Media
Latest News
Blog Post
February 25, 2010
Today, House and Senate leaders of both parties will be meeting with the President at the Blair House to discuss moving forward with comprehensive health reform. Without reform, the cost of health care for the average family of four is projected to rise $1,800 every year for years to come--and insurance companies will make more health care decisions. America's middle class deserves better and we're closer than ever to making reform a reality. As we go forward, our reform efforts must pass the Triple-A test, reaching our three key goals: affordability for the middle class, accessibility for all Americans, and accountability for the insurance industry.
Watch the meeting live starting at 10am EST:
House Democrats in attendance:
Speaker Nancy PelosiHouse Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
Blog Post
February 24, 2010
By a vote of 406-19, the House passed the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act (HR 4626), introduced by Reps. Tom Perriello (D-VA) and Betsy Markey (D-CO). This bill is designed to restore competition and transparency to the health insurance market -- by repealing the blanket antitrust exemption afforded to health insurance companies by the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945. Under this legislation, health insurers will no longer be shielded from legal accountability for price fixing, dividing up territories among themselves, sabotaging their competitors in order to gain monopoly power, and other such anti-competitive practices.
Press Release
February 24, 2010
“Michael Tilson Thomas has brought pride to all San Franciscans as President Obama honors him as a recipient of a National Medal of Arts. Thomas has been a remarkable mentor and supporter to many young artists, and he has educated millions about the joy of music. His tenure at the San Francisco Symphony has been marked by artistic excellence."
Press Release
February 24, 2010
“By passing legislation that increases leverage for the people by changing the playing field, a playing field that has been dominated by the insurance industry for over 65 years and now it's the people's turn. The health insurance companies will now be playing on the people's field."
Speech
February 24, 2010
“By passing legislation that increases leverage for the people by changing the playing field, a playing field that has been dominated by the insurance industry for over 65 years and now it's the people's turn. The health insurance companies will now be playing on the people's field."
Blog Post
February 24, 2010
Yesterday, Speaker Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, Congressman Peter DeFazio, and Wendell Potter, senior fellow on health care at the Center for Media and Democracy and a former insurance industry executive, held a news conference to discuss the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act on the floor today to end the unfair antitrust protection for the health insurance industry:
Full remarks after the jump:
Press Release
February 24, 2010
"Last week, many of us traveled to Johnstown, Pennsylvania to see Jack put to rest. It was wonderful to hear the stories of the thousands of people who showed up to pay their last respects to him in Johnstown, the people he knew so well, cared about so much, fought for in this chamber."
Speech
February 24, 2010
"Last week, many of us traveled to Johnstown, Pennsylvania to see Jack put to rest. It was wonderful to hear the stories of the thousands of people who showed up to pay their last respects to him in Johnstown, the people he knew so well, cared about so much, fought for in this chamber."
Blog Post
February 23, 2010
Today, the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing on the "response by Toyota and NHTSA to Incidents of Sudden Unintended Acceleration" to examine the response to persistent consumer complaints of sudden, unintended acceleration in vehicles manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation.
Chairman Waxman outlines the major issues with Toyota's response to their consumers and NHTSA's oversight in his opening statement:
Blog Post
February 23, 2010
One year ago, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law to bring America's economy back from the brink by giving most Americans the fastest and one of the largest tax cuts in history, creating and saving jobs, and laying the building blocks for long-term prosperity.
Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report on the estimated impact of the Recovery Act on employment and economic output in the last three months of 2009. According to the Associated Press, the "report reflects agreement among economists that the measure boosted the economy":