radio News Service

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele condemned proposals for health care reform advanced by the Democratic Party and criticized the legislative process that he says has excluded the GOP in an address at the National Press Club on Monday.

Steele called President Obama a “good man who cares deeply about this country, but he is determined...to transform it into something none of us would recognize.”

Steele argued that the primary affliction of the health care system in the U.S. is rising costs, noting that the U.S. spends over 15% of its GDP on health care, whereas comparable countries spend about 10% of their GDP with similar outcomes. He said that “our uninsured are a symptom of that cost problem.”

Steele claimed that both Republicans and Democrats would like to see the costs associated with private health care significantly reduced, but argued that "the “Democrats’ plan to save money will cost us more money,” and that their “plan to reduce health care costs will cost us trillions more in tax dollars.” He cited a report released by the Congressional Budget Office last Friday as evidence, and also said that this report did not account for the administrative costs associated with the legislation, which he said would be even more expensive.

Steele suggested some solutions to curb these rising costs. These suggestions included posting the prices and outcomes of various procedures online, simplifying health insurance contracts to promote competition, protecting doctors from frivolous lawsuits, enacting penalties against those who unethically profit from the health care system, encouraging small businesses to form health care plans and coops, cutting Washington bureaucrats out of the equation, allowing people to retain health insurance as they move from job to job, and enabling Americans to purchase health insurance from various states, regardless of their home state.

Steele also said that “much about our health care system is in very good shape,” and said that the Democratic proposals could “lead to a 119 million Americans being dumped out of their private coverage into a cheaper, government-run health care program.”

He said that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leaders of the Senate and House respectively, “aren’t really doctors, they’re just trying to play one on Capitol Hill by experimenting with health care and insisting on a big government takeover.”

Steele criticized the legislative process, which he says is occurring too quickly for Congress to read the legislation at hand, saying that the Democrats are “determined to shove this bill through without permitting any meaningful scrutiny,” and are leaving Republican leadership out of the discussion. “The Democrats have no intention to have a bipartisan bill,” he added.

Legal Experts Debate Congressional Authority Over Executive Power

By Learned Foote- Talk Radio News Service

Legal experts, former politicians, and a member of the Obama administration discussed the balance of powers in the U.S. government in a panel hosted by the Constitution Project and the Project on Government Oversight.

The conversation focused on the authority of Congress to obtain information from the executive branch in order to maintain oversight, an authority that some panelists argue has been compromised by the Bush and Obama administrations.

“Congress has been dealt a pretty good hand by the Founding Fathers,” said Morton Rosenberg, a legal expert on the separation of powers in government. “But of late, it’s been playing its cards very badly.” Rosenberg said he was “concerned about the state of Congress’ ability to engage in effective oversight...to ensure that its will is carried out.”

Former Congressman Mickey Edwards, a Republican from Oklahoma, emphasized that the American government puts power in the “hands of the people directly through their elected representatives.” He said that Congress has an “obligation” to exert authority over declarations of war, spending priorities, tax policy, and confirmations to the Supreme Court.

“If the Congress does not do everything in its power to get the information it needs to act on behalf of the American people, it has abdicated its responsibility, and it has been guilty in my view of malfeasance.”

Rosenberg described the mechanisms by which Congress exercises authority over the executive branch, including the threat of subpoena. He said that over the past decade, the efficacy of these mechanisms has declined, citing a case where the House of Representatives voted to hold two aides to George W. Bush, Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten in contempt.

Rosenberg also criticized the Obama administration, which he said has “not evidenced any substantial change in the executive’s attitude toward Congressional access to information.” He mentioned that Obama has upheld the “controversial Bush II practice of pin-pointing provisions of law that he was signing into law as being unconstitutional or suspect, and he would decide whether or not...to obey them.”

Ron Weich, the Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs in the Obama administration, said that the current executive branch agrees that Congressional oversight is important, and emphasized that President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden, along with many other members of the Obama administration, have served in Congress.

Nonetheless, he argued that the Constitution establishes “a healthy push-and-pull among the branches.”

Regarding the release of information to Congress, Weich said that there are “limits on what we [the executive branch] can provide, and these are embodied in long-standing principles.”

Transportation Industry Benefitting From Stimulus

By Sam Wechsler - Talk Radio News Service

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has been successful in providing and saving jobs in the transportation sector, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Wednesday. He also pointed out that we are only four months into a two year recovery plan, so most results aren't yet perceptible.

Durbin says the government has provided checks for $60.4 billion and has allocated $234 billion of the total $787 billion stimulus package. Ed Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, said that an historic $48 billion of the stimulus will be spent on transportation.

“I wish the recession would end tomorrow but we have to be patient...for those who say ‘accelerate payments,’ I have the same basic feeling myself. But I just know from human and government experience that haste does make waste. Let’s make sure these funds are well invested and well spent,” said Durbin.

Wytkind discussed the multiplier effect that occurs when the transportation industry spends money that simultaneously benefits other sectors of the economy, such as the steel and lumber industries.

Wytkind criticized former President George W. Bush’s administration for neglecting to use the transportation industry as a mode for job creation. “The fact is that Americans are hurting, our members are hurting, because of eight years of do-nothing economic policies. [President Obama and the new Congress] are wedded to turning around an economy that is reeling,” said Wytkind.

Obama Tells G8 Leaders That Health Care Reform Will Lower U.S. Deficit

By Sam Wechsler - Talk Radio News Service

Health care reform will drive down the federal deficit, President Obama said at a news conference Friday at the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy. Obama also discussed Iran, saying he hopes to soon welcome the politically-embroiled nation into the international community.

Obama said he understands Republicans’ concern for the U.S.'s massive budget deficit, but said “what cannot be denied is that the only way to get a handle on our medium and long term budget deficits is to corral and contain health care costs.” Obama said that while it is not absolutely necessary, he wants to pass a health care reform bill by the August congressional recess.

“My biggest job is to explain to the American people why this is so important and give them confidence that we can do better than we’re doing right now,” said Obama.

As for the nuclear weapons program in Iran, President Obama stated that he would evaluate that at the G20 meeting in September.

“The international community has said ‘here’s a door you [Iran] can walk through that allows you to lessen tensions and more fully join the international community.’ If Iran chooses not to walk through that door you have on record, the G8 to begin with, but I think potentially a lot of other countries that say we need to take further steps,” said Obama.