Obama: In Ten Years, Health Care Will Cost Twice As Much If We Do Nothing
In his town-hall special on health care last night, President Obama sought to communicate a message of urgency for reform. “So if you’re happy with your health care right now — and many people are happy with their health care right now,” said Obama, “the problem is, 10 years from now, you’re not going to be happy, because it’s going to cost twice as much or three times as much as it does right now.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will participate in a “United We Serve” event today, joining hundreds of Congressional family members and five national nonprofit organizations at Fort McNair to prepare 15,000 backpacks with books, healthy snacks, Frisbees and other items for the children of servicemen and women. At 2 p.m. ET, Obama and Vice President Biden will meet with members of Congress from both parties to discuss immigration. At 3:15 p.m. ET, Obama will meet with Sec. of the Treasury Tim Geithner, and at 4 p.m. ET with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton. At 6:30 p.m., Obama, the First Lady and Biden will host a luau on the South Lawn, for members of Congress and their families.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will host conference calls this morning with mayors and governors from across the country, to discuss stimulus implementation. At 12:30 p.m. ET, he will hold a Recovery Act Implementation Meeting. At 2 p.m. ET, he will attend President Obama’s meeting with members of Congress on immigration. He will spend the rest of the afternoon in private meetings, and then starting at 6 p.m. ET he will attend the President’s luau on the South Lawn. At 8 p.m. ET, he will speak at the DNC’s LGBT Leadership Council Event.
Biden: $19 Billion In Highway Stimulus Already Set Aside
Vice President Biden will tell his Recovery Act Implementation Meeting today that more than half of the economic stimulus money meant for highway projects has been allocated — essentially a response to criticism that stimulus spending has been too slow. Of $19 billion that has been set aside for 5,300 projects, 1,900 of those projects are already underway.
Government Rescinds July 4 Invitations To Iranians
The White House has announced that it has rescinded invitations to Iranian diplomats, to join American embassies around the world for their July 4 celebrations. “July Fourth allows us to celebrate the freedom and the liberty we enjoy: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to assemble peacefully, freedom of the press,” press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters. “Given the events of the past many days, those invitations will no longer be extended.”
Poll: Big Majority For Greenhouse Regulations, Narrow One For Cap And Trade
A new ABC/Washington Post poll finds that three-quarters of Americans believe the federal government should regulate the release of greenhouse gases from power plants, cars and factories in order to reduce global warming. A smaller majority of 52% favors a specific cap-and-trade program, with 42% opposed.
1998 Case Shows Restraint By Sotomayor On Death Penalty
The New York Times reports that a 1998 death penalty case handled by Sonia Sotomayor showed her to have a restrained approach on the subject. “We gave her enough ammunition that she could have struck down the death penalty,” said a defense lawyer in the case. “Whether it would have stood up in the U.S. Supreme Court, who knows? But we gave her enough room to do it — had she wanted to reach out and do it — and she didn’t.”
Brownback Comes Out Against Sotomayor
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has announced that he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. “Judge Sotomayor has indicated through past rulings and in her writings that she believes the judiciary should take an activist role and make laws, instead of upholding the law,” Brownback said yesterday on the Senate Floor. He is now the third Senator to officially oppose Sotomayor, joining Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK).
