Tonight's Press Conference - Tune in at 8pm ET

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22ND, 2009 AT 7:24 PM
Tonight's Press Conference - Tune in at 8pm ET
Posted by Cammie Croft
We're hearing a lot of back and forth about health insurance reform. And it's hard to decipher myth from fact -- especially as Washington heats up with its usual political games and 'who's up', 'who's down' rhetoric.

So, tonight, President Obama is holding a primetime press conference to address the nation about health insurance reform. He will lay out where we are, where we're going, and why health insurance reform matters.

Check back later for advance excerpts of tonight's address. And at 8pm ET, tune in to watch the press conference live at Whitehouse.gov/Live and participate in the live chat on Facebook.

As the President has said, we are closer than ever before to accomplishing comprehensive health insurance reform. And now is not the time to slow down or lose sight of the finish line. Spread the word: Share/Bookmark

UPDATE: As indicated by the excerpts of the President's opening remarks, during tonight's news conference the President will stress the need for health care reform:


This is not just about the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance. Reform is about every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage if they become too sick, or lose their job, or change their job. It’s about every small business that has been forced to lay off employees or cut back on their coverage because it became too expensive. And it’s about the fact that the biggest driving force behind our federal deficit is the skyrocketing cost of Medicare and Medicaid.

The President will also emphasize that health care reform is an important issue across the country, not just the political issue of the moment in Washington:

I understand how easy it is for this town to become consumed in the game of politics – to turn every issue into running tally of who’s up and who’s down. I’ve heard that one Republican strategist told his party that even though they may want to compromise, it’s better politics to "go for the kill." Another Republican Senator said that defeating health reform is about "breaking" me.

So let me be clear: This isn’t about me. I have great health insurance, and so does every Member of Congress. This debate is about the letters I read when I sit in the Oval Office every day, and the stories I hear at town hall meetings…This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait for reform any longer. They are counting on us to get this done. They are looking to us for leadership. And we must not let them down. We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year.