Obama to support Public Option in health speech
source: http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Obama_to_clear_up_confusion_in_heal_09082009.html
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US President Barack Obama Wednesday aims to clear up "confusion" and answer the "big questions" on his embattled healthcare reform plan in a crucial address to Congress, the White House said.
Obama is seeking to restore his diminished political authority following a summer of shrill Republican attacks and is under intense pressure to lay out clear plans on his troubled top domestic reform priority.
"I think he will, obviously, clear up any confusion about what's not in healthcare reform," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
"I think he will answer many of the big questions about how we move forward on healthcare reform and what he considers reform to truly be."
As Obama worked on his speech, expected to last around 35 minutes, a frenzied behind-the-scenes effort to dictate the endgame of the healthcare showdown intensified on Capitol Hill and in the White House.
The president met key Democratic power brokers, House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, as Congress returned from an explosive recess consumed by Republican counter-attacks.
Pelosi insisted that the creation of a government-run insurance company to compete with private health care providers -- the "public option" beloved of grass roots Democrats --- was vital to passing a bill in the House.
But with Republicans slamming the plan as evidence the government is plotting to take over the system and introduce a European-style health service, chances of passing the "public option" in the Senate appear doubtful at best.
Obama is expected to argue in favor of the government entity to compete with private insurers to help Americans who have no health coverage.
Obama is seeking to restore his diminished political authority following a summer of shrill Republican attacks and is under intense pressure to lay out clear plans on his troubled top domestic reform priority.
"I think he will, obviously, clear up any confusion about what's not in healthcare reform," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
"I think he will answer many of the big questions about how we move forward on healthcare reform and what he considers reform to truly be."
As Obama worked on his speech, expected to last around 35 minutes, a frenzied behind-the-scenes effort to dictate the endgame of the healthcare showdown intensified on Capitol Hill and in the White House.
The president met key Democratic power brokers, House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, as Congress returned from an explosive recess consumed by Republican counter-attacks.
Pelosi insisted that the creation of a government-run insurance company to compete with private health care providers -- the "public option" beloved of grass roots Democrats --- was vital to passing a bill in the House.
But with Republicans slamming the plan as evidence the government is plotting to take over the system and introduce a European-style health service, chances of passing the "public option" in the Senate appear doubtful at best.
Obama is expected to argue in favor of the government entity to compete with private insurers to help Americans who have no health coverage.
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