President Obama to the Democratic Party: "This is our best chance to deliver the change that the American people need"
February 9, 2010
On Saturday, as Washington was blanketed with snow, President Obama spoke to members of the Democratic Party at the 2010 Winter Meeting. In a fiery speech, the President reiterated his fierce commitment to fighting for health insurance reform:
"The easiest thing to do right now would be to just say, oh, [passing health reform] is too hard, let’s just re-group and lick our wounds, try to hang on. We’ve had a long and difficult debate on health care. And there are some, maybe even the majority in this town, who say perhaps it’s time to walk away. But…if we walk away, we know what will happen. We know that premiums and out-of-pocket expenses will skyrocket this decade and the decade after that and decade after that, just as they did in the past decade. More small businesses will be priced out of coverage. More big businesses will be unable to compete internationally. More workers will take home less pay and fewer raises. We know that millions more Americans will lose their coverage. We know that our deficits will inexorably continue to grow because health care costs are the single biggest driver.
So just in case there’s any confusion out there, let me be clear: I am not going to walk away from health insurance reform. I’m not going to walk away from the American people. I’m not going to walk away on this challenge."
He then spoke about the need to continue working to change the culture and politics of Washington, in order to address the challenges that the country faces:
"We knew this stuff was tough. But we stepped up because we decided we were going to take the responsibility of changing it. And it may not be easy, but change is coming. Look, I believe so strongly, I believe so strongly if we’re going to deal with the great challenges of our time, if we’re going to secure a better future, just as past generations did for us, then we’re going to have to change the prevailing politics in this town, and it’s not going to be easy. We’re going to have to care less about scoring points and more about solving problems that are holding us back. At this defining moment, that’s never been more important."
And he closed by talking about moving forward together:
"After all the promises we’ve made, this is our best chance to deliver the change that the American people need. And if we do that, if we speak to the hopes of the American people instead of their fears, if we inspire them instead of divide them, if we respond to their challenges with the same sense of urgency they feel in their own lives, we’re not just going to win elections, elections will take care of themselves. We will once again be the party that turns around the economy and moves this country forward and secures the American dream for another generation."
You can watch the full video below:
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