English subtitles for clip: File:2009-09-12 President Obama's Weekly Address.ogv

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The President: On Wednesday,
I addressed a joint session of Congress and

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the American people about why we
need health insurance reform and

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what it will take to do it.

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Since then, I've continued to
hear from many Americans across

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the country about why this
is so urgent and important.

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I've heard from Americans who
can't get health coverage;

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men and women who worry that one
accident or illness could drive

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them into bankruptcy.

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And I've heard from Americans
with insurance who thought that

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"the uninsured" always
referred to someone else --

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but between skyrocketing costs
and insurance company practices;

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they're beginning to worry
that they could find themselves

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uninsured too.

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It's an anxiety that's keeping
more and more Americans awake at night.

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Over the last twelve months,
nearly six million more

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Americans lost their
health coverage --

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that's 17,000 men and
women every single day.

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We're not just talking about
Americans in poverty, either --

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we're talking about
middle-class Americans.

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In other words, it
can happen to anyone.

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And based on a brand-new report
from the Treasury Department,

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we can expect that about half of
all Americans under 65 will lose

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their health coverage at some
point over the next ten years.

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If you're under the
age of 21 today,

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chances are more than half that
you'll find yourself uninsured

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at some point in that time.

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And more than one-third of
Americans will go without

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coverage for longer
than one year.

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I refuse to allow
that future to happen.

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In the United States of America,
no one should have to worry that

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they'll go without
health insurance --

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not for one year, not for
one month, not for one day.

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And once I sign my health
reform plan into law -- they won't.

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My plan will provide more
security and stability to those

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who have health
insurance; offer quality,

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affordable choices to
those who currently don't;

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and bring health care costs for
our families, our businesses,

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and our government
under control.

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First of all, if you are among
the hundreds of millions of

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Americans who already have
insurance through your job,

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or Medicare, or
Medicaid, or the VA,

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nothing in my plan will require
you or your employer to change

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the coverage or the
doctor you have.

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What my plan will do is make the
insurance you have work better for you.

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We'll make it illegal for
insurance companies to deny you

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coverage because of a
pre-existing condition,

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or drop your coverage
when you get sick,

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or water it down when
you need it the most.

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They'll no longer be able to
place some arbitrary cap on the

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amount of coverage you can
receive in a given year or over

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a lifetime, and we will place
a limit on how much you can be

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charged for
out-of-pocket expenses --

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because no one should go broke
just because they get sick.

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Second, if you're one of
the more than thirty million

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Americans who
can't get coverage,

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you'll finally have
quality, affordable choices.

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If you lose your
job, change your job,

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or start your own business, you
will be able to get coverage.

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And as I've said
over and over again,

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I will not sign a plan that adds
one dime to our deficits -- period.

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This plan will be paid for.

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The middle-class will
realize greater security,

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not higher taxes.

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And if we can successfully slow
the growth of health care costs

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by just one-tenth
of 1% each year,

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it will actually reduce the deficit
by $4 trillion over the long term.

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Affordable, quality care within
reach for the tens of millions

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of Americans who
don't have it today.

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Stability and security for the
hundreds of millions who do.

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That's the reform we seek.

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We have had a long
and important debate.

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But now is the time for action.

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Because every day we wait, more
Americans will lose their health

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care, their businesses,
and their homes --

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but also the dreams they've
worked for and the peace of mind

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they deserve.

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They are why we have to succeed.

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So if you're willing to put
country before party and the

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interests of our
children above our own;

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if you refuse to settle for a
politics where scoring points is

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more important than solving
problems; and if you believe,

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as I do, that America can still
come together to do great things

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-- then join us.

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Give us your help.

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And we will finally get health
insurance reform done this year.