(President Barack Obama tries his hand operating a state-of-the-art robotic surgical system while touring the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Thursday, July 23, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
The President traveled to Ohio today, where he held a town hall focused on health insurance reform:
Whenever I hear people say that it's happening too soon, I think that's a little odd. We've been talking about health care reform since the days of Harry Truman. (Laughter.) How could it be too soon? I don't think it's too soon for the families who've seen their premiums rise faster than wages year after year. It's not too soon for the businesses forced to drop coverage or shed workers because of mounting health care expenses. It's not too soon for taxpayers asked to close widening deficits that stem from rising health care costs -- costs that threaten to leave our children with a mountain of debt.
Reform may be coming too soon for some in Washington, but it's not soon enough for the American people. (Applause.) We can get this done. We don't shirk from a challenge. (Applause.)
Before the town hall, the President visited the renowned Cleveland Clinic with Governor Ted Strickland to talk to doctors and nurses about their thoughts on reform. He then toured the operating room in the clinic’s Heart and Vascular Institute, which is ranked #1 in the nation. The President has said that it is essential we identify the best practices in health care, so that we can replicate them across the country to get better quality at lower costs.
Read more on the White House website
