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 The President Has Been Involved The Whole Time - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 12/14/09 — Monday, December 14, 2009 —  Q The Senate has now said that it would like to expand access to Medicare of those aged 55 and above. That is an alternative approach that the House is taking. Which does the President think is better?MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry, say it one more time. Q The Senate bill on health care wants to provide access to those on Medicare down to age 55. That is a different -- different approach to expanding coverage under the rubric of public option than the House has taken. Which of these two approaches does the President believe is better? MR. GIBBS: I'm -- Q Does he have an opinion? If not, why not? MR. GIBBS: What the President wants to do is see the process through the Senate, continue to make progress, and that's what the administration is working toward. Q But I mean, that's a rather large systemic change to Medicare, and many budget analysts who are not opposed to health care reform as principle, have said this is -- MR. GIBBS: Well, let me interrupt -- Q -- a potentially large financial -- MR. GIBBS: -- because I don't want to get ahead of the CBO, because I know the CBO is working on just that, just as the CBO had told you all before that legislation bends the cost curve, that legislation would slow the growth rate in health care spending, that health care legislation wouldn’t add to the deficit, but it would in fact help our fiscal situation. And you've seen the CBO talk about the extended life to the Medicare trust fund that legislation that the Senate is currently debating would have in terms of the specific policy. Again, that's what the CBO is evaluating, and I think many on Capitol Hill await what they have to say. Q Is the White House agnostic on which approach to a public option is better? MR. GIBBS: The President is not agnostic to continue to making progress on health care reform and we're trying to get it through the Senate. [...] Q Robert, has the President picked up the phone and called Joe Lieberman about health care reform? MR. GIBBS: Not that I'm aware of, no. Q Would he consider that? Is the report true that's published on Politico that the White House is encouraging Senator Reid to sit down and make a deal with Lieberman and give up on the Medicare expansion? MR. GIBBS: I can only say this, Ann: The President is anxious to see progress and will continue to work with Democrats and Republicans -- Q And independents. MR. GIBBS: -- and independents, and everyone in between to make that progress, to take those steps. Q Is this a serious problem with Senator Lieberman? Would the President get involved? MR. GIBBS: Well, Ann, the President has been involved. We wouldn't be -- we wouldn't be sitting here, the 14th of December, when you'd much rather be Christmas shopping, discussing the Senate being in on the weekends if the President wasn't involved. The President has been involved the whole time. Health Care | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | Senate | Senator Joe Lieberman | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, Senate, Senator Joe Lieberman, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 10:23:00 PM
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