Enzi Resolution of Disapproval on Grandfathered Plan Regulation
As previously reported, Sen. Enzi’s resolution (S.J.Res. 39) disapproving of the Administration’s rules on grandfathered plans will be debated this morning, beginning at 10 AM. There will be two hours of debate (equally divided) on the motion to proceed, followed by a vote on proceeding to the resolution at about noon. If the motion to proceed is successful, we expect a further hour of debate on the resolution itself, followed by a vote on passage. (Both votes would have majority, 51-vote thresholds.)
Further information about the grandfathered plan regulations can be found in previous one-pagers available here and here. We’ve also compiled a list of Barack Obama quotes over the past three years promising that Americans would be able to keep their own plan, which are listed below. (Special thanks to researcher Shane Scanlon for his help in compiling the Obama quotes.)
UPDATE: In case you missed it, the Senate just voted not to proceed to consider the Enzi resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res. 39). The vote was 40-59. A final tally of the results will be online here shortly.
Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform in Portland, Maine
Portland Expo, Portland, Maine
April 01, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-health-insurance-reform-portland-maine
“They’ll have to finally acknowledge that this isn’t a government takeover of our health care system. They’ll see that if Americans like their doctor, they will keep their doctor. And if you like your insurance plan, you will keep it. No one will be able to take that away from you. It hasn’t happened yet. It won’t happen in the future.”
Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform s
University of Iowa Field House, Iowa City, Iowa.
March 25, 2010
“From this day forward, all of the cynics, all the naysayers — they’re going to have to confront the reality of what this reform is and what it isn’t. They’ll have to finally acknowledge this isn’t a government takeover of our health care system. They’ll see that if Americans like their doctor, they’ll be keeping their doctor. You like your plan? You’ll be keeping your plan. No one is taking that away from you. Three months from now, six months from now you’re going to look around. You’re going to be sitting in a doctor’s office reading through the old People magazines. (Laughter.) And you’ll say, hey, this is the same doctor, same plan. It wasn’t Armageddon.”
Remarks by the President to the House Democratic Congress
Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
March 20, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-house-democratic-congress
“It turns out that in fact people who like their health insurance are going to be able to keep their health insurance; that there’s no government takeover. People will discover that if they like their doctor, they’ll be keeping their doctor. In fact, they’re more likely to keep their doctor because of a stronger system.”
Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform
George Mason University Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia
March 19, 2010
“If you like your doctor, you’re going to be able to keep your doctor. If you like your plan, keep your plan. I don’t believe we should give government or the insurance companies more control over health care in America. I think it’s time to give you, the American people, more control over your health.”
Remarks by the President on Health Care Reform in Strongsville, Ohio
Strongsville, Ohio
March 15, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-health-care-reform-strongsville-ohio
“Our proposal builds on the current system where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. So if you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. I don’t want to interfere with people’s relationships between them and their doctors.”
Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform in St. Charles, MO
St. Charles High School, St. Charles, Missouri
March 10, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-health-insurance-reform-st-charles-mo
“So my proposal builds on the current system where most Americans get their health care from their employers. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.”
Remarks by the President on Health Care Reform
East Room
March 03, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-health-care-reform
“It builds on the current system where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. I can tell you as the father of two young girls, I would not want any plan that interferes with the relationship between a family and their doctor.”
Remarks by the President in the State of the Union Address
U.S. Capitol
January 27, 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-state-union-address
“Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan.”
Remarks by the President on Small Businesses and Health Insurance Reform
South Court, Eisenhower Executive Office Building
October 29, 2009
“The first thing I want to make clear is that if you are happy with the insurance plan that you have right now, if the costs you’re paying and the benefits you’re getting are what you want them to be, then you can keep offering that same plan. Nobody will make you change it.”
Remarks by the President at Rally on Health Insurance Reform
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
September 17, 2009
“Let me say, if you already have health insurance, nothing in this plan will require you to change what you have. What this plan will do is make the insurance you have work better for you.”
Remarks By The President at a Rally on Health Insurance Reform
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 12, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-rally-health-insurance-reform
“First of all, if you’re among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, or you’ve got health insurance through Medicare or Medicaid or the VA, nothing — nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change your coverage or your doc. All right? I want you to be clear about that. Let me repeat: Nothing in this plan requires you to change what you have if you’re happy with it.”
Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
September 10, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-health-insurance-reform
“Now, for the hundreds of millions of Americans who have health insurance, nothing in this plan will require you, or your employer, to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Nothing will change for you if you have insurance. Nothing in the plan will require any changes.”
Remarks by the President to a Joint Session of Congress on Health Care
U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
September 9, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-a-joint-session-congress-health-care
“First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Let me repeat this: Nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.”
Remarks by the President in the Organizing for American National Health Care Forum
DNC Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
August 20, 2009
“First, no matter what you’ve heard, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor under the reform proposals that we’ve put forward. If you like your private health insurance plan, you can keep it. If your employer provides you health insurance on the job, nobody is talking about messing with that.”
Remarks by the President in Town Hall on Health Care
Central High School, Grand Junction, Colorado
August 15, 2009
“I just want to be completely clear about this; I keep on saying this but somehow folks aren’t listening — if you like your health care plan, you keep your health care plan. Nobody is going to force you to leave your health care plan. If you like your doctor, you keep seeing your doctor. I don’t want government bureaucrats meddling in your health care.”
Remarks by the President in Town Hall on Health Care
Gallatin Field Airport, Belgrade, Montana
August 14, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-town-hall-health-care-belgrade-montana
“And if you do have health insurance, we’ll help make sure that your insurance is more affordable and more secure. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. This is not some government takeover. If you like your doctor, you can keep seeing your doctor. This is important. I don’t want government bureaucrats meddling in your health care, but I also don’t want insurance company bureaucrats meddling in your health care either. That’s what reform is about.”
Remarks by the President in Health Insurance Reform Town Hall
Portsmouth High School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
August 11, 2009
“Now, the way we have approached it, is that if you’ve got health care under a private plan, if your employer provides you health care or you buy your own health care and you’re happy with it, you won’t have to change.”
Remarks by the President at Town Hall
Broughton High School, Raleigh, North Carolina
July 29, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-town-hall-raleigh-north-carolina
“First of all, nobody is talking about some government takeover of health care. I’m tired of hearing that. I have been as clear as I can be. Under the reform I’ve proposed, if you like your doctor, you keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you keep your health care plan. These folks need to stop scaring everybody. Nobody is talking about you forcing — to have to change your plans.”
Remark by the President in an AARP Tele-Town Hall on Health Care Reform
AARP Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
July 28, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-aarp-tele-town-hall-health-care-reform
“Here’s a guarantee that I’ve made: If you have insurance that you like, then you will be able to keep that insurance. If you’ve got a doctor that you like, you will be able to keep your doctor. Nobody is trying to change what works in the system. We are trying to change what doesn’t work in the system.”
Remarks by the President at Health Care Reform Town Hall
Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights, Ohio
July 23, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-health-care-reform-town-hall
“Reform will keep the government out of your health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your coverage if you’re happy with it. So don’t let folks say that somehow we’re going to be forcing government-run health care. It’s just not true.”
Remarks by the President on Health Care and the Senate Vote on F-22 Funding
Rose Garden
July 21, 2009
“America — Americans will be able to compare the price and quality of different plans, and pick the plan that they want. If you like your current plan, you will be able to keep it. Let me repeat that: If you like your plan, you’ll be able to keep it.”
Remarks by the President in an Online Town Hall on Health Care
Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, Virginia
July 1, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-online-town-hall-health-care-reform
“There’s no doubt that we have to preserve what’s best in the health care system, and that means allowing Americans who like their doctor and their health care plan to keep their plan. And that’s going to be a priority for us.”
Remarks by the President in ABC “Prescription for America” Town Hall on Health Care
East Room
June 24, 2009
“So what we’re saying is, if you are happy with your plan and your doctor, you stick with it.”
Press Conference by the President
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
June 23, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/press-conference-president-6-23-09
“There’s no doubt that we must preserve what’s best about our health care system, and that means allowing Americans who like their doctors and their health care plans to keep them.”
Remarks by the President in Town Hall Meeting on Health Care
Southwest High School, Green Bay, Wisconsin
June 11, 2009
“If you’re happy with your plan, you keep it.”
Remarks by the President on Reforming the Health Care System to Reduce Costs
State Dining Room
May 11, 2009
“But I’m also committed to ensuring that whatever plan we design upholds three basic principles: First, the rising cost of health care must be brought down; second, Americans must have the freedom to keep whatever doctor and health care plan they have, or to choose a new doctor or health care plan if they want it; and third, all Americans must have quality, affordable health care.”
Remarks by the President at the Opening of the White House Forum on Health Reform
East Room
March 5, 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-opening-white-house-forum-health-reform
“I think most of us would agree that if we want to cover all Americans, we can’t make the mistake of trying to fix what isn’t broken. So if somebody has insurance they like, they should be able to keep that insurance. If they have a doctor that they like, they should be able to keep their doctor.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Jacksonville, FL
November 3, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/11/03/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_155.php
“If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Columbus, OH
November 02, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/11/02/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_153.php
“If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Des Moines, IA
October 31, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/31/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_154.php
“If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Sarasota, FL
October 30, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/30/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_151.php
”If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Raleigh, NC
October 29, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/29/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_150.php
“If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Chester, PA
October 28, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/28/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_149.php
“If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Senator Barack Obama’s Closing Argument Speech: ‘One Week’
Canton, Ohio
October 27, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/27/senator_barack_obamas_closing.php
“If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Reno, NV
October 25, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/25/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_147.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Indianapolis, IN
October 23, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/23/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_146.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Richmond, VA
October 22, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/22/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_145.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Miami, FL
October 21, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/21/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_142.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Tampa Bay, FL
October 20, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/20/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_140.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Fayetteville, NC
October 19, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/19/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_143.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
St. Louis, MO
October 18, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/18/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_139.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Roanoke, VA
October 17, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/17/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_138.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Londonderry, NH
October 15, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/15/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_137.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Dayton, OH
October 09, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/09/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_132.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is the amount you pay in premiums. That will be less.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Indianapolis, IN
October 8, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/10/08/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_133.php
“If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is the amount you pay in premiums. That will be less.”
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Daytona Beach, FL
September 20, 2008
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/09/20/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_116.php
“Under my plan, if you have health insurance, nothing changes for you, except that my plan will lower your health care costs.”
Cutting Costs and Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System
University of Iowa
May 29, 2007
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/05/29/cutting_costs_and_covering_ame.php
“If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is the amount of money you will spend on premiums. That will be less.”