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 Health Care Taxes Obama Administration - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 2/3/09 — Tuesday, February 03, 2009 —  Q I'm sorry, can I follow up real quick? You didn't quite answer the question. Was Daschle given any kind of signal, yes or no, from the White House that he should withdraw?MR. GIBBS: I don't know how much more clear I can be. The decision was Senator Daschle's. Q No, no, no, no. He could have decided after he got a signal. Did he get a signal -- just say yes or no -- from the White House? You can answer that question, yes or no. MR. GIBBS: No, from the White House, he did not get a signal. Q From anywhere else? (Laughter.) I just -- words are chosen -- MR. GIBBS: You know what I'm going to do from now on? I'm going to have you guys write down your questions so I don't misinterpret -- Q Words are chosen very careful in this briefing room, as you know, that's why I'm -- MR. GIBBS: I don't know how much more clear I can be with the word "no." Laura, please phrase your question clearly and succinctly. (Laughter.) Q I'll do my best. MR. GIBBS: Speak in slow monotone so that I can understand. (Laughter.) Go ahead. Q I don't know about the slow monotone. But Robert, the President and others have spoken of Senator Daschle's unique qualifications to lead the health reform effort. Given his withdrawal, two questions. One, what impact do you think that will have on the opportunity to get health care reform, which was a heavy lift to start with? And secondly, was there or is there any consideration of keeping him on in the White House post, which does not require a confirmation? MR. GIBBS: The President -- well, Senator Daschle has withdrawn his nomination and withdrawn from serving in the White House in the capacity that we had talked about earlier. As it relates to your first question on health care, I think Senator Daschle would be -- and I think he says it, in essence, in his statement -- that much like the agenda that the President has outlined on any number of subjects, the issue of affordable health care for every American is bigger than one person; and the job of ensuring health care reform will outlast any person nominated for the Secretary of HHS and likely anybody that serves in this administration. This a problem that confounds federal and state governments. It confounds families and businesses large and small. We watch each year as health care prices get higher and higher and higher, and more people slip through the cracks, more businesses are unable to afford to provide health care coverage for their employees. We are hopeful to sign a bill this week that closes that gap for children by expanding the popular Children's Health Insurance Program. I don't think the effort slows down for health care reform, and I think Senator Daschle and others would admit that the effort is far bigger than any one individual. It's so important, it encompasses so much of our economy, and we understand that the system that we currently have whereby Americans pay more for health care and get less from it than virtually any industrialized country on the planet underscores that this is bigger than any one group or any individual. Q But given the fact that you now have to start all over trying to find someone to lead this effort -- MR. GIBBS: Well, we have to -- Q -- to be HHS Secretary, you don't think that this is going to put things back? MR. GIBBS: No, I -- no, because I think there are obviously many people in this administration that are working on this issue right now. We're looking for a new nominee, but the problem has existed for quite some time and the work toward a solution to make health care more affordable won't stop or won't pause while we look for that nominee. Major. Q Since you brought up the process with Secretary Geithner -- Max Baucus, the Chairman of the Finance Committee, has put out a statement saying he thinks that if allowed to stay, Tom Daschle would have been confirmed. John Kerry put out a statement saying it was a mistake to withdraw his nomination. Why would the White House believe it's a good idea to disappoint Democrats, who are their natural allies on health care, by preemptively taking away someone they believed could have been confirmed, as Mr. Geithner was -- despite his tax problems -- and they believe would have been someone that -- MR. GIBBS: Major, I wouldn't -- I think I'd address those questions to Senator Daschle, who, taking all of my answers into account on these subjects, made a decision to withdraw today, a decision that the President accepted. Q But it's the President's health care reform agenda, not Senator Daschle's, and -- MR. GIBBS: Well -- Q -- the natural allies of yours appear to be, A, believing he could have been confirmed, and disappointed that this was done, in their view, prematurely. What is your explanation to them? MR. GIBBS: My explanation to them is if you want to know the decision-making process of Senator Daschle, that's the best person to address that question to. Q How seriously would the White House consider Howard Dean for the Health and Human Services Secretary? MR. GIBBS: I've given -- been given many opportunities to play the name game and I don't want to spin the wheel and start today. Q So assuming that Daschle stays in the private sector, will he be able to lobby the administration on health care? And will he be in any way involved in health care? MR. GIBBS: I assume that Senator Daschle's passion for health care isn't diminished by today's announcement. But Ann, as you know, Senator Daschle has not been and is not a registered federal lobbyist; therefore, based on the rules that the government -- stringent rules that the government sets out, he can't lobby the federal government. Health Care | Nominees | Obama Administration | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | Taxes | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Nominees, Obama Administration, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, Taxes, Wall Street, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 9:52:00 PM
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