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Health Insurance Reform vs. Medicare Part D

Opponents of health insurance reform have spent hours on the Senate floor today attacking the Senate's efforts to provide stability and security for those with insurance, affordable coverage for those without, and lower costs for families, small businesses and the government. To provide a little perspective on these attacks, let’s compare today's legislation with the 2003 Medicare Part D effort, which many of these same critics supported:

2009-11-21

Weekly Address: Traveling Abroad for Our Economy at Home

In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world. He talks about promoting America's principles for an open society in China while making progress on joint efforts to combat climate change. And talks in-depth about the primary objective of his trip: engaging in new markets that hold tremendous potential to spur job creation here at home.

2009-11-21

Speaking of Page Numbers...

Since some opponents of reform seem too obsessed with the length of the Senate health insurance reform bill to even bother looking at what's in it for American families, we thought we'd make it a little easier for them to find some key of provisions they're working so hard to kill:

On page 78 you’ll learn that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ends discrimination based on pre-existing conditions. On page 17, it makes preventive care completely free, with no cost-sharing.  (This might be of particular interest to those who have chosen to seize on concerns about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations on mammograms to spread baseless myths and advance their own political agenda.) Flipping back to page 16, you’ll find that insurance companies are prohibited from dropping your coverage or watering it down when you get sick and need it most. Also on page 16, you might notice that it puts an end to lifetime caps on coverage. Page 18 is where the bill extends family coverage eligibility for young Americans through the age of 26. On page 83 it requires insurance companies to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full – that means they can’t refuse to renew your coverage just because you get sick. Page 307 is home to tax credits for small businesses to help them afford insurance for their employees. And folks looking to scare our senior citizens about what reform means for them might be interested to check out page 923 and learn that it provides a 50% discount on drugs for seniors in the so-called donut hole.

2009-11-20

The 540th Anniversary of the Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

On Friday we hosted a reception commemorating the 540th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first guru in Sikhism.  It was the first time that this holiday has ever been celebrated at the White House.  Members of the Sikh community from around the country were invited to celebrate the occasion with traditional hymns led by the Sikh Kirtani Chanters from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.  Several administration officials were in attendance, including Dr. John Holdren (Office of Science & Technology Policy), Tina Tchen (Office of Public Engagement), Michael Strautmanis (Chief of Staff to Valerie Jarrett), Adolfo Carrion (Urban Affairs), and Nancy Anne DeParle (Health Reform). 

Representatives from the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, United Sikhs, and other grassroots leaders came together to recognize the important contributions of Sikhs to our national life.  The first Sikhs arrived as laborers in the western United States around 1899 and gradually moved around the country.  They went on to become owners of successful businesses, serve honorably in the U.S. military in both world wars and other conflicts, lawyers, doctors, bankers, and members of many other professions. 

Darron P. Monteiro is the Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement

2009-11-20

Prosperity, Peace and Opportunity: The Legacy of American Service in South Korea

In a particularly moving address to troops at Osan Air Base in Osan, South Korea, the President thanked American troops for their continued sacrifice and service, and took the opportunity to a share a short anecdote with the crowd. The story reminded troops of America's great responsibility and privilege to protect freedom and promote democracy around the world, and offered rare historical insight from a longtime ally:

I want to deliver, actually, just a quick story, go a little off script.  President Lee talked to me about what it was like when he was a young child here in Korea, this country having been torn by war, and the poverty that still existed in the country.  And he said, I hope the American people understand how grateful we are for what you've done, because we would not be the extraordinarily strong, prosperous nation that we are, had it not been for the sacrifices of your armed services and the continued contributions that you've made.

And I thought, when the President of a country that's become so successful says that America, and America's armed services in particular, had something to do with the extraordinary success of their country -- he said, that's something you should take great pride in.  And I want all of you to know that, because you are carrying that tradition on right here at Osan.

I couldn't come to the Republic of Korea without coming to see you to deliver a simple message -- a message of thanks to you and your families.  Because of all the privileges of serving as President, I have no greater honor than serving as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military that the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  

2009-11-20

Reality Check: The "Rationing" Smear... Again?

When people use arguments they know are bogus, it's probably because they know they don't have any valid arguments at their disposal. So it would seem with opponents of reform in the Senate spending today obsessed with arguments about "rationing" that were debunked months ago.

Their attacks are focused on the fact that the legislation supports research into what treatments work best for patients. Before we go any further, let's just say this as plainly as possible:

Under health insurance reform, this research cannot be used to dictate coverage.

In fact, this objective medical research empowers doctors and patients and helps them fight insurance company decisions to deny treatment and ration care.  Maybe this is why opponents of reform are trying so hard to keep updated medical information out of the hands of our nation's doctors.

What this patient-centered health research does specifically is provide doctors and patients with the best medical information to help them make the best decisions, and it is even written into the law that the Secretary of Health and Human Services cannot deny coverage of a treatment based solely on this research. When you consider that this research is intended only to make sure you get the most effective care, opposition seems outright bizarre, and twisting it into some "rationing" attack seems outright low.

In case anybody wants an objective source on this, the independent watchdog Politifact gave such claims an unambiguous “False” rating back in August. Yes, August:

But in this case, there actually are provisions in the bill about comparative research to make sure it is not used for rationing. Language in the House version of the health bill specifically states: "Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the Commission or the Center to mandate coverage, reimbursement, or other policies for any public or private payer."

And let's be clear, comparative effectiveness research has been done by the government for years and years. The Obama administration wants to greatly expand the amount of research. The economic stimulus package also included more funding for comparative effectiveness research. And the bill included a similar disclaimer that it would not mandate insurers to cover or reimburse one treatment or medication over another.

Need more?  Politifact had a couple more reliable sources up their sleeve:

AARP, the leading advocate for seniors, has long been a strong supporter of such research.

"It boggles the mind" said AARP spokesman Jim Dau, how comparative effectiveness research has been portrayed by opponents of the health care plan as government rationing of care.

"It's just good common sense," Dau said of the research. "It's giving individuals and doctors better evidence-based research so that they can make better decisions."

Gail Wilensky, who ran the Medicare program under President George H.W. Bush in the early 1990s, is another big advocate of comparative effectiveness research. She views it as lobby-free information that can be used to empower patients.

A New York Times editorial out today also touches on one of the recent news hooks opponents of reform are attempting to twist for their own purposes, the bogus links between a recent study on mammograms and health insurance reform (previously debunked here as well). They rightly boil the issue down to this:

The only part of the reform bills that could affect mammography would only make them more accessible.

This could be said of preventive care across the board as well.

2009-11-20

Watch, Discuss, Engage at 10:00: Clean Energy Forum on Public Health

At 10:00 AM EST today the White House, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Health and Human Services will host another Clean Energy Economy Forum. A group of stakeholders, business and community leaders will discuss clean energy and climate legislation work, and the benefits towards public health. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will be answering questions, including some taken live from our Facebook chat application.
 

Watch it through WhiteHouse.gov/live Watch, discuss and engage through Facebook

2009-11-20

Ben Rhodes on the Ride Home

We sat Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes down on the front couch of Air Force One to get a wrap-up of the trip before landing in Washington, DC.  He may seem a little sleepy and dehydrated, but I can personally attest that he got a decent amount of rest on the way back. He was firmly in the “stay up at first, sleep later” camp for combating jet lag. Maybe we can have him attest to the success or failure of that endevour tomorrow.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to bring you these video updates on our travels through Asia, and we hope it’s given you a new perspective on what it’s like to travel with President.

You can find more information on the President's trip and on the President's policies in Asia on our Asia page.

Arun Chaundhary is the official White House videographer

2009-11-19

Reality Check: Claims That Reform Will Encourage Abortions at School "Sex Clinics" are Absurd

Ed. Note: Opponents of health reform appear to have run out of fresh smears against health insurance reform and have started recycling old debunked attacks. In response to those that brought up this attack that Politifact proved false months ago, we simply bring back this classic Reality Check first published on October 1, 2009.

Last night Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann questioned health insurance reform, raising the spectre of school-based "sex clinics" that would take students to "have their abortion, be back and go home on the school bus that night":

It means that parents will never know what kind of counsel and treatment that their children are receiving.  And as a matter of fact, the bill goes on to say what's going to go on -- comprehensive primary health services, physicals, treatment of minor acute medical conditions, referrals to follow-up for specialty care -- is that abortion? Does that mean that someone's 13 year-old daughter could walk into a sex clinic, have a pregnancy test done, be taken away to the local Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, have their abortion, be back and go home on the school bus that night? Mom and dad are never the wiser.

The absurdity of this claim earns high honors from Politifact, a non-partisan research organization: Pants on Fire!

Critics of the Democratic health care proposal have been increasingly raising concerns that the plan would provide taxpayer-subsidized abortions (a claim we address here). The Liberty Counsel, a conservative group, puts a different twist on that concern, alleging that Page 992 of the bill "will establish school-based 'health' clinics. Your children will be indoctrinated and your grandchildren may be aborted!"

The claim comes from a long list of items allegedly in the bill that is posted on the group's Web site and has been widely circulated in a chain e-mail. The list looks a lot like one that we checked in July, based partly on blog postings by Peter Fleckenstein on his blog Common Sense from a Common Man . In fact, the Liberty Counsel says it adapted its memo from Fleckenstein's original work.
…

We spoke with Sarah Speller at the Liberty Counsel, who told us that the group had been getting a lot of calls about the memo and that everyone there was very busy as a result. However, she assured us that "as far as our office can tell, everything in the overview is accurate. That's about all I can tell you," she said. "I'm just relaying what I've been told to say."

That's not persuasive. We see no language in the three main versions of the bill that would allow school-based clinics, which have a long history of providing basic health services to underprivileged students, to provide abortions. Nor would the clinics even be new — they have been around for three decades. So we rate the claim Pants on Fire!

2009-11-19

Reality Check: Desperately Twisting the CBO Analysis on the Deficit

From the very beginning defenders of the status quo have held up the Congressional Budget Office as the gold standard for judging the impact of health reform legislation on the deficit. Indeed, as recently as two weeks ago, when alternative legislation based on insurance industry proposals was introduced, those opponents of real reform boasted of the CBO's declaration that it would cut the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years.

But that was a long time ago (two weeks ago), and now times have changed. Now that the very same CBO has declared that the Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act cuts $130 billion from the deficit, those same defenders of the status quo seem to be saying that the CBO estimate is meaningless.

Their argument claims that because some aspects of the legislation don’t kick in for the first few years, such as the health insurance exchange, the CBO estimate is skewed. Here are the facts:

The suggestion that this bill pays for six years of coverage with ten years of pay-fors is simply false: Even in the six-year period when the exchange is operational (2014-2019) the CBO finds that the bill will reduce the deficit by at least $31 billion. The claim that early surpluses mask later deficits is also untrue: In 2019 alone, the bill reduces the deficit by $8 billion, and in the second decade the CBO finds that the bill will continue to reduce the deficit.   Taking the time necessary to launch the health exchange is responsible policy, not a gimmick. Republicans who supported the Medicare Part D program should remember that it took three years to stand up that program. In the run-up to launching the exchange in 2014, the Senate plan takes several important steps to improve the quality and affordability of care, including investments in: tax credits for small businesses, a high risk pool, reinsurance, and prevention programs and our health care workforce, along with saving seniors thousands on prescription drug costs.

No matter how you try to twist or distort its analysis, the Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the Senate Health Bill is a solidly fiscally responsible approach to health reform.

2009-11-19

Open Government Laboratories of Democracy

"It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system," Justice Louis D. Brandeis wrote in 1932, "that a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country."  The Obama Administration is taking unprecedented strides toward creating the most open and accountable government in history. And in so doing, we’re learning from those states and municipalities, which are undertaking exciting experiments to bring transparency, participation, and collaboration to the way they work as well.

Inspired by the President’s call for more open government, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts launched its data catalogue, following in the footsteps of Washington, DC, San Francisco, New York, and elsewhere around the country (as well as cities in Canada and the UK), to provide public access to information by and about government. What makes this exciting is not merely having transportation information available in machine-readable formats, but that professional and amateur enthusiasts can then get together, as they did last weekend, to create software applications and data visualizations to enable public transit riders to track arrival times for the next subway, bus, or ferry. Publishing government information online facilitates this kind of useful collaboration between government and the public that transforms dry data into the tools that improve people’s lives. (For another great example, check out what happened when we published the Federal Register for people to use.)

The National Association of State CIOs is helping to spur this movement toward greater data transparency at the state level by publishing “Guidance for Opening the Doors to State Data.”

Just as the federal government is using online brainstorming with government employees and the public to generate ideas for saving money or going green, state and local governments are also using new technology to tap people’s intelligence and expertise. The City of Manor, Texas (pop. 5800) has launched “Manor Labs,” an innovation marketplace for improving city services.  A participant can sign up to suggest “ideas and solutions” for the police department, the municipal court, and everything in between. Each participant’s suggestion is ranked and rewarded with “innobucks.” These points can be redeemed for prizes: a million points wins “mayor for the day” while 400,000 points can be traded for a ride-along with the Chief of Police.

Manor is also one of the few cities currently using bar codes (known as QR or Quick Response Codes) to label physical locations around town. These bar codes can be scanned with a mobile phone to communicate historical and touristic information, data about the cost of a municipal services, or emergency management information. Manor is experimenting with techniques for providing different information to different audiences. If a resident scans a QR code outside a home for sale, she gets the floor plan and purchase price; the building inspector sees the inspection history; and the policy officer receives information about the current occupant.

As more of these innovative projects that foster open government go live and achieve results, we look forward to showcasing some of them on our blog and eventually making details available on the Open Government Innovation Gallery.  Developers with new tools to offer to facilitate open government – including free social media applications -- should also check out Apps.gov and list their products (here’s how) for others to use. Openness and accountability are the responsibility of government at every level.  By getting out the word about innovations that help to realize open government in practice, we can both promote new experiments and help people find and re-use the best ones.

Beth Noveck is Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Open Government

2009-11-19

Streaming at 3 p.m.: Let's Talk Turkey

Thanksgiving is only a week away and like millions of Americans around the country, I’m looking forward to spending time with family and reflecting on the countless blessings in my life. As all of us anxiously wait for the week to go by, I wanted to take some time and talk about the importance of having a safe start to the Holiday Season.
 
As part of the American tradition, millions of families across the country prepare holiday meals. Here in the USDA, we want to make sure you have the information and resources you need to cook safe and great food. You can do simple things like making sure you have a pan large enough for a Turkey and investing in a thermometer to make sure meat is cooked to the right temperature. To help you prepare safe meals, we are holding a Live Facebook Thanksgiving chat today at 3:00 pm EST with a holiday food safety expert from the Food Safety Inspection Service. This chat is a great place to have all your food safety questions answered. You can also submit questions in advance of the live chat. I hope you will take a little time to join this important conversation.
 
Preparing well for Thanksgiving is such an important part of having a great time with family and friends. So as I start my own countdown to Thanksgiving, I’ll continue to work with food safety experts to ensure that you have access to accurate information. Thank you for being proactive about your family’s safety and have a wonderful Holiday Season.

Tom Vilsack is Secretary of Agriculture

2009-11-19

Moving Closer to a Victory for All Americans

In an historic vote a week and half ago, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make affordable health care possible for the citizens of our wonderful country.  Then yesterday the Senate introduced their own legislation, "another critical milestone in the health reform effort" as the President put it.

When President Obama addressed members of Congress in September, "This is our moment to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us—even when it’s hard; especially when it’s hard. This is our moment to deliver."  But of course as great a milestone as the vote was, we’ve still got a ways to go so we need everybody to stay involved.

For our part, we have been working all along to ensure the American people are engaged in the discussion on reform.  That’s why I hosted a web chat recently on how health insurance reform will help to eliminate health disparities and how reform will affect underserved communities.  Citizens and leaders from around the country submitted hundreds of questions beforehand and during the chat via Facebook.  I wanted to post the video of that for anybody who missed it and take this opportunity to address some of the questions we didn’t have time to answer.

Question #1: We got a lot of questions from disabled Americans – I touched on some of the issues during the chat, but this was another one I wanted to address:

"How will the special needs of some people with disabilities be addressed? Examples include deaf individuals needing interpreters skilled in signing medical information, women who are partially paralyzed or use wheel chairs needing special equipment for medical examinations such as gynecological examinations. The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago would be a great resource on these issues."

Health reform will lower costs for people with disabilities by rewarding quality and cutting waste, two guiding principles for this entire effort.

By expanding health insurance to all Americans and providing premium assistance to make it affordable, health insurance reform will significantly increase access to a choice of health insurance plans for individuals with disabilities. This will enable individuals who are employed to keep their jobs rather than giving up employment in order to receive Medicaid benefits.

People with disabilities are less likely to receive preventive care and are more likely to be diagnosed with screenable cancers at a later stage. By ensuring that all Americans have access to preventive care and investing in public health, health reform will work to create a system that prevents illness and disease instead of just treating it when it’s too late.

In addition, health reform will include the CLASS Act - a new voluntary, long-term care services insurance program.  Under the program, individuals will pay a premium, and in exchange, the program will provide a lifetime cash benefit that offers seniors and people with disabilities some protection against the costs of paying for long-term supports and services.  The program also helps individuals obtain services and supports that will enable them to remain in their homes and communities. The CLASS Act is not comprehensive long-term care reform, but it represents a helpful step that provides individuals with a viable mechanism for insuring against the risk of needing long-term services that broadens the resources for financing long-term services to lessen the reliance on Medicaid. 

Question #2:  This is a question that we didn’t get to, but really we just can’t answer enough because of how much misinformation has been out there about it:

"How will the health insurance reform affect costs and coverages for seniors who currently already have Medicare? Will they have to pay more taxes in the future? Many solely depend on their social security retirement income, what impact does it have on seniors?"

Health insurance reform protects Medicare benefits and reduces costs for seniors. Medicare benefits will not be cut.  Period.  In fact, seniors will get benefits they do not have under the current system: a reduction in prescription drug prices if they fall into the gap in coverage known as the “donut hole”; no cost-sharing for preventive care; and more coordinated care that will enable providers to track their health, treatments and prescriptions and avoid duplication and medical errors.
 
The President’s plan protects Medicare and improves its financial health. Not one penny of the Medicare Trust Fund will be used to help pay for reform.

By eliminating waste, such as overpayments to private insurance companies and cutting down on unnecessary hospital readmissions--- we will strengthen the Medicare trust fund – by 4 to 5 years - and be sure benefits are protected in the future.

Question #3: This one gets at a core issue in our health care system:

"Health Insurance Reform has focused on acute medical care. Why has it ignored long-term care which if unattended creates serious acute medical care problems (particularly for minority communities)? When will the White House address long-term care?"

As I mentioned above, health insurance reform adds a new, innovative program for long-term supports and services called the CLASS Act. Employed individuals pay premiums, and if they develop a disability, they receive a cash benefit of at least $50 a day that they can use to pay to for services to assist them with daily activities. This program will empower people to remain active in their communities, and take charge of their long-term care needs. It will also help people avoid needing to go into a nursing home or other nursing facility.

Beyond the CLASS Act, several proposals exist that would improve long-term care. The draft Senate Finance bill would provide additional funding to states to develop home and community based services under Medicaid.  It would also provide funding to ADRCs, or Aging and Disability Resource Centers, which provide needed information for people with disabilities seeking caregiver assistance. Also, nursing homes would have increased transparency, including reporting of staffing and improved complaints processes.

Valerie Jarrett is Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement

2009-11-19

(The Book of) Change Has Come

One striking aspect of President Obama’s visit to China is the excitement it has generated at all social levels throughout the country. Rather than being seen as a dry, political event with little relationship to ordinary people’s lives – as such events often are perceived – President Obama’s trip here has energized Chinese and foreign residents alike.

Beijing is a city of intellectuals, artists, and scholars, with a lively and active arts scene. While the large establishment-supported (and state controlled) “arts industry” flourishes, so too do hundreds of small informal gatherings of artists creating things of beauty for art’s sake.

As the President arrived at Beijing’s airport, miles away, in Beijing’s old city center, in a tiny private theater in a small hutong (alleyway) not far from the Forbidden City, some of Beijing’s top artists celebrated his arrival in a unique way.

2009-11-19

Reality Check: The Very Real Jobs the Recovery Act is Supporting

Three months ago, the critics denied that the Recovery Act was making any jobs.  Today, everyone – including the critics - can see those jobs for themselves on Recovery.gov.  Now that the evidence has proven them wrong, they are left to cast doubts about just how many jobs were made and where.  But for all of the attempts to distract and distort from the program’s progress, these reports – directly from the recipients of Recovery Act dollars - make one thing indisputably clear: the Recovery Act is now responsible for supporting at least one million jobs across the country. 

It’s time to keep the critics honest.  Here are some of the misleading things you may have been hearing about how we are tracking our progress supporting jobs through the Recovery Act – and the truth behind them:

FICTION: The reports recipients of Recovery Act funds filed are riddled with errors.
FACT: More than 130,000 reports were collected from recipients who were required to fill out 99 different data fields – that's over 12 million pieces of information collected directly from those putting the funds to work.  Much has been made of incorrectly coded Congressional Districts, but that issue – which the Recovery Board has already fixed – affected about 1 percent of reports.  And other potential over or under-counts of jobs you may have seen highlighted in the media amount to less than 5 percent of all reports.

FICTION: The Administration is misleading people about where Recovery Act money is going.
FACT: The reports you see on Recovery.gov were filed by over 130,000 recipients of Recovery Act dollars and they were responsible for inputting the information – including their Congressional District.  We don’t expect that these recipients – many of which are small community organizations or businesses - will do this perfectly the first time out of the gate, but we do take our role reviewing the reports very seriously and continue to work with the recipients to improve the accuracy of their reports.  The fact is, though, that the errors you are seeing are simply typos or basic human error.

FICTION: The jobs that were listed in non-existent Congressional Districts were not real.
FACT: The jobs and related projects listed are legitimate – they were just coded in the wrong Congressional District.  The Recovery Board moved quickly to correct the coding and posting error – but before that happened, the public was still able to click through to find the address of the recipient and confirm their correct Congressional District on their own.

FICTION: The Administration has failed to meet expectations it set for the quality of data it would collect.
FACT: From the beginning, even before the data was collected, Administration officials said repeatedly that they did not expect the initial reports to be perfect, but certainly expected them to provide an unprecedented and largely accurate look at the Recovery Act at work – and they do.  We will continue to collect this information every three months and we expect the data we collect to get sharper and more precise each time we do it.

FICTION: These errors mean that none of the reports and related jobs numbers can be trusted.
FACT: Overall, less than 5 percent of the reports have been identified as potential over or under-counts of jobs.  That is a lower possible revision rate than most long-standing, widely-accepted government economic indicators.  Take for example:

Payroll Employment, 2008: Original Average Monthly Decline – 157,000, Revised Average Monthly Decline –230,000, 46 percent lower than original

Independent economist Mark Zandi said it best:

"Well, these numbers are [verified]. The 600,000-plus estimates from the administration come from recipients of the stimulus aid. And, so, we know for sure that these jobs are for real.  Now, of course, it doesn't count all of the other jobs created by the tax cuts and other elements of the stimulus. That is much more difficult to count, at least directly. But the 600,000-plus, that's numbers that are counted directly and accurate...  All of the statistics that we get on the economy that the government collects are based on surveys and samples, similar to the one that was conducted here. So, I think they are using the same approaches and techniques in constructing these estimates then -- that we use for constructing all kinds of estimates to try to get a gauge of where the economy is."  [Newshour, 10/30/09]

FICTION:  The jobs numbers are already lower than expected – and this lack of credibility just makes the case for the job impact of the Recovery Act even weaker.
FACT:  In fact, economists say that, because the reports cover less than half of the money put to work so far and only direct jobs, they point to a job impact of at least double what was reported.  So even if reports totaled only 500,000 jobs – not the over 600,000 reported – it would still confirm Administration and independent estimates of over 1 million jobs. 
But don’t take our word for it.  Here is what economist John Irons, who is testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Recovery Act jobs today, had to say:

"New data from recipients of grants, loans, and contracts made under the Recovery Act count about 650,000 new jobs created or retained to date, one of the strongest signs yet that the Recovery Act has led to significant job creation. The data, which reflect a fraction of all the Recovery Act investments made to date, are consistent with other estimates of jobs creation showing that between 1.1 and 1.5 million jobs have been created or preserved as a result of the stimulus package to date. It follows recent news that the economy as a whole grew by a 3.5% annual rate in the third quarter, another indication that the Recovery Act has provided a much needed spark to the economy."  [Economic Policy Institute, 10/30/09]

FICTION: The Administration already had to remove 60,000 inaccurate jobs from the website – who knows what other inaccurate items they’ve posted that should come down.
FACT: The Administration worked with the Recovery Board to have 60,000 over-counted jobs removed from the list before it was ever posted on Recovery.gov in order to dramatically increase accuracy pre-posting.  Items flagged as possible over or under reports since the data was posted on Recovery.gov are a fraction of this size, indicating the vast majority of errors were caught before then.

Liz Oxhorn is Recovery Act Communications Director

2009-11-19

Signing off from Korea

This is take two for our sign off from Korea video with Speechwriter Jon Favreau. The first attempt was at the final event of the President’s trip across Asia, a rally with our troops at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea.

Things start to speed up towards the end of a long journey like this as everyone anticipates going home. We were in the middle of setting up the computer to show you the President shaking hands on the rope line of hanger 635 when the call came to load Air Force One. Being left behind at an event and wandering the streets of Tokyo is one thing, being left behind on a tarmac 6945 miles from home is quite another.

But while booking it back to the plane at top speed, we couldn’t resist giving it another stab before scaling the steps to the safety of the “bubble” once more.

We hope to get in a couple more updates from the air before wheels down at Andrews Air Force Base tomorrow night.

Arun Chaudhary is the official White House videographer

2009-11-19

Experiencing Beijing

There is a palpable sense of excitement among the staff as we mill around the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel, eagerly awaiting the return of the motorcade. Once we load in, it’s straight to that most Chinese of tourist attractions, the Great Wall of China. Folks look ready to go. Everyone is in warm clothes and sensible shoes, heeding the warnings of those already at the site in Badaling.

It’s been a long couple of days for everyone here in Beijing, but the fact that we've been in one place for more than a day, has meant that folks have been able to get out a little more to see this amazing city, eat some food, see some sights. Everyone is enjoying a little something in Beijing.

Most importantly, people have had time to purchase an answer to that age-old question: “What did you bring me from your trip?"

2009-11-19

Chair Sutley Visits Cornell Fuel Cell Institute and Energy Materials Center

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit my alma mater, Cornell University, to speak at the annual Net Impact Conference.  The conference brought together students and professionals from around the U.S. interested in sustainable enterprise and environmental stewardship, and allowed participants to share best practices and discuss new initiatives to advance global sustainability through entrepreneurship and innovation.

While at Cornell, I had the opportunity to check out the Cornell Fuel Cell Institute and the Energy Materials Center, a U.S. Department of Energy designated Energy Frontier Research Center. Héctor Abruña, the director of the Center presented some of their fascinating advances in fuel cell technology and told me about Cornell’s partnerships with major companies to develop efficient, high-performance batteries and fuel cells for industry and consumer products.  These technologies have an amazing potential to revolutionize our transportation and energy sectors.

Needless to say, I really appreciated the opportunity to get a back-stage tour of the University’s fuel cell labs and enjoyed being back on campus.  Research universities all over the U.S. are doing groundbreaking work in developing clean energy technology and training the next generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Nancy Sutley is the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

2009-11-19

Jobs Before Money? Money Before Jobs? Both Are Possible

We all know that creating jobs is more important than counting jobs. But when misinterpreting the count casts doubt on their creation, it is worth talking about the count. Two aspects in particular worth discussing are how recipients create jobs before receiving money, and why some awards don’t yet show jobs.

Some critics have raised questions about jobs being reported as created or saved without any money been spent by the recipient.   They ask, “How could this happen?” 

In many cases we would expect to see job creation before a recipient receives or spends money. For example, sometimes states are not able to pay State Fiscal Stabilization funds to school districts right away. However, knowledge that these funds are on the way have allowed many school districts to retain teachers that they would otherwise cut. When districts know they can count on the money, they can keep teachers on the job. And this isn’t just a hypothetical example. It’s a real, tangible example of what you would see in Connecticut. You can check it out online here.

There are countless other examples, not only in education. Sometimes you see this in transportation programs, where the government only pays out money only after a reimbursement request is submitted. So, a contractor could have hired hundreds of people, and built an entire stretch of road before receiving a dime. If you believed what the critics say, you may think there’s no way these jobs could exist—that someone cooked the books, or entered wrong data. But you’d be wrong. You see this accelerated job creation in our science spending as well – for example, in South Carolina where a $591,000 grant to a research foundation allowed that foundation to keep two people hired as a result. How much money had the foundation received? None, but they know it’s coming, so they planned ahead.

Some critics point to the opposite sort of report: many awards that show money being spent, but no jobs being created. Let’s see why this is not a cause for concern. 

Many recipients got their money at the very end of the reporting period, and simply hadn’t yet hired anyone before the period ended. Several awards (literally billions of dollars worth) were awarded just before the close of the reporting period. You can see this yourself if you look at many of the NIH awards on Recovery.gov. Will a large number of these awards create jobs soon? Yes! Take an NIH grant received by a university in Pennsylvania for $2.7 million. This grant was awarded on 9/30/2009—literally the last day before reports had to be prepared.   So it’s no surprise that this university got funds, but hasn’t yet hired. The fact that these awards show money received but no jobs created isn’t bad news— it’s telling us that the best is yet to come.

Many recipients are just starting work on their awards, and explicitly say so in their reports. Awards of billions of dollars show the same.   When filing reports, recipients were able to comment on how complete their project is: zero percent, less than fifty percent, more than fifty percent, or complete. A zero job award may not mean the same thing if it is also not yet started—and there are many of these. One simply has to look. Take this example: a police department in North Carolina received almost $500,000 but had reported no jobs. Their project status shows less than 50% complete. A simple reading of the description would paint a fuller picture: “Although no jobs have yet been created, 4 Crime Analysts will be hired in October. We had started the hiring process at the end of September.” 

And don’t forget: many recipients are creating jobs, but they’re just not the types of jobs that get reported on. Nevertheless, they can be seen across the reports: reports on science equipment ordered, on construction material bought, on cars bought. These things create jobs... just not reported on jobs. Some non reported jobs are even more obvious: one recipient in Georgia states “Although they are not included in our direct hire FTE calculations... more than 1,000 staff augmentation subcontract workers have been added to our site ARRA workforce.” Again, non-reported on jobs can be spotted across reports from every corner of the country.

Sure, at the end of the day people may wish every report was audited. But of course, that can’t be done—funds were not provided to hire auditors, not to mention that that would have been a waste of needed funds. Instead, the reports are online for everyone to see. All people have to do is look.

G. Edward DeSeve is Special Advisor to the President, Assistant to the Vice President and Special Advisor to the OMB Director for Implementation of the Recovery Act

2009-11-18

"So Many 'Firsts' and 'Onlys'": The First Lady Honors Military Women

Veterans Day serves as a reminder to not only honor America's men in uniform, but also the women—the mothers, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers who, throughout history, broke barriers and endured hardships to serve our country.  Today at the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama, along with Blue Star Mom Dr. Jill Biden, welcomed some of those women in celebration of their bravery and commitment to protecting our freedoms:

In this room alone, we have the first female four star general.  We have the first woman in the Navy to be promoted to Master Chief.  The first woman in the Army Reserve to be promoted to the general officer rank.  We have the first woman in the Army to receive the Expert Field Medical Badge.  We have the first African American woman to serve as Chief Nurse at Walter Reed Hospital.  And so many more "firsts" and "onlys" -- and that's the result of your hard work and your courage and your persistence.

But we know these achievements aren’t yours alone.  That's something that Jill and I have talked about, we've learned more about over the course of this year, because we know that service doesn’t just end with the person wearing the uniform.  You all know that.  We know that our servicemen and women’s sacrifices are their families' sacrifices as well.  And many of you have spouses, partners, children, parents who stood by you and encouraged you and prayed for you every step of the way.  And this day is their day too, as far as we're concerned.  So let’s take a moment to recognize those members of our families who supported you in your service as well.  (Applause.)

The First Lady continued, praising them not only for the good they've done, but for the good they have inspired in others:

But I hope you all know that your service -- that your legacy is more than just your own service.  I hope that you know that your legacy will be measured in the service of every woman who follows in the trails that you've blazed -- every woman who benefits from your daring and determination.  It will be measured in the inspiration that you provide to our daughters and our granddaughters -- and to our sons and our grandsons as well.

Because of you, when young women wonder how high they can rise in our military, they can look at General Ann Dunwoody and her four hard earned stars.  That can see that, it's real.  When they ask what kind of jobs they can do, they can look to women like all of you who’ve played just about every kind of role imaginable.  And when they ask whether they can cut it -- whether they have what it takes to succeed -- all they have to do is to look at your lives, to look into your lives and to look at the careers that you've developed that inspire us all.

2009-11-18

Green Jobs Grants, Seizing the Opportunity of a Clean Energy Economy

Today the Department of Labor announced nearly $55 million in grants to help workers, many in underserved communities, find jobs in expanding green industries.

As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, these grants reflect the administration’s long-term commitment to fostering both immediate economic growth and a clean energy future. It’s an investment that will help American workers do well, while doing good.

The recipients of today’s grants will strengthen the capacity to provide training opportunities, support the collection and dissemination of invaluable state labor market information, and most importantly, help individuals acquire green jobs.

Of the grants announced, $48.8 million focus on collecting and disseminating labor market information, which will enable job seekers to connect with green job banks and help to ensure that workers find employment after completing training. State workforce agencies will be able to work together as part of a consortium to collect information and create a regional, multi-state or national impact.

In addition, $5.8 million in grants have been awarded to increase the capacity of 62 current Labor Department grant recipients to provide training opportunities specifically focused on jobs in expanding green industries.

These grants aren’t just more money to the same players. They reflect my commitment, that of the Department of Labor and that of this administration to ensure that help finds those who need it most. Many of these training grants are targeted at traditionally underserved communities, including American Indians, women, at-risk youth, and farm workers.

As a result, programs like Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW) in Western Washington State will be able to provide training and certificate programs in green industries to women who are low-income, unemployed, at-risk youth, or our female veterans.

These investments are part of nearly $500 million in Recovery Act money for green jobs grants designed to promote economic growth. Over the next several months the Department of Labor will release funding for an additional three green grant award categories.

I encourage you all to visit www.doleta.gov for information on the recipients of the current grants as well as information about upcoming grant opportunities.

It is time for America to seize the opportunity of a clean energy economy, and American workers must lead this green revolution.  That is why we are investing these dollars here at home in American jobs and American innovation.  By making strategic choices now, we will restore our country’s role as a global leader in the clean energy industry.

Hilda Solis is the Secretary of Labor

 

2009-11-18

Pursuing Economic Growth and Opportunity

Today we concluded a weeklong trip to Asia. In our closing meeting with President Obama and Chinese Premier Wen, leaders of our two countries reiterated their commitments to renew old alliances and forge new partnerships.

Throughout the past week, we have made strides toward our goal of strengthening U.S. leadership and economic competitiveness in the region and making progress on issues that matter to the American people and leveraging that progress into job creation at home.

From a trade perspective, the steps we’ve taken in Asia will benefit businesses and workers across the American economy – ranchers, farmers, manufacturers, and creative industries all have a future in U.S. trade with Asia.

As companies across the spectrum look for a way forward out of these difficult economic times, we’re asking them to take a second look at trade.  Because engaging new customers abroad can create jobs at home.

President Obama began his trip to Asia by making an announcement in Tokyo that the United States will engage with the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This will be done in close consultation with the United States Congress and with stakeholders at home. This is an exciting opportunity for the United States to engage with some of the fastest growing economies in the world as well as providing the opportunity to address gaps in our current agreements, and to set the standard for 21st-century trade agreements going forward.

2009-11-18

H1N1 Flu Guide Helping Community and Faith-based Organizations across the Country

To help keep communities healthy during the flu season, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (Partnerships Center) led by Alexia Kelley and with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released an H1N1 Flu guide specifically targeted to help community and faith-based organizations.  Flu season is in full swing, and communities are finding innovative ways to spread awareness through community outreach programs.  Here are just a few examples.

Johnson County in Kansas recently posted an entry on its county blog about the release of the new HHS H1N1 Flu guide alongside helpful links of how local organizations can prepare for flu and other emergencies and disasters. To help combat flu in their area, the Health Department of Lexington-Fayette County in Kentucky created flu outreach response teams, also known as “Lex Flu Crews.” Armed with flu knowledge and prevention handout materials, the “Flu Crews” have reached out to over 800 businesses and 300 faith-based organizations by hosting meetings and flu-education sessions to help prevent the spread of both seasonal and H1N1 flu. In San Francisco, Emily Hughes of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is having trouble holding on to copies, saying, “The guides are flying out of our office.” Also in California, Community Action Partnerships of San Bernardino County tell us that the guide has been crucial to helping local organizations during flu season.

The H1N1 Flu guide, which is also available in Spanish online, provides specific action steps that community and faith-based organizations can take to help keep communities healthy during flu season, including:

Communicating important information about flu; Supporting vaccination efforts; Linking vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations to vital information and resources; and Expanding and adjusting organizational activities to help people stay healthy.

We encourage folks to check out the guide, and let us know how we can support local organizations that are helping to keep communities healthy.

Joshua DuBois is the Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

2009-11-18

The Race is On for Clean Energy Jobs

I was honored to be a part of President Obama’s trip to China this week. We made important progress strengthening our partnership with China on clean energy – a partnership that will create jobs in the United States.

President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced a series of steps the two countries are taking in this area. Let me highlight three:

First, the two Presidents announced the establishment of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center to facilitate joint work by teams of scientists and engineers from both countries. I signed the Protocol formally establishing the Center with my Chinese counterparts. China and the U.S. are committing $150 million in public and private funding to the center over five years, split evenly between the two countries.

The initial research will focus on three areas that are ripe for cooperation and crucial in the fight against climate change: energy efficient buildings, clean vehicles, and clean coal -- including carbon capture and storage. (Read the Fact Sheet: U.S.-China Cooperation on 21st Century Coal) These are also key technologies for job creation in the United States.

Second, President Obama and President Hu launched the U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative. (Read the Fact Sheet: U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative.)  We will be developing joint standards and public education efforts, and conducting joint demonstration projects between sister cities in the United States and China. Like the U.S., China is heavily dependent on oil imports, so this work is in the best interests of both countries.

Third, we’ve launched a joint Action Plan on energy efficiency. (Read the Fact Sheet: U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Action Plan.)  We’ve pledged to work with each other – and with the business community – to develop energy efficient building codes and rating systems. We’ll train building inspectors and auditors who can evaluate the energy efficiency of industrial facilities and recommend improvements that pay for themselves. We’re also going to harmonize energy efficiency test procedures and performance metrics for appliances and other products. This will not only improve efficiency but also help U.S. manufacturers get access to the Chinese market.

Historically, partnerships in science and technology have often been the leading edge of diplomacy – and that is certainly true with China. More than 30 years ago, the very first agreement we signed after normalizing relations was on science and technology. We’re building on a very strong foundation, and I believe our work will facilitate cooperation in other areas.

But this partnership will also have a direct benefit to our economy.  We have committed to co-develop technologies that will create jobs locally in both countries. As technologies are piloted in China on carbon sequestration, for example, we can apply that experience in the United States.

The race for the clean energy jobs of the future is on, and China is moving quickly. Unless the United States takes bold action, we’ll get left behind. That not only means partnering with China where we can, but also passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will create a system of clean energy incentives in the United States.

Steven Chu is Secretary of Energy

2009-11-18

Streaming at 2:10 PM - First Lady Michelle Obama Welcomes Military Women to the White House

This afternoon, the First Lady will celebrate women in the military—watch live as she welcomes approximately 130 WWII veterans, current servicewomen, and wounded warriors to the White House.

Also dropping by is Dr. Jill Biden, a lifelong and strong supporter of veterans, along with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and their wives, and other senior military and administration officials.

Watch live here through WhiteHouse.gov/live Watch and chat with others through Facebook

 

 

2009-11-18

Streaming Live at 1:00 pm on Flu.gov: H1N1 and Diabetes Webcast

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Know What to Do about the Flu webcast series continues today with a special segment focused on diabetes.  If you or a loved one have diabetes, join this live event to learn about the possible risk of complications from H1N1 flu and what you can do to stay healthy this flu season.

Today’s experts panelists will discuss how flu can affect people with diabetes and answer your questions live during the event.  Participants include:

Dr. Beth Bell, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Director for Science, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Ann Albright, PhD, RD, Director, Division of Diabetes Translation, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Visit Flu.gov to watch the webcast live at 1 pm or learn more about flu and diabetes.

2009-11-18

Word from the White House: Economists Say Reform Will Strengthen America's Fiscal Health

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 what our focus will be for the day, along with any related articles, documents, or reports.

Supporting letter: 20 Leading Economists Write to President Obama, 11/17/09

Talking Points: Economists Say Reform Will Strengthen America’s Fiscal Health

Yesterday, a group of 20 leading economists wrote a letter to the President confirming that measures that are included in the Senate Finance Committee legislation and that they hope to see considered on the senate floor "will reduce long-term deficits, improve the quality of care, and put the nation on a firm fiscal footing." The measures, they say, will "help transform the health care system from delivering too much care, to a system that consistently delivers higher-quality, high-value care." The economists lauded the following key measures: A fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans — which would create a strong incentive for more efficient plans that would help reduce the growth of premiums. Establishing a Medicare commission — which would develop and submit proposals to Congress aimed at extending the solvency of Medicare, slowing Medicare cost growth, and improving the quality of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. Reforms in the delivery system to ensure that patients receive high-quality, high-value care. And, as the President has insisted from the beginning, the legislation does not add a dime to the deficit.

 

2009-11-18

Streaming All Day: Small Business Financing Forum

All day today Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Small Business Administrator Karen G. Mills will convene a forum on small business financing issues for a range of key stakeholders including policymakers, lenders, and small business owners to explore new ideas and strategies for expanding access to financing for small businesses. The event, which the President called for last month, is part of a larger effort to help small businesses grow, create new jobs, and contribute to our economic recovery and to challenge the private sector to increase lending to small businesses.

Watch live:

Windows Media Closed Captioned 

Also take a couple minutes to watch a special video walking with Small Business Administrator Karen G. Mills through the course of a day:

2009-11-18

Reality Check: Beware What “Critics Say” on Reform and Mammograms

One of the hallmark tactics from opponents of health insurance reform has been to grab onto any convenient piece of information and twist it into some misguided attack on reform, no matter how unrelated it may actually be.  The hope appears to be that some media outlet will give them unchecked airtime under the banner of covering the “controversy.”  Today they’re going back to that playbook again, and Fox News obliges them with the headline “Critics See Health Care Rationing Behind New Mammography Recommendations.”   The story refers to new recommendations from the independent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force:

"Some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are blasting new guidelines from a government task force that recommends against routine mammographies for women under 50,  questioning whether they are tantamount to health care ‘rationing’ in the fight against the No. 2 cancer killer in U.S. women."

There’s only one problem: the recommendations of this task force would actually be used to provide access to effective preventive services for free or at low-cost. The USPTF would have no power to deny insurance coverage in any way.   The line of attack is actually somewhat ironic, because one of the guiding principles of reform from the very beginning in March has been to invest in significantly increased  effective preventive care, something these “critics” never seemed to care much about over the past 8 months. 

Just so there’s no ambiguity, here are the answers to about every question you (or “critics”) might have on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: 

Will Medicare now stop paying for breast cancer mammography for women because of this recommendation?

Women who are currently getting mammograms under Medicare will continue to be able to get them. There are no plans to change that. The law states that in order to change Medicare coverage of mammograms a formal rule making process must be undertaken and that is not happening.

Isn’t this the first step toward denying coverage for mammograms?

No. The Task force is an independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care that evaluates available evidence and makes recommendations about effective clinical preventive services based on scientific information. Under the health insurance reform legislation, the USPTF would have no power to deny insurance coverage in any way. Their recommendations would be used in health reform to identify effective clinical preventive services.

How will this recommendation affect private health insurance coverage?

The Task Force does not address insurance coverage and payment issues; it focuses on the science of the clinical services it evaluates.   Each insurance company is different and makes its own coverage decisions.  The Task Force recognizes that clinical and policy decisions involve more consideration that this body of evidence alone.  Clinicians and policymakers should understand the evidence but individualize decision making to the specific patient or situation.

Tommy Thompson said the Task Force recommendations were the official position of the U.S. Government. Is that your position?

We have tremendous respect for the Task Force and the work they have done.  They are an independent scientific body that makes recommendations based on scientific evidence; however they do not set official policy for the federal government. Under health reform, their recommendations would be used to identify preventive services that must be provided for little or no cost.

Won’t the USPSTF be used to ration care under health reform?

Absolutely not.  The USPSTF, an independent task force made up of some of the nation’s top doctors and scientists provides science-based recommendations regarding the most effective preventive, treatment and screening services. The Task Force’s recommendations would be used to help determine the types of services that must be provided for at little or no cost and the Task Force would have no power to deny insurance coverage in any way..

What do these recommendations mean for the current health reform bills?

While the bills are still being drafted and debated in Congress, health insurance reform legislation generally calls for the Task Force’s recommendations to help determine the types of preventive services that must be provided for little or no cost. The recommendations alone cannot be used to deny treatment.

2009-11-17

Voting for Department of Education Video Contest Begins

Since September 21st, hundreds of students across the country responded to the President’s call to take greater responsibility for their education by creating videos explaining why education is important. In less than two months, students submitted more than 600 video entries.

In their entries, students talked about the goals they had for their future and the steps they would take to meet them. The submissions came from students from diverse economic, social and ethnic backgrounds, and the content ranged from music videos to short skits. The common theme in all of these videos was the understanding that education was the key to success. 

Secretary Arne Duncan recorded a message thanking all the students who submitted videos:

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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Communications and Outreach has carefully reviewed each submission and narrowed the submissions down to 10 finalists based on creativity, strength and originality of content, and ability to inspire. These videos are now available for voting at www.youtube.com/Iamwhatilearn.

Voting for the videos runs from November 16th to December 4th. The three videos with the most votes at the end of this period will each win a $1,000 prize issued by the U.S. Department of Education.  

Eddie Lee is Director of New Media at the Department of Education
 

2009-11-17