The White House
05 October 2009
U.S. President Barack Obama is renewing his push for health-care reform, as a key vote nears in Congress. Mr. Obama is urging the nation's physicians to join the reform effort.
The White House rose garden was a sea of white medical lab coats as President Obama reached out to doctors from all 50 states.
"You are the people who know this system best. You are the experts. Nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do," he said.
With a crucial vote on health care expected Tuesday in the Senate Finance Committee, the president sought to enlist medical professionals in the cause.
He said they are aware of the failings of the current health care system, where most people rely on private health insurance to help cover their medical bills.
"They have seen what happens when patients do not come in for regular check-ups or screenings because either their insurance company does not cover it, or they cannot afford insurance in the first place," he said.
The president said there has been a lot of debate on health care reform, some of it highly emotional. He said it is important to note that many of the people who are fighting for reform are the same people who know the system best - the doctors and nurses of America.