Barack Obama urges Congress to find political courage and defend his healthcare reforms

[nitpicker]

Source: The Guardian

Barack Obama urges Congress to find political courage and defend his healthcare reforms

Sarah Betancourt in Boston
Monday 8 May 2017 06.00 BST Last modified on Monday 8 May 2017 07.41 BST

For the first time since leaving office, President Barack Obama has addressed his landmark healthcare legislation in a speech, reminding supporters of the courage and integrity of junior congressmen that it took to pass the bill. Speaking at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on Sunday night, where he was given the Profiles of Courage award, he said: “Because of that vote, 20 million people got healthcare who didn’t have it before. And most of [the congressmen who voted for it] did lose their seats. But they were true to what President Kennedy defined in his book – desire to maintain integrity that is stronger than the desire to maintain office – the faith that the right course will be vindicated. Personal sacrifice. It is my fervent hope and the hope of millions ... such courage is still possible, that today’s members of Congress regardless of party are willing to look at the facts and speak the truth, even when it contradicts party positions.”

Obama spoke of what is at stake for the millions of Americans who stand to lose coverage if a repeal passes, without naming Donald Trump specifically. And he implored members of Congress to demonstrate political courage even if it goes against their party’s positions.

The former president focused much of his address on the legacy of Kennedy, as the library prepared to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth later this month. Obama noted the Kennedys had long advocated for healthcare reform, and in particular, the late Senator Edward Kennedy, who died of brain cancer before passage of the Affordable Care Act.
(snip)

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/08/barack-obama-urges-congress-to-find-political-courage-and-defend-his-healthcare-reforms

[BumRushDaShow]

1. K&R

The REAL boss!

[titaniumsalute]

2. He assumes Republicans have integrity...which they do not

[Scarsdale]

3. Exactly

wave large checks in front of them, and they follow like rats. They are grinning, drinking beer, celebrating ruining constituents lives now, but the day will come when it turns around, and then WE will get revenge. I especially want Lyin' Ryan to go down, like his arrogant little buddy Eric Cantor did. I wonder how much he is being paid to lead this disaster of a "healthcare" bill?

[joshdawg]

4. And almost all are cowards................No, make that ALL are cowards.

They know nothing but party before people.

[cstanleytech]

5. No, he is simply hoping they have some left which most don't these days

and a prime example of where they dont is the Senate Repugnants and their vote to force Gorsuch onto the country.

[not fooled]

6. Now's the time

as America finds out the ACA actually is a good thing.

Of course, if there hadn't been 7+ years of fux spews lies and propaganda demonizing the ACA, we would have been there a long time ago. It's taken this long for the 'Murican public to find out the difference between RW propaganda and reality.


For the record, we need single payer. The ACA, however, is an important step towards getting there. And, we can't go backwards which is where the GOPee kochsucking tools would take us.