No.308 オリジナル英文

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Lawmakers Give Mixed Reaction on Obama Health Care Speech
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President Obama said the current system has led the country to a breaking point, imposing hardships on middle-class Americans who struggle to pay for health care, or who are unable to obtain it.

Saying the United States is the only advanced democracy and only wealthy nation that allows such hardships for millions of its people, the president said the time has come to put politics aside and solve the problem.

The president said reform proposals which he estimates would cost $900 billion over 10 years, would provide security and stability to the insured, and make it possible for tens of millions of Americans who are not to get affordable insurance through a proposed exchange system in which private companies would compete.

Democrats trying to steer reform through Congress against a nearly solid wall of Republican opposition said the president delivered a clear vision and specifics, and a strong message of leadership.

While praising the president's eloquence, Republicans asserted that he failed to deliver specifics, and they re-stated criticisms that Democratic proposals would impose new tax burdens on Americans and small businesses and add to deficit spending.

Republican Charles Boustany, who is also a physician, delivered the formal Republican response.

"It’s clear the American people want health care reform, but they want their elected leaders to get it right.

Most Americans wanted to hear the president tell Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, and the rest of the Congress that it’s time to start over on a common sense, bipartisan plan focused on lowering the cost of health care while improving quality."

President said he will continue to seek common ground and listen to serious proposals, but made clear he will have little patience for continuing distortions.

"Know this: I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than to approve it.

I won't stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. "

At the same time, the president said that rather than a radical shift that would disrupt health care Americans now have, he favors building on what works and fixing what does not.

Dan Robinson, VOA News, Capitol Hill