Biden: Hospitals Back Health Care Reform

Hospital associations will be aiding the White House’s health reform effort by providing $155 billion in medicare and medicaid savings over the next ten years, announced Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday.

“All of these savings are based on policies the administration proposed in its budget to fund health care reform,” said Biden, adding that the announcement represented President Barack Obama’s goal to achieve deficit neutral reform.

The Vice President, who appeared with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for the announcement, stressed health reform’s urgency, stating that a plan needs to be in place by the end of August.

“We have tried for decades to fix a broken system. We have never, in my entire public tenure in public life, been this close,” said Biden.

The hospital associations will achieve the promised savings by reforming their delivery systems and reducing inflationary updates.

Green Jobs: Transforming The Blue Collar Worker Into The Green Collar Worker

By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

Business and political leaders are joining forces to ensure the creation of more green jobs in the United States. Vice President Joe Biden headlined Wednesday’s Green Jobs Summit hosted by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. Summit participants, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-N.V.) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), are investing in clean energy and committing the U.S. to generating a stronger, environmentally friendly economy. 

“We have to act fast and we have to think of the future we want to build,” said Biden.
“The best part of building a clean energy economy [is that it] not only puts us on the path to a greener and more sustainable future but it necessitates the jobs that are going to get us there.”

Biden noted that the U.S. has to be competitive in the creation of a clean energy economy and become a leader in the twenty-first century. According to Biden, that means energy efficiency can not become an issue that gets put aside during the next four years. 

The Vice President also said we have a moral challenge to make certain that the younger generations inherit a safe and clean planet. 

“I am more optimistic about the place we are today. I’m more idealistic about what we can do today than I was when I was a 29 year old kid elected to the United States Senate in 1972. The slope is really steep but the opportunity is gigantic.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the $787 billion dollar plan to stimulate the U.S. economy, was signed into law by President Obama in February 2009 and includes a three year extension of the renewable energy production tax credit which will be used to establish future investments in wind, geothermal, and biomass energy.

Just a Spoonful "Economic Medicine"

By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

The Recovery Act is doing just as its name promised, according a press conference Wednesday from the office of Vice President Joe Biden. Biden released his first of a series of quarterly reports to President Barack Obama Wednesday morning.

In an on background conference call, a senior administration official from the Vice President’s Office said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has shown “early progress providing immediate financial relief for American families.”

The recession has been broad-based, causing unemployment to rise across the country. However, the Recovery Act has been responsible for creation of 150,000 new jobs so far, across all 50 states, including those in areas where it is most needed. “There are programs targeted to specific high unemployment
areas,” the official said.

The report discussions on state fiscal stabilization funds highlights Wisconsin’s application. It is is a good example of how states are “ramping up,” according to the official.

“The report find the anticipated funds are already having an effect on economic and job growth as private sector companies step up to meet expected demand for their projects under the act and state governments adjust their spending plans and they expect to received additional funds,” the
official said.

Obama Wants You to Go Back to School

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

President Barack Obama
Photo by Michael Ruhl

Today President Barack Obama announced a new effort to stimulate tomorrow’s economy by reviving higher education through expanding Pell Grants and removing barriers to success. The public face for his new initiative is to be Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice-President Joe Biden and Community College Professor.

Obama’s plan, detailed at opportunity.gov, would help the unemployed go back to school to build new skill sets, with the goal of helping them gain future employment through specialized technical training.

“The idea here is to fundamentally change our approach to unemployment in this country, so that it’s no longer just a time to look for a new job, but is also a time to prepare yourself for a better job,” Obama said. “Our unemployment system should be not just a safety net, but a stepping stone to a new future.”

Among the barriers to success that the President wants to break down are state programs in which a worker might lose temporary financial support if they were to enroll in an education program. Obama said that in some places a worker may be unemployed, but may not qualify for federal assistance to get an education because of the salary they had a year ago but no longer make. The President said that he is committed to working with states to change these laws.

The President said that knowledge is the most valuable skill that one can sell. He encouraged all Americans to aim for getting at least 1 year of higher education, whether it is a community college, a four year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship.

“By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world,” Obama said optimistically.

This announcement came on the same day as the release of April’s unemployment statistics, which saw the loss of more than half a million jobs. The unemployment rate for April was 8.9 percent, up from 8.5 percent in March and 8.1 percent in February. April's numbers have already surpassed both the White House's and the Federal Reserve's projections for all of 2009, which were 8.1 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively.

Acknowledging that unemployment is as its highest rate in 25 years, the President urged patience, reminding us that the economic problems didn’t happen overnight, and couldn’t be fixed immediately.

“We’re still in the midst of a recession that was years in the making and will be months or even years in the unmaking,” Obama said. He continued, “We should expect further job losses in the months to come.”

Obama said that the Economic Stimulus Package is yielding real results, manifest in higher consumer spending and home sales, and an increase in construction spending. He praised the Recovery Act, and said, “Because of this plan, cops are still on the beat and teachers are still in the classroom; shovels are breaking ground and cranes dot the sky; and new life has been breathed into private companies.”

Fixing the economy and reforming education are two goals Obama has set for his administration. He said that in the weeks to come he would start working towards more education initiatives.

Biden and Kerry: Israel and America Inextricably Linked

Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service

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In the wake of backlash over President Obama's decision to have diplomatic talks with Iran, high level Democrats are assuring the public that the U.S. commitment to Israel is as strong as ever.

But, "One enduring essential principle that will not change--United States support for Israel,” said Vice President Joe Biden to a standing ovation of more than 6,000 people at the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee's annual convention.

“The path we have been on in recent years has not produced peace and security for Israel and Palestinians, nor will they produce these results,” Biden said. “Because peace has not occurred, does not mean that it cannot occur."

U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who also spoke at the event, supports the Obama Administration’s policy with Israel. “You can count on Vice President Biden and President Obama in the future,” he said.

Kerry tried to calm fears about Obama’s decision to engage in open discussions with Iran because he believed that the previous administration’s strategy with the Middle Eastern country failed, and that a change is warranted. But, if diplomacy fails, hardline sanctions will be sure to follow, Kerry said.

Since December 2008, foreign criticism of Israel reached new levels. Israel decided to retaliate against Hamas by launching a full military incursion into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Government maintains that the action was an attempt to halt hundreds of rockets that are launched over Israeli borders by militant groups in neighboring countries.

“I heard of (Israeli) children in the second grade who had spent literally everyday of their lives never 15 seconds from danger/ Fifteen seconds... No child should live that way,” said Kerry to the audience.

Kerry is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and pledged to do everything in his power “to ensure that the $30 billion in security assistance that Congress pledged to Israel is delivered in full.”

Kerry and Biden presented a challenge to Israel: that the country needs to work toward a workable, long lasting and sustainable peace.

Biden believes that any peace is a “show-me plan,” that each side must make efforts to demonstrate their dedication for the process to continue.

Biden said that the building of Israeli settlements must be stopped and that Palestinians must be given freedom of movement so the young people see hope, and do not join Hamas.

But peace must be sought from Paestinians and Israelis. “You cannot make peace out of one side of their mouth and preach hate out of another,” said Kerry, adding that Palestinian geography books should be realistic by including Israel on the map.