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Focusing on the Economy; Alternative to Government-Run Insurance Plan; Where to Find Green Jobs

Aired December 09, 2009 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for your top-of-the-hour reset.

I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is noon at the White House, where President Obama nudges both Democrats and Republicans on health care and jobs.

Still in Washington, Senate Leader Harry Reid gets a compromise on a public option, clearing a major roadblock for health care reform.

And in New York, young girls forced to sell their bodies. Now a singer who's been there hopes to break the cycle of exploitation.

Let's get started.

Putting America back to work, President Obama and congressional leaders meet to discuss jobs and the economy. The president wants to use leftover bailout money to spur job creation. He is expected to speak any moment now.

Elaine Quijano joining us live from the White House.

Elaine, what do we expect to hear from the president?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's interesting, Tony. Just hours before the president is set to leave, heading overseas to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, the president is clearly trying to send the message that he remains focused on the economy and getting people back to work. That is why earlier today, we saw him sit down in the cabinet room with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders.

Now, one thing everyone agrees on certainly is that the economy is still struggling, that it needs help. But it will not surprise you that they cannot agree, certainly, on how to pay for some kind of help. That's the big point of contention right now.

The president thinks that those bailout funds known as TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, that that's really the way to go, but Republicans say, look, the U.S. is trillions of dollars in debt right now, and they believe that America simply cannot afford to use those bailout funds. Nevertheless, it is clear the administration does want to go ahead and spend that money. In fact, Tony, just today, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced that the bailout program will be extended until October of next year -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. And Elaine, we also understand the president is going to get pretty tough on health care a little later this hour.

QUIJANO: Yes. We'll see exactly what he says, but it's interesting.

The president has this event scheduled in about 20 minutes or so. We're told that he's going to be announcing some $600 million in stimulus funds for community health centers. This is to help build them and help renovate them, dozens of them across the country. But, you're right, this will be the first opportunity that we'll have to hear the president on camera talk about the latest developments in the Senate when it comes to health care.

Now, privately, aides are saying that they are fine with the public option, so-called public option being dead. And one aide said that if this new plan brings choice and competition it is a "win-win," and they will accept it.

So, we'll see what the president has to say, waiting on this diplomatic reception room set of remarks. And then in about 20 minutes or so, we're expecting the president perhaps to talk about health care -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK.

Elaine Quijano at the White House for us.

Elaine, appreciate it. Thank you.

Checking the wire now and the day's other big stories.

Democrats play let's make a deal on health care reform. They say they've reached a compromise on an alternative to the public option. The plan for government-run health care has been a major sticking point, as you know, in the Senate debate.

Majority Leader Harry Reid says the deal will benefit consumers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: This is the consensus that will help ensure that the American people win in a couple of different ways. One, insurance companies will certainly have more competition. And two, the American people will certainly have more choices.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: I am disappointed that he's decided to escalate our military presence...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: OK. Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold may not go along with the compromise. He is pictured here. He says he won't support replacing a public option with a strictly private approach.

We will get more details on this from our senior congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, just ahead.

New information now on the leak of an airport security screening manual. The Transportation Security Administration says it has just placed the individuals involved on leave.

The 93-page document which was recently posted online details screening procedures and loopholes. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the public was never in any danger and that the manual is out of date.

The House Homeland Security Committee looks to subpoena the White House party crashers. A vote is expected this afternoon. If subpoenaed, Tareq and Michaele Salahis' lawyer says the couple will invoke their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The Salahis did not show up for a hearing last week.

A vicious winter storm is pounding much of the country. It is bringing blizzard conditions to several Midwestern states as it moves into New England. The northern plains seeing temperatures fall well below zero, and the South and East getting rain and high winds.

Travel is a nightmare in many places. Treacherous roads and hundreds of flight delays and cancellations. At least five deaths blamed on the bad weather across the country.

Democrats say they've reached a deal on health care reform, an alternative to a government-run insurance plan.

Let's get to CNN's congressional correspondent Dana Bash now. She joins us live.

Dana, great to talk to you.

What's in the deal?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we should point out to our viewers that the Democratic leadership, although they came out in a very rushed press conference last night to announce that they do have a tentative deal, they are being hush-hush. In fact, mum about the details. We do have information from our sources, however, and I can give you some of that.

First of all, instead of a public option, which, of course, is the headline, that the public option has been effectively dropped from the Senate health care bill, instead of that there would be not-for- profit insurance plans that would be overseen by a government agency. And that agency is the Office of Personnel Management. Now, this is an important piece of information that we should tell our viewers.

Democratic sources say that if this organization, and if the government agency can't be sure that these private plans will do what these Democrats want, which is to create competition, then there could be -- there could be a government-run plan that does actually trigger at some point in time. The details of this are still a little bit sketchy.

That is in general, though, to appeal to conservatives who don't want anything government run or government funded. And now to appeal to Democrats on the left who are part of these negotiations, they are going to have something that allows people who are starting age 55 to buy into Medicare. So, what that effectively does is makes Medicare like an insurance company, if you will...

HARRIS: Right.

BASH: ... or an insurance policy that people starting at 55 can buy into.

Now, this is something that some conservatives don't like very much for a whole host of reasons, I should say, but primarily, Tony, it's because they're worried about the solvency of Medicare. And also, that this would be very expensive, for people to buy into Medicare.

HARRIS: All right. And Dana, there are plenty of concerns on what is at least at the proposal stage right now. And we heard from Russ Feingold just a couple of moments ago.

BASH: That's right. Russ Feingold, he is obviously one of the most liberal members of the Senate. He was one of the five liberals in these Democrat-on-Democrat negotiations.

HARRIS: Yes.

BASH: However, he is not ready to sign on to this tentative agreement yet, because he says that he's concerned about the fact that there is no public option here. And he is concerned specifically about the fact that, yes, this Medicare would be expanded and people starting at age 55 could have an avenue for getting health care. But what about people who are younger than 55? He thinks that's a big hole.

I think we have some sound. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FEINGOLD: My chief concern is the people under 55 and whether this new system that people are talking about, setting up what actually provide the affordable health insurance they need without burdening taxpayers. That's why I think a public option as an alternative is the best way to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Senator Feingold is not ruling out signing on to this deal. He's not yet ready to say he's going to approve it. What he and, frankly, all of the other Democrats are waiting for is information from the Congressional Budget Office.

HARRIS: Yes. BASH: And the Congressional Budget Office will tell them, first of all, how much this is going to cost. But, perhaps even more importantly, in terms of the goal here, it will tell them whether or not they can actually manage to reduce costs for Americans when it comes to health insurance and increase competition in private insurance companies without a public option. And that's why people are waiting for that information, that critical information, which we may not get for several days -- Tony.

HARRIS: Hey, Dana, I saw that -- I believe you had a conversation with Senator Kent Conrad. I'm curious as to what his take on all of this is, particularly this idea of insurance companies, private insurance companies, submitting essentially national plans.

BASH: He actually really likes that idea, because he is a moderate Democrat, and he would be fine without a public option. And he thinks the whole concept of allowing this government agency to sort of coordinate and oversee private plans is a great idea, because he says that is and it is really based on what federal employees, including senators, get right now.

They get private insurance, but it is at virtually no profit. These insurance companies don't get profit, and they have lots of choices. But he is concerned about expanding Medicare.

I want you to listen to what he told me about that whole idea and why he's concerned about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KENT CONRAD (D), NORTH DAKOTA: My state is the second or third lowest state in reimbursement in the country. If you add a whole new cohort that's at lowest reimbursement levels, that threatens my hospitals. So that would be number one.

But that's an issue for North Dakota. There's also a national concern. The national concern is, what is the effect on Medicare and Medicare solvency? Since Medicare is already headed for insolvency, one has to be concerned about the effect there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: You see our action here. It's a little shaky sometimes when we're trying to nail that down, these senators. But that just gives you a really good illustration, when you heard Senator Feingold on the left, Senator Conrad on the right of some of the concerns that they both have with this tentative agreement for different reasons -- Tony.

HARRIS: I'm always happy to get the information, regardless of the shot.

Our senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us.

Dana, appreciate it. Thank you.

The president is emphasizing green jobs as part of his long-term effort to fix the economy. Where can we find those jobs?

First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HARRIS: I've been singing that crazy song all morning.

OK. It's time for our "Random Moment of the Day."

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, meets Lady Gaga. Yes. The flamboyant singer performed as Elizabeth I at a royal gala.

There's ruffled Elizabethan cloak and collar that goes with that latex outfit. Our Jeanne Moos shows us it's not the first time Lady Gaga has captured the attention of a world leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady Gaga.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now here she is with the queen. "It's like someone from "Star Wars" meeting from someone from Earth," Red One (ph) posts. "She looks like a tube of lipstick," said another.

She opted not to wear her famous bird nest, headgear some mocked as alien wear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we're worried our...

MOOS: At least she didn't dare to wear her fire-shooting bosom. That could have left the queen with third-degree burns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: All right. That's enough. Lady Gaga on fire, our "Random Moment of the Day."

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Rich and poor nations clash at the climate change conference in Denmark. Developing countries and activists protest over a leaked document. The proposal would allow wealthy countries to cut fewer greenhouse gases while poorer nations face tougher limits on emissions. One hundred ninety-two countries are trying to draft an agreement to slow global warming.

Over the next two weeks, CNN has the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit covered. Why it matters and what it means to you. Stay with us to find out. And be sure to watch tonight when Campbell Brown takes an in- depth look at the e-mail controversy that threatens to overshadow the summit. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

Many people say green jobs are not only key to saving the environment, but they also play a role in saving the economy.

Your personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, is back with us to tell you where the green jobs are.

So, Gerri, where do we find that green jobs are actually growing right now?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, you'd be surprised. Take a look at this list, OK?

The number one state right now is Idaho. Clean job growth was up 126 percent.

You look at this list, Nebraska, up 93 percent. Wyoming, up at 56 percent. New Mexico, at 50 percent.

So, really fast growth rates for these states, but as you might guess, they're off of small bases. For example, Idaho has the best growth rate, but there are only 4,500 green jobs there.

The biggest green state of all, well, you might have guessed it, it's California. Take a look at these numbers.

Its green jobs economy is growing faster than the broader job market. It's gotten a lot of help from the state, which is mandating public buildings to be 20 percent more energy efficient by 2015. Venture capital, another big source of money that California benefits from -- $6.5 billion has been earmarked for green spending over the next three years.

The number of total green jobs is estimated in California by Pew Research at 125,000. So, California really leading the way here -- Tony.

HARRIS: You know, Gerri, it looks like there are green jobs, as we were just looking at the map there, in every state. Do some regions actually specialize in certain industries?

WILLIS: You bet. You know, Texas generates more electricity from wind than any other state, with more than 55,000 green jobs.

Tennessee has a concentration in recycling, waste treatment and water management. Green jobs have grown 18 percent in the decade ended in 2007. Colorado, no surprise here, leads in renewable energy, especially solar and wind power.

The good news is that green opportunities, they exist just about everywhere. The key is tracking them. And we're going to show you how to find these green jobs tomorrow -- Tony.

HARRIS: That's terrific. All right, Gerri. Thank you.

Got to tell you about this winter storm. It is causing severe problems across the country. We're going to find out where it's headed next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on our top stories now.

President Obama is focusing on jobs and the economy today. He met with congressional leaders from both parties to discuss his proposals for getting more Americans back to work. The president is proposing using some financial bailout funds to spur job creation.

The president's remarks on job creation from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House any minute now.

The federal government is offering to settle a lawsuit by Native Americans for $1.4 billion. The suit alleged the government mismanaged Indian land that it held in trust. If approved by a judge and Congress, the settlement could mean as much as $1,000 each for many Native Americans.

The real estate Web site Zillow.com says U.S. home values plummeted by a half-trillion dollars this year. Now, believe it or not, that is a considerable improvement over 2008, when values tumbled some $3.5 trillion. On the positive side, home prices have rebounded in the second half of 2009.

Another check of your top stories coming in just 20 minutes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Expecting the president shortly to talk about his meeting with a bipartisan group from Congress on job creation and the help he will need from lawmakers.

When the president begins his remarks, we will take you to the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right. Let's get to President Obama's remarks on job growth.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

OBAMA: ... Republican and Democratic leaders about job creation and our economic future.

We spoke about the challenges facing our families, our businesses, and our country as a whole, and what we can do to overcome them. Today's meeting built on some of the ideas that I offered in the economic speech that I gave yesterday and on some of the ideas discussed at the job forum that we held at the White House last week. Now, looking at the situation we face today, what's clear is, is that our economy is in a very different place than it was when I took office last year. Our economy at that time was on the brink of collapse. The credit and the housing markets were in deep trouble, and we were losing 700,000 jobs a month. Economists of every stripe were concerned that we might be slipping into a second depression.

That's not what happened. Because of the Recovery Act and a number of other measures, and because of distasteful but necessary steps to help our auto industry recover and stabilize our banks, we've pulled our economy back from the abyss. And while there's a lot of work left to do, our economy is now growing for the first time in over a year, and we just received the best jobs report in over two years.

Of course, it's a sign of how tough times are, but the best job report in two years still shows a loss of 11,000 jobs. And I'm not going to rest until every American who's looking for work can find a job, until we put America back to work.

And it's no secret that there's been less than full bipartisan support for the Recovery Act and some of the steps that have broken the free-fall of our economy. But my hope is, is that as we move forward, we can do so together, recognizing that we have a shared responsibility to meet our economic challenges on behalf of all Americans, those who elected us to make sure that we're doing the people's business.

Small businesses, for example, are the engines that drive much of the hiring in our economy, so we should be able to forge a consensus around a series of steps to help small businesses grow and hire new employees. These steps include elimination of the capital gains taxes on small business investment, along with an extension of write-offs to encourage expansion in the coming year.

And I've urged congressional leaders to create a tax incentive to create -- to encourage small businesses to add and keep workers. I've proposed making an additional investment in the nation's infrastructure, beyond what was included in the recovery act, to continue modernizing our transportation and communications networks.

We've already begun to do so. In the first six months of 2010, recovery act outlays on projects related to infrastructure will actually double what was done over the previous six months. This is not only going to put more Americans back to work, but this is also work that America needs done. It will help fortify our economy for years to come.

I've called on Congress to provide temporary incentives for consumers to buy the materials need to retrofit their homes for greater energy efficiency. This program will spur hiring and spending, promote energy conservation, and help Americans put more money in their pockets by saving on their energy bills. I've also proposed that we expand proven initiatives that promote energy efficiency and clean energy jobs. And to help Americans weather this economic storm, I've called for an extension of emergency relief to states, seniors, and citizens who need it most. Finally, to support these efforts, we're going to wind down the Troubled Assets Relief Program, what's known as TARP, the emergency fund created to stabilize the banking system. This program has served its original purpose and the cost has been much lower than we expected, giving us a chance to pay down the deficit faster than we thought at the time and also allowing us to invest in job creation on main street rather than on Wall Street. More will need to be done to put our nation on a firm fiscal footing, and I'm looking forward to working with the group of leaders that I just met today about how we can structure a plausible scenario to get to medium and long-term deficit reductions.

Now, it's appropriate that I met with leaders of both parties. Spurring hiring and economic growth are not Democratic or Republican issues, they are American issues that affect every single one of our constituents. I am absolutely committed to working with anybody who is willing to do the job to make sure that we can rebuild our economy and make sure that Americans all across the country, regardless of political persuasion, are seeing the kinds of opportunities that we expect here in the United States of America.

I'm confident we can do so. I'm confident we can put our economic troubles behind us. But it's going to require some work and cooperation and a seriousness of purpose here in Washington. And I hope that as we enter into the holiday season, the leaders that I just met with will feel the same way.

Thank you very much.

HARRIS: And there you have the president essentially restating the job growth proposals he announced yesterday at the Brookings Institution Initiatives for Small Businesses, proposals for boosting investment in infrastructure beyond what was included in the recovery act, and a new program to provide incentives for consumers who retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient.

Let's, as always at this time, going to get you a market check. And, let's see, three hours into the trading day, as we remind you again, if you want the latest financial news and analysis on your money concerns, as always, just go to cnnmoney.com. Our Money team doing a terrific job there each and every day.

Again, just past three hours into the trading day and it's been a pretty, well, we're in positive territory. Incremental buying. We're in positive territory. Up 11 points. We'll continue to follow these numbers for you with Felicia Taylor throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A year-end report on the TARP program, the Troubled Assets Relief Program. An oversight panel said TARP worked. It halted the financial panic and headed off a second great depression. But the report says TARP hasn't fueled lending or eased foreclosure. And there are other problems. Bailed-out banks are now biting the very hand that rescued them. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH WARREN, CHAIRWOMAN, TARP OVERSIGHT PANEL: There is a deep irony in the fact that we pumped billions of dollars into these large financial institutions and they are now spending substantial amounts of money lobbying Congress to make sure that the rules are not changed. We seem to have a perfect circle here that always benefits the large financial institutions and not the American family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A couple of senators say they are keeping a close eye on the millions and millions in stimulus spending, and they say they found 100 reason those be very angry.

Here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rebuilding a historic railroad for tourists in Nevada? $2 million. Upgrading a police boat near Seattle to detect explosive traces in the water? $190,000. Research on the behavior of ants? $500,000.

Two Republican senators say these are just a few of their top 100 questionable projects financed with taxpayer stimulus money.

SEN. TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: This is about highlighting inefficiency of the wasteful stimulus program that isn't going to do what it was -- said it was going to do.

TODD: Also on the list, signs paid for with stimulus money that tell you when a road construction project is paid for with stimulus money. Price tag for just the signs? $1.3 million. Senators John McCain and Tom Coburn say the stimulus should be more focused on highways and bridges and less on special projects. But defenders of the individual projects claim they do have value. Regarding that Seattle-area project, Bainbridge Island Police say upgrading that one boat will help them make the waterways around Seattle safer. An official with the tourist railroad said completing it will employ workers and create tourism jobs.

KEVIN RAY, VIRGINIA & TRUCKEE RAILROAD: This is the perfect use for the stimulus dollars. We're creating over 885 new jobs and sustaining current jobs.

TODD: What about research on ants? Will that help the economy or just pay the researchers?

PROF. THOMAS "DANNY" BOSTON, ECONOMIST, GEORGIA TECH: If we're talking about repairing and rebuilding and constructing projects, then the multiplier for those kinds of projects is much larger. If, on the other hand, you're engaged in basic scientific research, then that multiplier is much lower because you're not doing as much direct spending immediately.

TODD: The White House says it's acting swiftly if any of the 40,000 projects is being mishandled.

JARED BERNSTEIN, ECONOMIC ADVISOR TO THE VICE PRESIDENT: And every time we hear about a problem, we jump on it in a New York minute. So I think what's going on here is a kind of a political posturing that's really not about job creation.

TODD: But Senator McCain is not convinced the stimulus projects all are adding to payrolls.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The billions and billions and billions, as much as $50 billion already, have been spent on projects that don't create jobs.

TODD (on camera): If you want to decide for yourself, you can go to a website called recovery.gov. Just type in your zip code. You can view each project, get the administration's description of it and see what the recipient's claim of the jobs that are being created and saved.

Also, if you want to vote on what you think about a certain project, go to stimuluswatch.org.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And now, as promised, President Obama, talking health care.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

OBAMA: Our administrator of the health resources and services administration, Dr. Mary Wakefield, and our deputy secretary of HHS, Bill Corr, for being here today and for their outstanding work to support community health centers. There you are. Good to see you in your uniform. We've been waiting.

I also want to thank the many members of Congress who are with us today. And up on the stage. Particularly Bernie Sanders and Representative Jim Clyburn. (INAUDIBLE).

And I especially want to recognize the leaders here today from health centers across the country, for what all of you are doing in your communities every day, working long hours to provide quality care at prices that people can afford, with the dignity and respect they deserve, and in a way that takes into account the challenges that they face in their lives. For you folks, health care isn't just about diagnosing patients and treating illness, it's about caring for people and promoting wellness. It's about emphasizing education and prevention and helping people lead healthier lives so they don't get sick in the first place.

And it works. Studies show that people living near a health center are less likely to go to the emergency room and less likely to have unmet critical medical needs. CHC's are proven to reduce ethnic and racial disparities in care and the medical expenses of regular CHC patients are nearly 25 percent lower than those folks who get their care elsewhere. Twenty-five percent lower. So you can see why in a speech marking the first anniversary of the first community health centers in America, Senator Ted Kennedy declared, "you have not only assured the best in health care for your families and neighbors, but you've also begun a minor revolution in American medicine."

Unfortunately today, nearly 45 years later, that care has yet to reach many of the folks in this country who need it most. Today, millions of Americans still have difficulty accessing primary health care and many of them are uninsured. Many have insurance, but live in underserved areas, whether in urban or rural communities.

So they don't get regular checkups. They don't get routine screenings. When they get sick or hurt, they tough it out and hope for the best. And when things get bad enough, they head to the emergency room. So we end up treating complications, crises and chronic conditions that could have been prevented in the first place. And the cost is measured not just in dollars spent on health care or in lost workplace absences or lower productivity, but in the kind of raw human suffering that has no place in the United States of America in the year 2009.

No matter what party we belong to or where on the political spectrum we fall, none of us thinks this is acceptable. None of us would defend this system. That's why we've taken up the cause of health insurance reform this year. It's why many of the folks in this room fought so hard to ensure that the recovery act included unprecedented investments -- a total of $2 billion -- to upgrade and expand our health centers. Investments that embody the acts core mission, to help folks hardest hit by this recession, to put people back to work and to leave a legacy of improvements that will continue to lift up communities for generations to come.

Today, we're well on our way to meeting these goals. We've created or saved up to 1.6 million jobs according to the CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, through the recovery act. Our economy is growing again. We're doubling our capacity in renewable energy and rebuilding schools and laboratories, railways and highways.

Yesterday, the Kaiser Family Foundation issued a new report showing the recovery act has helped many states keep and improve access to health insurance for families in need. And so far we've allocated nearly $1.4 billion to health centers across America so they can get to work building and renovating and hiring new staff this year. And today I'm pleased to announce that we're awarding more than $500 million to 85 centers in more than 50 -- 30 states and Puerto Rico that are providing critical care to so many folks with nowhere else to turn.

We're investing in places like Canyonlands Community Health Care in Arizona that has one facility operating in a building originally constructed as a chicken coop and another in a cramped fire station. We're investing in places like Avis Goodwin Community Health Center in Dover, New Hampshire, that's become so overcrowded -- you must be from there. It's become so overcrowded the doctors are using bathrooms and closets as offices.

We're investing in Bucksport Regional Health Center in Maine, where doctors are double booked and the waiting rooms often standing- room only. We're giving places like these the funding they need to upgrade and expand their facilities so they can meet the skyrocketing demand for service that's come with this economic downturn.

But we won't just want our health centers to provide more care for more patients. We want them to provide better care as well. So, starting today, we're making $88 million in funding available for centers to adopt new health information technology systems, to manage their administrative and financial matters, and transfer old paper files to electronic medical records. These investments won't just increase efficiency and lower costs, they'll improve the quality of care as well, preventing countless medical errors and allowing providers to spend less time with paperwork and more time with patients.

That's the purpose of the final initiative I'm announcing today as well. A demonstration project to evaluate the benefits of the medical home model of care that many of our health centers aspire to. The idea here is very simple. That in order for care to be effective, it needs to be coordinated. It's a model where the center that serves as your medical home might help you keep track of your prescriptions or get the referrals you need or work with you to develop a plan of care that ensures your providers are working together to keep you healthy.

So taken together, these three initiatives, funding for construction, technology, and a medical home demonstration, they won't just save money over the long term and create more jobs, they're also going to give more people the peace of mind of knowing that health care will be there for them and their families when they need it. And ultimately that's what health insurance reform is really about. That's what the members of Congress here today will be voting on in the coming weeks.

Now let me just end by saying a little bit about this broader effort. I know it's been a long road. I know it's been a tough fight. But I also know the reason we've taken up this cause is the very same reason why so many members from both parties are here today. Because no matter what our politics are, we know that when it comes to health care, the people we serve deserve better.

The legislation in Congress today contains both Democratic ideas and Republican ideas and plenty of compromises in between. The Senate made critical progress last night with the creative new framework that I believe will help pave the way for final passage and an historic achievement on behalf of the American people. I support this effort, especially since it's aimed at increasing choice and competition and lowering costs.

So, I want to thank all of you for sticking with it, for all those late nights, all the long weekends that you guys have put in. With so much at stake, this is well worth all of our efforts. It is now my pleasure to sign the memo that will direct Secretary Sebelius to get started on that medical home demonstration. So, let's do that.

HARRIS: OK, the president pushing for a health care bill, as you heard there. Seemingly encouraged by the compromise announced by Senate Democrats. The proposal now going to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for a price tag. President Obama also announcing health care initiatives, three of them. But principally a new investment in community health care centers and to improve their information technology efforts.

And just ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, they call it the life or the game. Others call it sexual exploitation. We will introduce you to one woman who is trying to offer young girls a way out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Young girls forced to sell their bodies. They are victims of sexual exploitation. One survivor has found her voice and she is speaking out to help other young women. The story now from CNN's Nicole Lapin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTHA BRADSHAW, SURVIVOR OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION (singing): And I'm here to mother you.

(on camera): I'm here to take care of things that people didn't take care of. I'm here to let you know that you're not alone. I'm here to let you know that you have strength and you are a survivor and you will overcome anything and everything.

(singing): Through when your dreams are only blue.

NICOLE LAPIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Martha B. has soul. You can hear it in her new song with Shante O'Connor and Mary J. Blige called, "This Is To Mother You." It's a message she was never told growing up in New York City. Lured by a pimp when she was just 14 years old.

BRADSHAW (singing): For Child we am so glad we found you.

(on camera): He sold me a Picasso when it was really a doodle. He was like, you know, I can do this, I can do that, we can have a family. You can do what you want to do and still make money. You don't have to do much. And it was a lie. He didn't tell me that he was going to hit me. He didn't tell me he was going to throw me up and down flights of stairs. He didn't tell me that he was going to starve me. He didn't tell me that he was going to rape me. He just told me that life was going to be all grand, great and perfect, when it really wasn't.

(singing): Though when your nights are lonely.

LAPIN: Martha has come a long way since then. She's now a successful artist and performer. And she did it by working with Rachel Lloyd.

RACHEL LLOYD, FOUNDER, GEMS: Coming in here is the first time that they're hearing, you were victimized. This was done to you.

LAPIN: Rachel started GEMS. It's an organization based in Harlem to help young women recover from scenes like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell'em what you want to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanna be with the fam, but I keep (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Want can you do to make daddy like you again?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Make money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Case closed.

LAPIN: This is provocative video, obtained by the group, of pimps on the hunt for young girls like Martha.

BRADSHAW: You hardly understand who you are as a pre-teen, more or less who you are as a sexy exploited you. You don't even know that you're a sexy exploited you. You don't know who you are. It's a real lonely feeling.

LAPIN (on camera): It's estimated that 200,000 to 300,000 young people are at risk all across the United States. How do you get that number to zero?

LLOYD: I think beginning to change our perceptions about who these young people are and beginning to recognize them as victims. I think addressing the demand side. The fact that if there are potentially 200,000, 300,000 young people who are being bought for sex, who's doing the buying? Beginning to recognize the men in our communities, men in our families, men in our workplaces are buying sex and often buying sex from children I think is critical.

BRADSHAW: And I'm glad that I am a survivor. I didn't think I was going to be able to see my 15th birthday, and I'm sitting here with you at 21. So, it's a blessing. As long as I wake up in the morning, I can take it from there. You know, I remember a gun jammed at my head. So for me to wake up is a blessing all within itself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And Nicole Lapin joins me now.

Nicole, struck by that video, these pimps.

LAPIN: It looks like it's undercover video.

HARRIS: It does.

LAPIN: It's not.

HARRIS: What do you mean?

LAPIN: These pimps thought that that was cool. They wanted to have a reality show. There is a problem here, Tony. There is a mentality that needs to change. We had -- it's hard out here for a pimp winning an Oscar. There is this sexualization of this pimp culture and it's wrong.

HARRIS: Yes.

LAPIN: I mean we're looking at these young girls. We, as journalists, need to shine a spotlight on some of the darkest places of our world. And we are doing just that. But it is law enforcement, it is the legislators that need to take it from here.

HARRIS: Legislators. We talked last hour, and let's revisit it again, we need more of these safe harbor acts where these . . .

LAPIN: It's on the books in New York.

HARRIS: In New York.

LAPIN: But that's it.

HARRIS: And describe it for us.

LAPIN: And that's basically where these young girls are now treated as victims, like they are, and not criminals.

HARRIS: Right. Yes.

LAPIN: They're young girls and they're on the streets, kidnapped, lured into sex trafficking and then thrown into jail. And that is something that from here on out hopefully people can understand what is happening. And legislators, law enforcement officers can take it from here.

HARRIS: The young woman that you met, the young women there in the piece, what do they think about their life prospects? Are they -- are they optimistic? Are they -- do they see the road ahead as being difficult or . . .

LAPIN: We've seen the statistics, Tony. It's come out from places like Atlanta. It's come out from places like New York.

HARRIS: Yes.

LAPIN: These are the girls that live it and they've smelled and it they've survived.

HARRIS: Right. OK. Nicole, fascinating reporting. Thank you.

CNN NEWSROOM continues just ahead with Kyra Phillips.

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