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 The Temperature Of Health Care Reform - Martha's Vineyard Press Briefing by Bill Burton 8/27/09 — Wednesday, September 02, 2009 —  Q Obviously lawmakers are not actively engaged in the debate over health care because they're out -- MR. BURTON: Can you speak just a little louder -- I can barely hear you. Q I said lawmakers have not been actively involved in the debate over health care reform since they're away from Washington. But has the President been able to test the temperature of health care reform? And if so, how does he view it? MR. BURTON: Well, I can say that this week Secretary Sebelius and Nancy-Ann DeParle have been very busy working with both members of Congress, their staff, and different groups who have a stake in this. So the President's view is that we're continuing to make progress on health care reform. The American people are still foursquare behind making some progress on health care reform. He still believes that we'll be able to get a bipartisan bill through the House and the Senate. And that's the end that we're working towards. So I would say that the temperature right now is that the American people want and need health care reform, and the President is committed to getting that by the end of the year. Q What is his reaction when he hears news reports that health care reform has been derailed, or major roadblocks for health care reform? MR. BURTON: Well, health care reform is obviously a very difficult thing. Over the course of the last 60 years, a lot of different Presidents have tried to bring about comprehensive health care reform, and the reason that they haven't been able to get it done is that it's not just a series of easy and politically popular decisions. But we've been able to make more progress than has been made before by getting the doctors and the nurses and the hospitals on board; the AARP is supporting health care reform. It's been passed through four of the five committees that need to pass it out. Because costs have gotten to a point where if we don't do something not only is health care going to be in crisis, but the deficit will -- we just will not be on a fiscally sustainable path as it relates to the deficit. So the President's view is we've made a lot of progress already; we continue to make progress; we're going to be able to -- he's working towards getting a bipartisan result and he'll continue to work towards that end until we get health care reform for the American people. Bill Burton | Congress | Health Care | President Obama | Press Briefing | White House Press Corps Labels: Bill Burton, Congress, Health Care, President Obama, Press Briefing, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 4:16:00 PM  The American People Are Foursquare Behind Getting Something Done - Martha's Vineyard Press Briefing by Bill Burton 8/24/09  Q Senator Lieberman said over the weekend it might be worthwhile -- the White House's while to start over on health care. What's your reaction to that?MR. BURTON: I think a lot of folks have a lot of different opinions. We're dealing with 535 members of Congress, some of which this weekend, like John McCain, said that there is great agreement. Kent Conrad said there also is great agreement. We think that the reason we've been able to make more progress on health care than any other President in the last 60 years is because the American people are foursquare behind getting something done. Costs have gotten to a point where they're completely out of control. And the President's view is that until we get costs under control, until we get health care reform passed in this country, we're not going to be able to get everybody covered, we're not going to be able to get in place the kind of insurance reforms that the American people need, like not losing your health insurance just because you get sick, not being able to be stopped by getting health insurance because you have a preexisting condition. And so the President feels like the process we've got moving forward is a good one. We've already gotten the support of doctors and nurses, hospitals. AARP has said that they are for health care reform. The President feels good about the progress that we've been able to make, and we're going to continue to move towards getting a bill done and getting health care reform passed this year. Bill Burton | Health Care | President Obama | Press Briefing | White House Press Corps Labels: Bill Burton, Health Care, President Obama, Press Briefing, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 3:44:00 PM Ferociousness And The Contention - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Bill Burton 8/10/09 — Monday, August 10, 2009 —  Q What did the President think of Pelosi and Hoyer's comment in the op/ed about the disruptions being un-American?MR. BURTON: Well, I think there's actually a pretty long tradition of people shouting at politicians in America. The President thinks that if people want to come and have a spirited debate about health care, a real vigorous conversation about it, that's a part of the American tradition and he encourages that, because people do have questions and concerns about -- Q Does he encourage the disruptions? MR. BURTON: Well, one second. And so if people want to come and have their concerns and their questions answered, the President thinks that's important. Now, if you just want to come to a town hall so that you can disrupt and so that you can scream over another person, he doesn’t think that that's productive. And as a country, we've been able to make progress when people actually talk out what our problems are, not try to shout each other down. So he thinks that we're going to be able to have a constructive conversation tomorrow and he'll continue to do that at the town hall later in the week and throughout this effort. Q The advance people heard nothing about what the audience is likely to be tomorrow, no expectation about whether there is going to be any voices raised? MR. BURTON: Well, at all these events you get a different kind of crowd, and certainly there have been events with the President where some people are livelier than at others. So the President is looking forward to going to New Hampshire tomorrow. Q What is the President's reaction been to the town halls in the last week? I mean, is he surprised by the sort of ferociousness and the contention? Is he -- what's his -- MR. BURTON: Well, there's obviously a lot of passion on one side of this, and that's why people are showing up and screaming. And again he doesn't think that that's constructive. But, you know, there's passion on the other side, too -- the people who want health care reform and who think that it's wrong that health insurance companies can stop you from getting coverage just because you have a preexisting condition, or drop you from coverage just because you get sick. So the President's reaction has been that there's more questions to be asked, but there's -- the American people are foursquare behind getting some kind of health care reform so that we can change the way that it's delivered in this country, and he's going to continue to work towards that effort. Q Does he think people are being put up to it? MR. BURTON: Well, I think less important than the motivations or the organizations or who's putting it together is that there's a lot of energy out there on this issue, on either side. And the President views his role as getting health care reform done for the American people and in order to do that, that means going out there and being prepared to have a robust and vigorous discussion. Air Force One | Bill Burton | Health Care | President Obama | Press Gaggle | Town Hall Meetings | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Bill Burton, Health Care, President Obama, Press Gaggle, Town Hall Meetings, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:25:00 PM Right to Remain Silent - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Bill Burton 6/11/09 — Thursday, June 11, 2009 —  Q Bill, did you and Gibbs clarify reading Miranda rights to combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan?MR. BURTON: I'm going to direct you over to the Department of Justice on that. They put out a statement on that yesterday, and I think that there's been some mischaracterization of what's happening over there. Air Force One | Bill Burton | Department of Justice | Interrogation | Press Gaggle | War on Terror | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Bill Burton, Department of Justice, Interrogation, Press Gaggle, War on Terror, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 9:26:00 PM Geithner's Bank Plan - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Bill Burton 03/19/09 — Friday, March 20, 2009 —  MR. BURTON: Good afternoon. The President made an offhand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics. He thinks that the Special Olympics are a wonderful program that gives an opportunity to shine to people with disabilities from around the world.All right. Do you guys need anything? You've got the guidance, you've got -- Q Do you when we're going to get Geithner's bank plan out -- any plan on the banks? MR. BURTON: Soon, but I don't have a date for you? Q Soon? Like a week soon, or next week soon? MR. BURTON: Soon, but I don't have a date. I'll keep you posted, though. You'll be the first person I tell. Air Force One | Bill Burton | President Obama | Press Gaggle | Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner | White House Press Corps Labels: Air Force One, Bill Burton, President Obama, Press Gaggle, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 3:00:00 PM Taking Responsibility - Air Force One Press Gaggle by Bill Burton 03/18/09  Q So why did it take two days for the Treasury Secretary to tell the White House and, subsequently the President, to be informed about the -- what were then the impending bonuses?MR. BURTON: Well, I'm going to refer you to what the President had to say before Marine One took off from the White House. But he, of course, is taking responsibility for what we do here, and what he's making sure is that we get the tools that we need to make sure that this does not happen again. As for, you know, timelines and different things like that, we've been through this for the past couple of days, and Gibbs and others and folks at the Treasury have answered these questions. And for any more specifics on that, I'd refer you to some of the information that they shared with folks yesterday. Q Well, I mean, up until now, Robert -- until the timeline was released last night, we didn't exactly know what the sequence was. So, I mean, is there any concern that it took two days for the Treasury Secretary to tell the White House about it? MR. BURTON: As the President said, he's very confident in how Secretary Geithner is doing. And, you know, one of the things that we're going to talk about today in California -- because I imagine people are going to have questions about AIG, these bonuses, things that are happening in the economy. The President, as he has said, shares the profound anger of the American people about these bonuses, about the folks who are getting them. And we're doing everything we can to make sure that this doesn't happen again and to make sure that taxpayers are made whole on the money that's been paid out. Q Do you anticipate any change in the internal communication system, though, so that it will flow more smoothly, more quickly? MR. BURTON: As I said, the President feels good about how Secretary Geithner is doing, and we're looking forward at what we can do to make sure that we don't see these sort of egregious problems ever again. Q The bonuses that have already been paid at AIG, there's really nothing that can be done about that, at least from the executive branch -- is that the thinking? MR. BURTON: Well, the good news is some progress has actually been made on this, in the sense that -- and Liddy talked about this in his testimony today -- some folks at AIG have already paid back their bonuses. Other people are being encouraged to do the exact same thing. So some progress is getting made on that. Secretary Geithner outlined how taxpayers would be made whole in his letter to Congress last night, and I can get that to you if you don't, by chance, have it. And, you know, so we're going to be working with AIG to see what we can do here to make sure that taxpayers are getting exactly what they deserve from the investments that we're making in order to stabilize that company. AIG | Air Force One | Bill Burton | Legislation | President Obama | Press Gaggle | Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner | White House Press Corps Labels: AIG, Air Force One, Bill Burton, Legislation, President Obama, Press Gaggle, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 2:17:00 PM The Odd Characters of the White House Press Corps by WaPo - 3/12/09 — Thursday, March 12, 2009 — The Good, the Bad and the Odd of the White House Press Corps. Also, a WHPC seating chart by FiveThirtyEight.com. Bill Burton | Goyal | Helen | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room | White House Press Corps Labels: Bill Burton, Goyal, Helen, James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:09:00 PM Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton Fries Press Briefing Room Door - 1/23/09 — Saturday, January 24, 2009 — Coverage: Jake Tapper of ABC News Christina Bellantoni & Jon Ward of the Washington Times Kyle Trygstad & Mike Memoli of Real Clear Politics Bill Burton | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room | White House Press Corps Labels: Bill Burton, James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:46:00 PM
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