Senate Dems Claim Health Care Reform Will Stimulate Small Business, Create Jobs

By Laura Woodhead-Talk Radio News Service

Any health care reform legislation must include provisions to help small businesses, create more jobs and stimulate the economy, Senate Democrats said Wednesday.

"More than half of all Americans without health insurance are small business owners, their employees and their dependents," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) during a press conference. "We are trying to craft a reform that will make health coverage more stable, more secure and more affordable."

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, said that the high costs of health care has been limiting the potential for U.S businesses to create more jobs.

"We are relying on these 27 million businesses to create more jobs, not less," Landrieu said. "This health care expense is sitting on our Business Committee like a very wet, heavy heavy blanket suffocating their ability to grow and expand."

Under the current drafts of health care reform legislation, small business risks would be pooled with other small businesses in order to stabilize the system through nationwide or statewide exchanges.

"Insurance companies would have to post their premiums side by side so that [employers] can comparison shop," Durbin said. "[Small businesses] will have access to every private insurance company in [their] area."

Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) said it was critical that small businesses were included in health care reform in order to stimulate the economy.

"[Small businesses] are the engines of our economy," Lincoln stated. "We need to make sure that what we are doing is going to be helping them."

Durbin admitted that forming the health care bill was a delicate process and that there would be "flash points" along the way, but urged his party's colleagues to stay united in order to pass reform.

"[While] what is being produced by the bi-partisan group from the Finance Committee is not the bill that I would write, I have urged all my colleagues to stick with this process and realize that the first vote is not the last vote," Durbin said. "The Republican [minority] want to filibuster us in to failure. We can't let that happen."

Gov't Health Care Plan Is Abortion Industry Bailout Say House GOP'ers

By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service

The Democrats' health care plan is a taxpayer funded abortion mandate said a group of pro-life GOP congressmen Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference calling for the exemption of taxpayer funded abortion in health care reform, Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) said that the current health care bill contained a hidden abortion mandate.

"History has demonstrated that unless abortion is explicitly excluded in the bill, administrative agencies and the courts will mandate it," Pitts said. "Abortion will be determined to be an essential benefit. Pro-life Americans will be forced to pay for plans that pay for abortion."

Pitts was joined by other House Republicans, as well as pro-life leaders from across the country.

"Obamacare is the abortion industry bailout act of 2009," said Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Chairman of the Pro-Life Caucus. "In 2007 Mr. Obama told Planned Parenthood that reproductive care is essential care...make no mistake, when they use the words reproductive care, what they are talking about is abortion."

Smith warned his colleagues to be wary of any proposals that appeared to be compromises between pro-life and pro-choice congressmen on the health care bill, calling them "bogus proposals that we have seen so many times in the past," and arguing that they would turn out to be "pro-abortion."

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Chairman of the House Republican Conference, said it was essential that legislation reflects and respects the values of the majority of the American people.

" The legislation before the Congress today, at least in its current form, overrides the values of an overwhelming majority of Americans, who do now and have throughout the history following Roe v. Wade, always opposed taxpayer funding of abortions" he said.

Pitts said he will be offering an amendment during the Energy and Commerce Committee markup that will specifically exclude abortion funding from the bill.

Animal Cruelty Creates Lust For Violence In Society Says Democrat Moran

Cruelty to animals creates a lust for violence in society said Rep. James Moran (D-Va.) Monday. Speaking at a rally organized by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to promote animal protection legislation, Rep. Moran said HSUS lobbying would hopefully lead to the "ending [of] needless suffering, senseless violence."

"When we become desensitized to suffering it creates this almost lust for violence. It kind of gets ingrained in society and kids growing up think this is okay," Moran said. "Ultimately it adversely effects all of us, our quality of life, our security, who we are as a community of good people."

"This is what America needs to be about. Not the commercialization of everything, not seeing every living thing as how I can make a profit from it," he added.

Moran argued that there are loopholes in certain laws that have led to inhumane treatment of animals in the U.S.; Particularly, a nation-wide requirement that only products priced over $150 must contain the label "made from fur."

"This is about consumers having a choice. It's a moral decision if someone wants to buy fur. This is a free country, they can do that if they want," Moran said. "At least give them the information so that they can make the decisions based upon the facts."

Moran was joined by actress Ginnifer Goodwin and the president and CEO of HSUS Wayne Pacelle in addressing HSUS members who had spent the day lobbying Congressmen and Senators for tighter animal protection laws.

Goodwin praised the HSUS for sparking her interest in animal rights, and urged them to continue being persistent.

"As long as we keep sharing there will be a mass domino effect." Goodwin said "And only good can come of that."

Pacelle said that it was essential for the HSUS to take its fight to Capitol Hill in order to effect change and be considered a serious movement by the rest of the country.

"All of the social movements that really make progress to the point of being treated seriously in the world have to have their issues debated in the Capitol," Pacelle said.

He added that it is the duty of Congress to pass legislation that would protect animals due to an imbalance of power between humans and animals.

"We hold all the cards, we control their destiny," Pacelle said. "We need standards. We need laws to hold everyone in society accountable to these standards."

U.S - China Relationship Will Shape 21st Century, Says President Obama

By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service

Dialogue between the U.S and China is key to solving the most important questions of the 21st century, including environmental, economic, and nuclear proliferation concerns, said President Barack Obama Monday during an address to the first meeting of the U.S - China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

"We cannot predict with any certainty what the future will bring, but we can be certain about the issues that will define our times," the President said. "Our ability to partner with each other is a prerequisite for progress on many of the most pressing global challenges."

The President said it was essential for both the U.S and China to work aggressively to prevent further economic downturn along with following the mandate of "common sense" in order to transform their energy economies.

"The United States and China are the two largest consumers of energy in the World," Obama said. "Let's be frank: neither of us profits from a growing dependence on foreign oil, nor can we spare our people from the ravages of climate change unless we cooperate."

The President also addressed the importance of U.S - China cooperation in preventing rogue nations from gaining nuclear capabilities, particularly Iran and North Korea.

"The more nations acquire these weapons, the more likely they will be used," Obama warned.

While much of the speech focused on the positive aspects of the U.S - China relationship, including respect for China's history and culture, the President did address China's human rights issues. He stressed that it was important that people should be "free to speak their minds."

"Support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America," Obama said. "Those rights include the freedom to speak your mind; to worship your God; and to choose your leaders. These are not things that we seek to impose, this is who we are."

Obama outlined his view of the countries' future relationship.

"I believe in a future where China is a strong, prosperous and successful member of the community." Obama said. "This is not fixed, but it is a destination that can be reached if we pursue a sustained dialogue like the one we commence today."

The President said that he was under no illusion that the United States and China would agree on every issue, but that this was what made discussions between the two countries all the more essential.

"[Disagreement] makes dialogue more important so that we can know each other better and communicate our concerns with candor."

Health Reform Still Urgent Despite No Bill Before Recess Say Senate Dems

By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service

Although the Senate may not vote on health care until after the August recess, passing reform is still an urgent priority said top Democrats on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) said while it's unlikely that a bill would be up for debate on the Senate floor before September, the Senate has no excuse to take its time on finding solutions for our nation's health care problems.

"That does not excuse our committees from doing everything we can during these weeks before the August break, and during the August break to try and meld our ideas and bills together in order so that when we return in September we will be prepared." Dodd said. "We do not have the luxury of not dealing with this."

Dodd said that the President's leadership on health care reform has been strong.

[President Obama] is committed, as committed as any president I have ever seen to a single issue. He has said over and over again that he will expand whatever capital in order to achieve the goal of national health care reform in the nation" Dodd said.

Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.) explained that the health care bill is moving slowly through committee because of the multitude of problems being addressed.

"This is probably the hardest legislative lift that any of us will make whether we are here for four years or forty," said Carper. "If it takes a couple of extra days, a couple of extra weeks or even a couple of extra months its worth the wait."

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius joined the Senators, and stressed that health care reform must help not only Americans who are uninsured, but also those who do already have insurance.

"The current cost curve cannot be sustained by business owners or by families," Sebelius said. "Those who have health insurance are a day, a week, a month away from losing it."

Dodd said that there would be a bill on the President's desk by the end of the year.

"We have a mandate from the American people to address this issue," he said. "I still believe very strongly that we are going to achieve that goal."

"I'm willing to wait, spend the time, do it right, but we need to get it done."