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Trying to Pass Healthcare Reform

Aired March 20, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: And we'll get back to health care in a moment.

But first these other top headlines. You are seeing Pope Benedict right there; he says he is deeply disturbed by reports that Irish priests abused children. He has written a pastoral letter that calls the abuse sinful and criminal and criticizes church officials accused of trying to cover it up. He didn't mention any Vatican responsibility.

And the first day of spring is bringing snow to the nation's heartland from New Mexico to Oklahoma to Missouri. Further north, the Red River is expected to crest this weekend in Minnesota and North Dakota.

All right. Now back to health care. At a high profile meeting, that is just about to get started on Capital Hill. President Obama has just arrived we understand for a meeting with House Democrats. He is making a final push for support ahead of a make or break vote expected tomorrow. CNN's correspondents Dana Bash and Ed Henry are standing by with the very latest. Let's begin with senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash on Capital Hill. So the president has in deed arrived, is that the case? And what will transpire in that meeting?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We haven't seen him come through here yet. But you might have a better view than I do. We are down in the basement of the Capitol where we are expecting him any minute now. What this is, this is it. This is the last rally, the last chance for the president to make his case to undecided Democrats in a very public forum, but how much he needs their vote. And there really are still undecided Democrats. So that is what we are going to see behind here.

But meanwhile, we have some pretty important news that just broke here on this whole process. Specifically one that has been causing a lot of controversy. Democrats had planned now familiar term called deem and pass. They planned to not just vote directly on the Senate bill, but to protect some House members they would have folded it into a rule to not have a direct vote. They dropped that Fredricka.

Several Democratic sources are now telling us that is no longer going to be the case. They are going to have independent votes on both the Senate bill and the change package. They are doing that in a way because politically they were really getting a lot of push back from some of their Democrats who were hearing back home, wait a minute; this is exactly what we hate about Washington. This is why we do not trust the process because they were hearing that this is kind of monkey business. It is true that both parties have done this kind of thing for their members for years and years, but it has been problematic. In fact one member Dennis Cardoza talked about that in the rules committee this morning. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS CARDOZA, (D) CALIFORNIA: I don't support us doing it and I will not vote for a rule that deems as we've been talking about. The rule doesn't say the word deem. It says the conference report would be adopted or the Senate bill will be adopted. I don't think that's the way we ought to go. I wanted to make the announcement here in the committee right now in this part of the process that I don't support that and won't support a rule that does it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Guess what? He wasn't the only one who thought that. We are now learning specifically that the leadership had been hearing from some of the rank and file, we are getting too much push back at home we can not vote on healthcare this way. In fact, Dennis Cardoza just said sanity has prevailed here. So that is the latest on that. The Democratic leadership has backed down. They initially were trying to do this to protect their members but I will tell you we have heard from so many of the folks that they were trying to protect. What does it matter? If we take this vote, it's a tough vote. We're going to be hit no matter what. Let's do it on the up and up.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dana bash, thanks so much. And of course Dana we got some miss information the president hasn't left the White House yet so you're not mistaken, he is not there at the Capitol building just yet. But he will be. Our White House correspondent Ed Henry is at the White House. Maybe you have a better timeline Ed of when the president plans to leave the White House and head for Capital Hill.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can tell you the media has been gathered for about a half hour now waiting for the president, loaded up in vans. It's a pretty warm day in Washington. They are looking for a little air conditioning at this point. The president may be fine- tuning that speech. We are told he is going to speak for some time. This is really his last pitch. When I've spoken to his senior aides, what they tell me is that the president basically wants to lay out for House Democrats behind closed doors, what are the stakes?

He's been doing that around the country. But now he wants to get up close and personal with these law makers and basically say that he thinks they need to put politics aside and do what he believes is right. He believes, the president does, the fact that this legislation will add about 32 million uninsured to the roles will also institute some basic insurance reforms like ending pre-existing conditions, not letting insurance companies to boot you off if you get sick. They believe those are very important reforms, number one.

Secondly, they believe that it's paid for in the long term there will be savings. We saw from the congressional budget office a few days ago that over basically 20 years this would save about $1.2 trillion. Now Republicans as you know as well have been insisting they think that forecast, since it is just preliminary, could change drastically, but this White House feels between those budget numbers and between the case they can make about the people who are uninsured now who will be insured, and what they believe will be strengthening insurance for people who currently have health insurance. They believe this is a case that Democrats can take to the voters despite the various political winds blowing around.

Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so Ed where was the president on the whole deem and pass strategy versus voting on this separately? Is there any way to kind of anticipate what his thoughts might be or what he might articulate to the Democratic caucus now that decision has been made that deem and pass is out of there?

HENRY: Well, I'm chuckling because we've been trying to find that out for several days now. The president did an interview a few days ago in which he was repeatedly asked about deem and pass. And basically kept punting it over to the Democratic leaders in the House. I personally was pressing Robert Gibbs for several days this week on that point. And he basically kept saying it's up to speaker Pelosi. An issue of this importance, however, is not just up to speaker Pelosi, as powerful as she is.

This president, we have been told in recent days by the White House, has been taken on a much more hands-on approach lobbying members. In fact over 64 contacts between phone calls and one-on-one meetings with law makers just since Monday, so it didn't quite square when the White House was then on the other hand saying he's involved, very heavily involved, yet he is not going to comment whether speaker Pelosi should use this maneuver or not.

I think the bottom line as Dana laid out is this White House was fully aware just as Democrats on the hill were. That using this maneuver while it has been used before was very unpopular and was going to ad some of the criticism around the country that maybe this was being done in some sort of underhanded way. I think at the end of the day this White House is going to be pleased that this is moving forward with a direct up or down vote, something that we've been hearing not just from Republicans but some of their fellow Democrats, as Dana noted, has been saying they wanted. So it could be very transparent to the American people. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Ed Henry thank you so much from the White House We will check back with you momentarily. You let us know when the president leaves the White House and makes his way to Capital Hill.

All right. Make or break time on health care reform. We talk about the big picture with "Washington Post" writer, Dana Milbank.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Health care reform and all that's taking place this weekend; a lot is riding on not just the president, but on members of the House and Senate, as well. Let's break all this down with Dana Milbank, he is "The Washington Post" reporter with us now. You're there on the hill. All right. So deem and pass as we just reported is now out of there. It's going to be an up or down vote. We heard from our own Ed Henry who reiterated this is what the president wanted all along, an up or down vote. How relieved might the president be as he makes his way there to Capitol Hill?

DANA MILBANK, "WASHINGTON POST:" Well, he is relieved, but I think the entirely Democratic caucus is even more relieved. I've been sitting for now five hours in the Rules Committee as they get beaten up with this. Suddenly they break in with word that in fact they dropped this whole noxious procedure. It's seems that has taken a little bit of the wind out of the sail of the Republican opposition because it gave them such a very useful battering ram. So we are back talking a little bit more about health care.

WHITFIELD: OK. You know it's interesting, too, the method of this vote, deem and pass was being considered reconciliation, now it's up or down. Is this the house speaker Nancy Pelosi who is kind of at the reins as to how this bill will be voted upon, and if the answer is yes to that, there is a lot at stake for her, as well, right?

MILBANK: There sure is. Unlike in the Senate, the Democratic leaders in the House really do have virtually entire control over this. The Republicans can complain. They can make a lot of noise, but the Democratic leaders in the majority control the entire process here. Nancy Pelosi came out and said this deems and pass was the method that she favored. That was the way it was going to be until she got enough rebellion from within her own ranks.

WHITFIELD: Actually Dana let me just interrupt you for a moment. I'm sorry because we are hearing from Representatives Clyburn and Hoyer right now. South Carolina and Maryland representatives right here. Let's listen in.

REP. STENY HOYER, (D) MAJORITY LEADER: Thank you very much. After consultation the speaker and I had with Chairwoman Slauler. Chairwoman Slauler will be recommending the following procedure on the health care reform bill that we will have on the floor tomorrow in which we expect to pass tomorrow. We will adopt a rule which will provide for consideration of a reconciliation bill, and we'll provide for two hours of debate on that reconciliation bill.

It will provide further that upon passage of the reconciliation bill, the Senate-passed health care bill will be in order for a vote on the floor of the House. Under the procedures, we will proceed immediately to consideration of the Senate bill on a vote. There will be no intervening debate, and we will vote on that. When we do that that will be tantamount to the same thing we would have done had we been in conference.

That is to say we would have adopted amendments to the Senate bill in conference, and then we would adopt the Senate bill as amended. This procedure is very similar to that kind of conference procedure. We expect, as I said, to have the votes to pass the Senate bill. It will then go to the president and the reconciliation bill will go to the Senate. We have every reason to believe that the Senate will pass that reconciliation bill and will then send it to the president. He will sign it and it will amend the then-existing in law Senate bill.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): What changed, Mr. Hoyer, what changed? So many of you were so adamant the deem and pass way to go was OK. Was it just the bottom line that many of your members said this does not look like transparency in Washington?

HOYER: Well I think that frankly, if we voted twice we would have voted on the Senate bill and then the reconciliation bill. What this gives us the opportunity to do is to vote as you would in conference for the amendments first, i.e. the reconciliation bill, then the Senate bill. We believe this is a better process.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): What changed? Why this now?

HOYER: We determined that we could do this and it was a better process in consultation with the chairwoman of the Rules Committee.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Do you have the votes for both the reconciliation bill and the Senate bill?

HOYER: Well, the whip is here. Clearly, we believe we have the votes.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Have you reached a resolution on abortion to assuage concerns?

HOYER: That is still under discussion.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): [Inaudible]

HOYER: Senator Reid will be here this afternoon with us. He has met with speaker Pelosi and I and talked to Mr. Clyburn, as well. We have seen a letter that he has signed by more than 50 members of the United States Senate indicating that they are supportive of the reconciliation bill. More than 50.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. You're listening to Congressman Hoyer as well as Clyburn there. Let's return to our Dana Milbank with "The Washington Post." You heard them, as well. Steny Hoyer sounding very confident there saying, "We expect to pass." And he talked about the breakdown as to what that compromise was. No longer will it be deem and pass, but he explained a little bit further, first there will be the reconciliation package that will be voted upon and then the Senate bill. He feels very confident that all will be onboard for the reconciliation package. I don't know if I got the certainty from him on the Senate bill. What is your understanding of this logic?

MILBANK: Well, it seems to be they're having increasing confidence with each statement they make. It's sort of the operating assumption around here they wouldn't have gone this far down the road of committing to this vote unless they knew that they had the votes. They cleaned up the procedural hurdles in the House now by making this change. One wonders why if they had the votes to do it this way they didn't do it in the first place. This allows the house members to sort of vote against the objectionable provisions in the Senate bill before they actually approve the Senate bill. That gives them cover there. Then the action moves over to the Senate by Steny Hoyer saying they have a majority of the Senators signing on to agree to this reconciliation. That means that is a commitment, obviously a nonbinding one, but a commitment to vote for the reconciliation bill the way the House passed it. That would be the final step if that happens to get health care to the president's desk.

WHITFIELD: Earlier I asked you all that was at stake for House speaker Nancy Pelosi, a lot at stake; underscore a lot at stake for the president of the United States. It's become his number one domestic policy. How important is it for him to clinch these votes, particularly as he has face time today?

MILBANK: I don't think you can overstate it. I think that's why the president believes and the Democratic leaders in the House believe that they have the votes. If the president were to fail on this, it would be devastating to his presidency, which is why everybody believes that the votes will ultimately be there or they wouldn't have gotten themselves into this position in the first place. There may be a couple of people who are wavering, but Steny Hoyer, Jim Clyburn and these other House leaders they really know where people are voting. They know that they have the votes if they need them.

WHITFIELD: Dana Milbank, thank you so much. Now I turn to our Dana Bash the senior congressional correspondent there. Dana we heard from Hoyer as well as Clyburn sounding incredibly confident. Why are they so confident?

BASH: They are so confident for a lot of reasons. They've been running around talking to lots of members today. Things seem to be falling into place on several issues that were keeping some undecided members from voting for it. Some things that were under the radar like an issue that has to do with Medicare disparities. That was keeping maybe six or eight Democrats from saying they are going to vote yes. That has been resolved.

And I think you cannot underestimate the power of what they just formally announced here. It is a process issue but it is very much a political issue. It was very clear in talking to, they wouldn't admit it here if you heard, and we tried. They wouldn't admit the reason why they decided to scrap this deem and pass idea is specifically protecting members not voting directly on the bill is because many members they were trying to protect were calling the leadership offices saying please don't do this. We are getting hammered for business as usual, Washington as usual.

You heard earlier there was one member particularly who was very open saying I can't do this. I can't vote for this. Every vote counts. It sounds like they actually got some votes just in changing the process. Again, sounds very technical, very much in the weeds. This is all very, very much political. Another thing that they are trying to work out is potentially this whole controversy over abortion. Fredricka. This kept members here, leadership here until late last night trying to figure out what the latest was.

It sounds as though what they are talking about, it's not resolved yet, but what they are talking about if they need to get those final votes from anti-abortion Democrats who say they simply will not vote for it, the current bill because they say it doesn't go far enough in restriction on abortion, that maybe if they have to they could get the president to sign and executive order promising that no taxpayer dollars will be used for abortion. They are not necessarily going to do that yet, but it is an option if they need to get those final votes. You heard the majority leader Steny Hoyer. He did sound very confident.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dana Bash, thank you so much, senior congressional correspondent. We'll check back with you momentarily. Especially since we are still awaiting the president's arrival there on Capitol Hill. We understand momentarily somewhere with in this hour he will have departed the White House making his way down the street to Capitol Hill and ending up in this room right here for that Democratic caucus meeting. Much more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Checking some of our top stories. In Minnesota and North Dakota, residents are dealing with flood waters from the Red River. The river is expected to rise a foot and crest this weekend. That will present a major test for more than a million sandbags placed as a barrier in Fargo. So far no reports of property damage as experienced in the area during last year's flooding.

Anti-war protestors on the streets of the nation's capital on this the seventh anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Among those on hand former Attorney General Ramsey Clark calling on the Justice Department to investigate those behind the launching of the war. We'll have another check on the top stories in about 15 minutes from now.

All right. Pope Benedict addresses the latest sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. Did his 18-page letter on alleged abuse by Irish priests go far enough? Details when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As the clock ticks toward a health care vote on Capitol Hill tomorrow, we understand the president of the United States has now left the White House. He's making the journey up to Capitol Hill where he will meet with Democratic caucus to do any last-minute pep talking on this eve before the scheduled vote tomorrow. Much more straight ahead on that.

Meantime, let's talk about Pope Benedict and his offering of an apology on the sex abuse scandal rocking the Irish Catholic church now. In a 16 page letter released today, the Pope apologized to children abused by Irish priest saying he is truly sorry. He rebuked Irish bishops for their grave errors of judgment and ordered an investigation. But the Pope did not dole out any specific punishment to the Irish bishops accused of covering up years of abuse. The Vatican spokesman says the Pope wants guilty priests to cooperate with local authorities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATHER FEDERICO LOMBARDI, VATICAN SPOKESMAN: The Pope has also very strong words for the priests and the religious who have abused children. And he says that they have to respond to God and to the courts, and also the justice of the state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, for years the charge has been Catholic Ireland has been exporting priests all over the world. Well, now an Irish priest in the U.S. is awaiting extradition back to his homeland. He is accused of molesting a boy in Ireland four decades ago. Drew Griffin of CNN's Special Investigative Unit has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Carrickmacross, Ireland, a proud Irish town where the local pub owner's son, Francis Markey, dreamt of becoming a priest and serving parishioners all over the world. But by age 25, the newly ordained Father Markey was heading towards a dark future.

Now, 82-years-old, he awaits extradition from a jail in Indiana back to Ireland to face the charge he raped a young boy more than 40 years ago. His story, part of a growing crisis in the Irish-Catholic Church, now admitting that for decades, its leaders hid, moved and even exported suspected pedophile priests to cover up horrific crimes.

PATRICK WALL, AUTHOR, "SEX, PRIESTS AND SECRET CODES": The Roman Catholic Church has the largest body of knowledge of non-incarcerated sex offenders in the world.

GRIFFIN: Francis Markey was first suspended in 1964 and sent for psychiatric treatment in Dublin. In fact, during the '60s and '70s, Francis Markey would be suspended and sent for treatment three times, eventually being sent to New Mexico where the church ran a treatment facility for priests with various addictions or sexual problems.

(on camera): Markey would mysteriously resurface here in 1982 in this tiny town of Granite Falls, Minnesota, filling in for a priest at the very, very small parish of St. Andrews.

(voice-over): And it was here in 1982 that a young boy would come to this priest's house just across the street from the church and find himself in Father Markey's arms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I was leaving, he gave me a hug and when he did so, he stuck his tongue down my throat and he had been drinking. There was alcohol. I can't say if he was drunk, but he was definitely drinking.

GRIFFIN (on camera): And you were a little boy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very young. GRIFFIN (voice-over): The man is trying to protect his identity to save his family from embarrassment. He claims the abuse never went any further, but Markey's arrest in Indiana last year based on the accusations being made in Ireland, has refocused attention, not only on Ireland's church secrets, but perhaps secrets of a small town Minnesota church.

(on camera): Hi, Father Moran (ph)? Yes, this is Drew Griffin with CNN calling. So, you're saying you didn't know him at all?

FATHER JAMES MORAN (via telephone): ...but that's all, but I had no contact with him.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Father James Moran was pastor of St. Andrews. Markey had filled in for him while Moran was studying in Rome.

MORAN: Who's the one who called?

GRIFFIN (on camera): Drew Griffin.

MORAN: I'll talk to you and only you, though. I don't want any -- you have any of your programs or anything like that.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): As we sat on a couch just outside of view of the camera, Father Moran insisted he knew nothing of the allegations against Father Francis Markey, but the diocese overseeing St. Andrews told CNN Father Markey was sent from this church to treatment because parents were concerned he had an unnatural attraction to minor males. He never came back to the parish.

Markey's attorney has not returned calls to CNN. In Granite Falls, those who did know him, now wonder if there are more secrets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To this day, I wonder how many people are wondering whatever happened to him? How many people had encounters with him? I can just imagine how many victims, people he affected.

GRIFFIN: Now, it seems likely some of them will see their priest again. Not in the pews of his old parish, but in the benches of an Irish courtroom where Markey is expected to stand trial.

Drew Griffin, CNN, Granite Falls, Minnesota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And back now to the nation's capital. They are awaiting, they are all poising themselves there in the capitol building for the president who has just arrived -- his motorcade, has, that is. It's parked right there on the east side of the capitol building. And we understand after they get things in place the president will be swept on inside and he'll be going to that Democratic caucus meeting where he will doing a last-minute pep talking and pushing toward a health care reform vote that he is favoring. The schedule vote taking place tomorrow and the news of this afternoon has been that these house members have decided to do away with the controversial deem and pass method of getting this measure through. Instead now they will be voting on the resolution, the package of amendments, I should say, this reconciliation package and they'll also be voting on the Senate bill. And if there is passage of those items, they'll then be moving on to the president's signature and then of course the Senate will go through its wrangling and voting throughout the next week.

But first we've got to get through this weekend with the president's arrival there on Capitol Hill. He will be meeting with that Democratic caucus and trying to, I guess, sway any of those Democrats that are kind of on the fence as it pertains to health care reform.

Let's take a live view now of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi there walking in after you see these gentlemen and we understand the president alongside her, as well. There you go, in that view, right there.

BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: How is it going, guys?

We are going to get this done.

WHITFIELD: All right, you heard the president say, "we are going to get this done." Not long ago, within the hour, you heard from Maryland's Steny Hoyer to says, "We expect to pass." So, of course we will see that scheduled vote happening tomorrow. We'll have much more in the NEWSROOM after this break and take you back to Capitol Hill.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, back now to health care reform and what is expected to be a vote tomorrow. You're looking at live pictures right there. To the very right almost cutting off the frame there, now you can see President Barack Obama, there on Capitol Hill at this Democratic caucus meeting and to his right, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as they are doing their introductions right there.

I want to bring in our senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash who is with us now, as well. The president arriving just moments ago. He's going to make his final push, so to speak. He is going to try to convince anyone who is on the fence, as we see Nancy Pelosi. Do we want to hear Nancy Pelosi, actually Dana, hold, you're thoughts that you might have. Let's listen in to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

you all very much. I want to bring in our senior congressional correspondent Dana bash who is with us now. The president arriving just moments ago. He is going to make his final push, so to speak. He is going to try to convince anyone who is on the fence, as we see Nancy Pelosi. Do we want to hear Nancy Pelosi speak? Dana, hold your thoughts. Let's listen to house speaker Nancy Pelosi.

NANCY PELOSI (D), HOUSE SPEAKER: Thank you all very much. Thank you, John Larson. I receive your kind words on behalf of all of our courageous members of the House of Representatives who want the best for the American people. And what we can do that is best for them in the next 24 hours is to pass affordable, accessible health care for all Americans.

(APPLAUSE) The best for all Americans is to have 32 million more people to have health insurance in our country. The best for our country is to have $1.3 trillion in deficit reduction so THAT we're not heaping on mountains of debt.

(APPLAUSE)

The best for our country is to hold the insurance companies accountable and not let them come between patients and their doctors.

(APPLAUSE)

We are on the verge of making great history for the American people and in doing so, we will make great progress for them, as well. The president has said over and over, we will measure our own success on the progress that has been made by America's working families. That is our responsibility and we will honor it when we vote on health care reform.

We would not be here, Mr. President, without the courage of my colleagues, here. They have fought this fight. They've understood the issues. They have brought great exuberance to the debate. This will be about wellness and prevention and innovation, as well as reducing our deficit and making America healthier.

And we certainly would not be here, Mr. President, without your inspiration, without your leadership, without your fresh thinking on this subject, and we thank you for that leadership.

(APPLAUSE)

It is now my privilege to introduce my friend, a great leader of the United States Senate, a man who understands also how important this issue is, an issue that has hit home for him very closely, very recently. He said at the time of his wife's accident that it even made him further aware of why we must pass this bill because it is so important for all Americans to have the same access that Landra has.

But, to watch him on a day to day basis is see a master at work, an understanding of the issues, a dedication to the values, a vision for America and a knowledge of the procedures. I'm very, very pleased to thank him for what he has done to bring us to this point and to introduce to you my colleagues, the great Democratic leader of the United States Senate Harry Reid.

(APPLAUSE)

HARRY REID (D), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: One of the joys of my life has been my friendship, my partnership with the greatest speaker the House of Representatives ever had, Nancy Pelosi.

(APPLAUSE)

We spent the last year discussing, debating and drafting and redrafting. It's no longer a question of whether reform of our health care system is necessary. It's no longer a question of whether this bill is an enormous, positive step in the right direction. With the lives and livelihoods of millions on the line, the question is whether senators and congressmen will choose to stand on the side of the American people or with the insurance industry responsible for this crisis.

It's about whether you will fight for the insurance companies' profits for the families' peace of mind. The question is whether you want to raise health care costs and the deficit or whether you want to lower health care costs and the deficit. And whether you want to pretend this is about Senate procedure, admit it is about struggling people. The question is whether you want to protect our broken health care system or fix it. The most sweeping changes to America's health care will be law in a matter of days. We need a simple majority to make the good law even better.

So, I'm happy to announce I have the commitment of significant majority of the United States Senate to make that good law even better.

(APPLAUSE)

Our great country has needed health reform for generations. This Congress has been focused on it for the entire past year. History will show it will be one of the most important years in our history ending with one of the most historic achievements Congress has ever produced.

Mr. President, you asked us to send you a bill that will improve the health of millions of Americans and help our economy. We're going to do that.

(APPLAUSE)

Mr. President, I know you know basketball. You're a big fan. I know many are fixated on the national college basketball tournament going on now. So, Mr. President, we are in the last minute of play. The shot clock is turned off. The other side knows what the outcome will be so they are trying to foul us and foul us and foul us and foul us again just to keep the clock from reading zero. They're not just delaying the inevitable, they're delaying the imperative.

Every time they foul, we'll keep hitting our shots. We'll overcome every obstacle they throw in our way just as we have for the past year. And soon, when the buzzer finally sounds, there will be a clear winner. That winner will be the American people.

(APPLAUSE)

In the House of Representatives there is no one who mastered the floor as well as Steny Hoyer. There is nobody...

(APPLAUSE)

REP JOHN LARSON (D), CONNECTICUT: ...who reaches out across the aisle and is respected and works hard every day to try to encourage our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join with us in this historic vote.

But what he work hardest on is what he calls the psychology of consensus. And he and Nancy Pelosi together have created that and have created the greatest caucus ever assembled in the history of this country. The Democratic House caucus and its majority leader Steny Hoyer.

(APPLAUSE)

REP STENY HOYER (D), MARYLAND: Thank you very much. Apparently, however, not the most humble.

Mr. President, welcome. We're pleased to have you here. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, little did you and I realize when you were a capitol cop and I was working down in the basement of the Russell building that we would be on this stage with President Obama.

REID: I had a good job.

STENY: He had a good job, he said.

(LAUGHTER)

And of course in that office in which I wororked there was a young lady who also worked there. Her name was Nancy. And this was pre- Paul wedding, not necessarily pre-Paul but pre-Paul wedding and little did we realize, Nancy, that you and I would be here at this historic time to participate with our colleagues in this extraordinary effort.

America is watching us. Some would say this is a partisan effort. They're wrong. This is an effort on behalf of all Americans. George W. Bush in 2002 said, and I quote, "All Americans should be able to choose a health care plan that meets their needs at affordable prices." Bill Clinton said, "The time has come to pull together and work in a bipartisan manner to deliver guaranteed health care coverage to all Americans."

George H.W. Bush in 1992, said "A universal comprehensive national health insurance program is one of the major unfinished items on America' s social agenda. The American people," he said in 1992, "have waited too long."

Gerald Ford in 1974 said, "Let us affirm that this national legislation is only the beginning of our effort to upgrade and perpetuate this part of our total health care system so no individual in this country," said President Ford, "will lack help whenever or wherever he needs it."

John F. Kennedy said in 1962, "Whenever the miracles of modern medicine are beyond the reach of any groups of Americans, for whatever reasons, economic, geographic, occupational, or other, we must find a way to meet their needs and fulfill their hopes.

Dwight David Eisenhower in 1955 said, "Clearly our nation must do more to reduce the impact of accident and disease. Two fundamental problems confront us, first, high and ever rising costs of health services. Second, serious gaps and shortages in those services," so said Dwight Eisenhower in 1955.

And in 1945, Harry Truman said, "Millions of our citizens do not now have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health. The time," he said, "has arrived, for action to help them attain that opportunity and that protection."

And then another president said this, "Comprehensive health insurance is an idea whose time has come in America. There has long been a need to assure every American financial access to high quality health care. As medical costs go up, that need grows more pressing. Now, for the first time," this president said, "we have not just the need, but the will to get this job done." He went on to say, "there is widespread support in the Congress, and the nation, for some form of comprehensive health insurance." He urged us act sensibly. Indeed he urged us to let us act now, in 1974, to assure all Americans financial access to high quality medical care.

Our president talks about the fact that Theodore Roosevelt put this on America's agenda over a century ago.

Barack Obama went to the people of this country and reached out to them and said, if you elect me president of the United States, this is what I will do. There was no illusions of what he would do, there was no trying to hide it. It was transparent and indeed, in the debate, in October of 2008, he said exactly what he was going to do. And John McCain stood on that same stage and said, "Yes, I believe every American ought to have access to affordable health care." All the presidents I just quoted tried to get something done, and it was not done.

On Sunday, tomorrow, we will do it -- led by our president who said to the American public, this is our moment. Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States, Barack Obama.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Everybody, please have a seat. To leader Reid, to Steny Hoyer, John Larson, Xavier Baccera, Jim Clyburn, Chris van Hollen, to an extraordinary leader, an extraordinary speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi and to all the members here today, thank you very much for having me.

(APPLAUSE)

Thanks for having me and thanks for your tireless efforts waged on behalf of health insurance reform in this country.

You know, I have the great pleasure of having a really nice library at the White House. And I was tooling through some of the writings of some previous presidents and I came upon this quote by Abraham Lincoln. "I'm not bound to win, but I'm bound to be true. I'm not bound to succeed, but I'm bound to live up to what light I have." And this debate has been a difficult debate. This process has been a difficult process. And this year has been a difficult year for the American people. When I was sworn in, we were in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression -- 800,000 people per month were losing their jobs. Millions of people were losing their health insurance. And the financial system was on the verge of collapse.

And this body has taken on some of the toughest vote and some of the toughest decisions in the history of Congress. Not because you were bound to win, but because you were bound to be true. Because each and every one of you made a decision that at a moment of such urgency, it was less important to measure what the polls said than to measure what was right.

Now a year later, we're in different circumstances. Because of the actions that you've taken, the financial system has stabilized. The stock market has stabilized. Businesses are starting to invest again, the economy, instead of contracting, is now growing again. There are signs that people are going to start hiring again. There is still tremendous hardship all across the country, but there is a sense that we are making progress, because of you.

But even before this crisis each and every one of us knew that there were millions of people across America who were living their own quiet crises. Maybe because they had a child who had a pre-existing condition and no matter how desperate they were, no matter what insurance company they called, they couldn't get coverage for that child.

Maybe it was somebody who had been forced into early retirement, in their 50s, not yet eligible for Medicare and they couldn't find a job, and they couldn't find health insurance despite the fact that they had some sort of chronic condition that had to be tended to.

Every single one of you at some point before you arrived in Congress and after you arrived in Congress have met constituents with heart- breaking stories, and you've looked them in the eye and you've said we're going to do something about it. That's why I want to go to Congress.

And now we're on the threshold of doing something about it. We're a day away. After a year of debate, after every argument has been made, by just about everybody, we're 24 hours away.

As some of you know I'm not somebody who spends a lot of time surfing the cable channels, but I'm not completely in the bubble. I have a sense of what the coverage has been and mostly it's an obsession with what will this mean for the Democratic Party? What will this mean for the president's polls? How will this play out in November? Is this good or is this bad for the Democratic majority? What does it mean for those swing districts?

And I notice that there has been a lot of friendly advice offered all across town. Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Karl Rove, they're all warning you of the horrendous impact if you support this legislation. Now, it could be that they are suddenly having a change of heart and they are deeply concerned about their Democratic friends.