Tag Archives: Barack Obama

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Supreme Court Upholds President Obama’s Health Care Reform


The White House Thursday, June 28, 2012
President Barack Obama delivers remarks after the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (June 28, 2012)President Barack Obama delivers remarks regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” in the East Room of the White House, June 28, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Nancy-Ann DeParle is Assistant to the President and White House Deputy Chief of Staff
Related Topics: Health Care

What the Supreme Court’s ruling means for your health care

Today, the Supreme Court issued a historic ruling: They upheld the Affordable Care Act and ensured that millions of American families will have access to health care and protection from the worst abuses of the insurance industry.

Lots of people have questions about the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court’s decision, and their health care coverage. We’ve pulled together the most useful information — including President Obama’s remarks after the announcement — at WhiteHouse.gov:

Watch the video and get the facts here.

Because the law has an impact on so many Americans, it’s important to understand its basic parts. We’ve also put together a list of facts about the Affordable Care Act. Will you give it a read, and then pass it on?

Nancy-Ann DeParle
Nancy-Ann DeParle

June 28, 2012
01:23 PM EDT
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Questions about what the decision means for you? Check out an infographic showing how the Affordable Care Act benefits Americans 

Today, the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act ensures hard-working, middle class families will get the security they deserve and protects every American from the worst insurance company abuses. The Court has issued a clear and final ruling on this law.

For a comprehensive overview of the Affordable Care Act, visit WhiteHouse.gov/HealthReform and HealthCare.gov.

Let’s take a look at what today’s ruling means for the middle class:

A major impact of the Court’s decision is the 129 million people with pre-existing conditions and millions of middle class families who will have the security of affordable health coverage.

We should also remember that under today’s ruling, having health insurance is and will continue to be a choice. If you can’t afford insurance or you’re a small business that wants to provide affordable insurance to your employees, you’ll get tax credits that make coverage affordable. But if you can afford insurance and you choose not to purchase it, the taxpayers will no longer subsidize your care for free.

Given today’s ruling, it’s now time to focus on implementing this law in a smart and non-bureaucratic way that works for the middle class.

As we’ve said, the Court has issued a clear and final ruling on this law. The last thing Congress should do is refight old political battles and start over on health care by repealing basic protections that provide security for the middle class. The President refuses to go back to the way things were.

Right now, Congress needs to work together to focus on the economy and creating jobs. Right now in congress, what’s at stake is how–at this make or break moment for the middle class–we break through Washington gridlock to move our country forward. Right now in Congress, what’s at stake is our chance to seize this moment to build an economy not from the top-down, but one based on a strong and secure middle class.  We need to create secure middle class jobs and an economy built to last where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, everybody gets a fair shot, pays their fair share, and plays by the same set of rules.

Right now, Congress should act on the President’s concrete plans to create an economy built to last by reducing the deficit in a balanced way and investing in education, clean energy, innovation, and infrastructure. It’s time for folks in Washington to work together on behalf of the American people.

Please check back periodically for additional information on today’s decision.

Read the President’s full remarks here

 
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Here’s how to know if you’d qualify for refinancing


The White House, Washington

Hello —President Obama’s plan to give mortgage relief to responsible homeowners boils down to one important principle. He wants to simplify the refinancingprocess.And the very first step is to let people know if they would benefit from the President’s proposal — so we’ve built a tool to help answer that question.Just enter a few basic facts about your mortgage, and this tool will help you figure out if you currently qualify for easy, low-cost refinancing — or whether, like millions of families, you need Congress to act to help you lower your interest rate.

Get started now.  

As tens of thousands of people have spoken up and written in to the White House, we’ve heard one message loud and clear: The refinancing process is anything but easy to navigate.

Even homeowners who have done everything right and made all their payments on time are getting caught up in unnecessary red tape. Sitting down and reading through some of these stories is a powerful reminder of why it’s so important that we get this done right away.

One mom in Maryland, raising two teenage boys by herself, wrote in to say that she’s working 15 hour days to make her mortgage payments and keep current on her bills. Another family from Illinois is hoping to lower their mortgage payments so they can help pay for college for their kids. One woman in Arkansas called the President’s plan a “no brainer” and talked about how much good it would do for the broader economy.

So if you are like these people and think that both you and our economy could stand to benefit from the President’s refinancing plan, give the tool a try, then take a moment to share it with your friends:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/refi

Thanks,

Brian

Brian Deese
Deputy Director
National Economic Council
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“Pioneers” of outsourcin​g … Stephanie Cutter, BarackObama.com

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The Washington Post reported that “Mitt Romney‘s financial company, Bain Capital, invested in a series of firms that specialized in relocating jobs done by American workers to new facilities in low-wage countries like China and India.”

This is the same guy that goes around the campaign trail talking a huge game about being able to protect American jobs by standing up to foreign countries like China. But now we know that Romney and his partners made millions while sending American jobs overseas.

This is a critical point, and we need to make sure everyone knows it. Check out this video I recorded today, and share it far and wide:

Romney’s support of outsourcing didn’t just happen in the private sector. As governor of Massachusetts, he vetoed legislation that would have banned companies from shipping state jobs overseas — and he actually outsourced state jobs to a call center in India.

In contrast, President Obama has a jobs plan that could put up to a million people back to work — including teachers, cops, firefighters, construction workers, and veterans — help small businesses create jobs right now, and help to put an end to American jobs being shipped overseas. He’s also fighting for tax breaks for companies that bring jobs back to America.

Mitt Romney is fighting for tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas — the type of companies he ran in the private sector.

This isn’t just a policy position for Romney, it’s his economic philosophy — and it’s his record.

Read the article, watch the video, and share them both far and wide — doesn’t get a lot more important than this one:

Thanks,

Stephanie

P.S. — Chip in $5 or more today, and help make sure we have the resources to spread the truth about Romney’s record.

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Five things you should know about mortgage relief


The White House Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Will you sharethis?We want to make sure you have all the information you need to understand President Obama’s proposal to cut through the red tape keeping millions of responsible homeowners from refinancingtheir mortgages.And we want to make sure your friends get the message, too.

So we’ve put together a list of five things that help to explain the President’s proposal and why it makes sense for the middle class. We just need you to share it.

SHARE ON FACEBOOK | SHARE ON TWITTER

Refi: 5 Things You Should Know

You don’t need to visit WhiteHouse.gov. You don’t even need to be on Facebook or Twitter. Sharing the message can be as simple as hitting the forward button and sending it to three friends.

But an image like this can be really powerful over social networks. You post it, and one of your friends picks it up and shares it with her followers. A couple folks who follow her decide to do the same, and pretty soon, the message is seen by people all over the country.

If Congress passes President Obama’s plan, millions of responsible people will get some important relief. But too many people don’t know what’s at stake. And that’s where you come in.

Share the message today:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infographics/refi-five-things

Stay Connected
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Give Health Care to Firefighters Who Battle Wildfires …John Lauer, Denver, CO


Change.org
Firefighters save lives every year from wildfires, but the government won’t give their families health care.
Sign John’s Petition

Give Health Care to Firefighters Who Battle Wildfires

Started by: John Lauer, Denver, CO

Right now, wildfires are raging in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. And more are sure to come.

I’m a part of a hotshot crew of firefighters. We are on call to go anywhere, at any time to fight fires in our country. It’s intense work, but my crew is like my family and we are all committed to serving our communities.

Because wildfire is more common from May to October, most of us are seasonally employed. More than 90% of us return year after year and we often work the equivalent of a full year in 6-7 months. Despite this — and despite putting our lives on the line every day — we still don’t have the opportunity to buy into a government health care plan even at the most basic level.

This is because we are classified as temporary workers.

I have been a wildland firefighter for 6 years and I still don’t have health insurance, but I’m one of the lucky ones. Just in my own hotshot crew, I’ve seen the damage and suffering this lack of coverage can produce.

My godson, Rudy, was born prematurely. Rudy’s dad, a fellow firefighter, was stuck with $70,000 worth of hospital bills that he and his wife couldn’t pay back. All because the federal government won’t allow him to access health insurance. Another crew member’s child, who was born even more recently, required special attention in the hospital and his parents’ are now facing a $40,000 in medical bills.

Wildland firefighters face enormous risks in order to serve and protect our communities. In the past 12 years, 179 wildland firefighters have been killed in the line of duty, and the conditions of the firefighting environment have been linked to cancer and permanent lung damage.

We want federal legislation that gives us that option, but we know that Congress can be slow moving. That’s why we are asking President Obama to extend health coverage benefits to seasonal wildland firefighters.

Baby Rudy doesn’t deserve to be born into debt — his father is a hero.

Click here to sign my petition to make sure firefighters have health care.