Word from the White House: Defenders of the Status Quo Obstructing Progress

It's no secret that institutions of all stripes focus their communications on certain messages day to day. We thought it would all be a little more open and transparent if we went ahead and published our focus for the day, along with any related articles, documents, or reports.

Supporting article: "GOP Senator Pens Obstruction Manual For Health Care," Huffington Post, December 2, 2009

Supporting report: "Health Care in Crisis: 14,000 Losing Coverage Each Day," Center for American Progress, February 19, 2009

Talking Points: Defenders of the Status Quo Obstructing Progress

• The health care status quo is unsustainable for American families, businesses, and the country as a whole.  And with each passing day it only worsens.  Yet opponents of reform continue their cynical attempts to delay change and preserve the status quo for as long as possible.
• After more than two full days of debate, deliberation, and consideration, Republican leaders have obstructed and objected their way to preventing voting on even a single amendment.
  • To put that in perspective, in 2003, the Republican-controlled Senate debated President Bush’s tax cut proposal for a total of just two legislative days. And in 2005 they voted on a full tax-cut reconciliation bill after just two days of debate as well.
• Delaying change to death might be a time-honored Washington tactic for winning political points – but it's a guaranteed loss for American families.
  • Each day reform is delayed, more than 14,000 Americans lose their insurance.
  • Health care costs are rising 3 times faster than wages, premiums have doubled over the past decade, and costs for American families will continue to skyrocket without action
  • A recent media article reported that many small businesses may see their premiums rise 15 percent over the coming year – twice the rate they rose last year.
• Since the last time many of these people killed health insurance reform:
  • Individual and family premiums have each more than doubled.
  • National health expenditures have tripled.
  • Health care costs have consumed a growing portion of the national GDP.
  • And millions of Americans have lost insurance.
• So while we continue to welcome a robust and constructive debate, we won’t sit idly by as defenders of the status quo continue to execute their self-professed strategy to "delay, define, and derail" reform at all costs.