get sick they should have access to the care they need. >> i think we have to close out now even though the chairman of the committees have been explaining the bill it to you. we cannot let this moment go by without telling the chairman of the subcommittee's have worked so hard on us, rob andrews, frank malone, and the ways and means peter stark has for decades been working on its ear and i want to thank the staffs of the three committees. we have relied heavily on them, we will meet and decide the direction we want to go, but they have had responsibility and working with all the committees and working together. ..

working so seamlessly together and coming out with this discussion proposal. thank you. [inaudible conversations] one [inaudible conversations]

mal remarks on health care reform with senate minority leader mitch mcconnell. this is a few minutes. mr. president, one thing republicans and democrats can agree on is the need for serious health care reform. one the president obama spoke to the american medical is as a nation to discuss the issue. i applaud the president for his commitment to health care reform and agree we need to make health care more affordable and accessible to all americans. while the american people want reform they want us to fix what's wrong with the system without taking away the freedom, choices and quality-of-care they now enjoy. during this week to become a speech at the ama the president acknowledged these concerns and articulate on health care reform that many republicans share. but it seems to me and many of my friends on the other side of the aisle should listen more closely to what the president

said to the ama. one thing the president said that republicans agree with is americans shouldn't be forced to give up the insurance the currently have and like and be forced into a government plan. the president promised the american people, quote, if you like your doctor you will be able to keep your doctor. if you like your health care plan you will be able to keep your health care plan. no one will take it away now matter what. republicans agreed with the president on that. yet democrats in congress are making last-minute edits to the build up the office says will cost 10 million people with employer sponsored insurance to lose the coverage they currently have and that is the number of people who will lose their current insurance under just one section of the bill. this legislation is still missing significant sections that could force tens of millions of additional americans

to lose their current coverage. republicans share the president's belief those who like their health insurance should be able to keep it. but the bill currently being considered by the health committee would help americans off of the health care plan to force americans off the plane they now enjoy. another issue the president and republicans agree on is the need to invest more in preventive care and will miss programs which are an important way to cut costs and improve care. president obama mentioned in the prevention program at safeway created which is dramatically cut the company's health care costs and employees' premiums. he said he would be open to doing more to help businesses across the country adopt and expand programs like the one created by safeway. get the bill the democrats are now pushing through the senate would ban the successful program from being copied and implemented and other companies. republicans also agree on the

need to reform the nation's medical liability law. for malpractice lawsuits or major cause of increasing health care costs. these lawsuits because insurance premiums for doctors to skyrocket and doctors than pass the higher costs on a course to patients. doctors also often mortar expensive and unnecessary step tests to protect themselves against these lawsuits and some doctors close their practices were stop offering services as the result of all of these pressures. and patience are the ones that lose out according to a report by the kentucky institute of medicine kentucky is nearly 2300 doctors short of the national average that could be reduced by malpractice laws. president obama hasn't advocated the medical liability reform most republicans would like to see but he hasn't least open the door to fixing the system. but none of the bills introduced

in congress even acknowledge, none of the bills introduced even acknowledge the need for malpractice reform or propose any solutions to deal with the problem. finally, republicans share the president's concerned how much health care reform is going to cost and how we will pay for it. president obama said he sat down a rule that, quote, healthcare reform must be and will be deficit neutral in the next decade. but the preliminary estimates from the bill before the committee show just one section of the bill to spend $1.3 trillion even more outrageous is the fact the bill doesn't even have proposals to pay for its enormous price tag. other than to borrow it from the taxpayers. americans want reform the they don't want to blind rush to spend trillions of dollars they and their grandchildren will have to pay for for higher taxes and more debt. when it comes to making sure

americans can keep the coverage they have strengthening well received prevention programs, reforming our medical malpractice law and passing for health care reform republicans share common ground with the president. i just wish congressional democrats did as well. mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. people don't want to think of roosevelt's conservation as a policy as much as a passion. he put aside 240, almost 240 million acres of wild america so now as people are

talking about environmentalism and green movements, roosevelt is becoming the key figure to understand because he was the only politician of his day who absorbed darwin and understood biology in understood migratory patterns and understood mating habits of the year and elk and antelope and actually did something. >> sunday on q&a the first of two hours with douglas brinkley on a wilderness warrior. sunday night at eight on c-span, or listen on xm satellite retial or download the c-span's podcast. topics at today's white house briefing include u.s. policy towards iran following the nation's presidential election, legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system and yesterday's senate resolution apologizing for slavery. press secretary robert gabus speaks with reporters for a little under an hour. >> good afternoon.

let me take ten seconds to get organized. let me quickly go through a week ahead for the planning. the president will spend the weekend in washington and has no scheduled public events. monday the president will sign the family smoking prevention and tobacco control act in the rose garden. tuesday the president will meet with the president of chile at the white house. on wednesday the president will hold a town hall meeting -- telhami in here at the white house in the east room on health care which will be broadcast on abc during primetime. on thursday the president -- i believe it is taped. i think it's taped at eight and broadcast at ten if i am not

mistaken. >> [inaudible] >> i assume so. thursday the president will participate in the service event in washington, the president will also host a small group of senate and house members from both sides of the nile. at the white house for immigration meetings the meeting is to continue the conversation with hopes of bringing the beginning debate in earnest later this year in the evening the president will host a picnic for members of congress and their families on the south lawn and next friday the president will meet with german chancellor merkel here at the white house. >> the house resolution, it asks for direct combination of the government, the government in iran use of, violence against protesters and that hasn't come

from the white house this week so can you comment on the resolution? >> obviously we welcome the resolution and believe that despite the question it echoes the words of president obama for about a week. i think -- >> you hope they don't use violence and directly, it may be a small difference but it's a big difference to some people. >> i think president was clear on monday in the rose garden. >> he said he was troubled by bye violence. he didn't directly criticize them for doing it. >> that isn't the way that i read i have the same right here. i think when the president sits in the oval office and says that he's deeply troubled by what i've seen on television, and the american people are rightly troubled by that i think when the president discusses as he did with president lee something has happened in iran and there was a question on the kind of antagonistic postures toward the

international community that have taken place in the past and there are people that want to see greater openness and debate and democracy. i stand strong with the universal principle people's voices should be heard and should not be suppressed. the language in the resolution is very consistent with the language the president has used. >> it makes criticism of the president which he hasn't done. >> i think the president has been clear in standing up for the universal principles and the playing violence. >> as i said earlier we welcome its consistent with what the president has said. yes, sir. >> continuing on that what is the white house and president's reaction to the supreme leader of iran warning to protesters to stop protesting and calling on the leaders to be responsible for bloodshed? >> i think the president addressed that also on monday.

he believes as we have said throughout the week and as i have said throughout the week those who wish to have their valises heard should be able to do that. to do that without fear of violence. that that is an important universal principle that should be upheld. i think that he strongly supports them. >> to see criticize this particular statement from -- >> i think the president's -- the president has been clear on what he believes that he believes strongly that people should have their voices heard. that clearly there is as he said on tuesday a month in iran that is bringing about change, and i

will say as the president has said we are not going to be used as political foibles and political footballs in the debate that is happening by iranians in the iran. there are many people in leadership that will close to get involved and would love to try out of the same foils they had for many years. that is not what we are going to do. >> do you have a reaction to the -- [inaudible] >> i would certainly -- i obviously would point you for details to the department of justice that i think whether it is this indictment or previous indictments that we have seen over the course of many months

we talked specifically about mr. madoff, there are those whose outsized agreed robbed millions of people of their savings and created the part of a culture that led us to parts of the economic disaster that we have seen in this country. i think the president has tried to address some of that in different proposals as well as financial regulatory reform and we hope that those that have lost their savings will see justice. >> earlier this year the special inspector general for t.a.r.p. tried to get documents relating to aig. the treasury department rebuffed

the request and ultimately i think they did turn over the documents the treasury department sought a ruling for the justice department on how independent neil barofsky's is supposed to be. please explain from the administration what is going on and why it appears the treasury department is pushing back against an independent inspector general. >> the president believes inspectors general fulfill a unique and important role in ensuring the programs offered a with efficiency. no attorney client privilege on any of this has been invoked. no documents sought have been or are being withheld. the doj review is, related to any particular investigation. it is sorting out legal issues relating to the creation of the

office. >> could you actually answer my question? understand the talking points you've been given but can you answer the question which is why with the treasury department pushback against inspector general trying to get the documents? >> on the specifics of that i would point you to the fact the documents haven't been withheld. >> but robert, we are only 150 some days into this, 151 days into the presidency the president fired juan and the departments challenge and independence of a different inspector general. can you understand why people who believe the president when we talked about the desire to hold accountable and need for transparency -- >> the reasons why the inspector general for the corporation for national service act upon by the bipartisan board recommended that he not be retained. i think that we've discussed that. i know you discussed that with

the staff in many ways and there are issues being sorted out in terms of the creation of different offices but no documents are being withheld. >> why did the treasury department pushback? i and stand ultimately they gave the documents that -- >> i don't have a anything from treasury. i can look and see but legal issues they were concerned about. >> do you believe, does the president believed the inspector general should be able to get whatever documents he needs? >> the inspector general has gotten those documents. >> but he struggled. >> jake, i don't know how more to say the answer to your question is the inspector general has the documents. >> will the treasury department respect the office of the inspector general or doesn't. >> we can go back on your question and my answer. i think i've answered the question >> [inaudible]

-- opposition on the conservative including -- >> no. the president believes strongly for the uninsured entering the market there has to be the choice and competition. the american people when suddenly believe that, too. the president believes it is an important aspect of any health care reform plan that has to go through congress. yes, sir. >> in light of ayatollah's comments is it more difficult now for the administration to have any kind of significant dialogue with iran over the nuclear issue? >> the president and the team don't believe so. this is again we've talked about this, our interests remained the same. we are concerned about the

islamic republic living up to its responsibilities. as it relates to -- >> but if the ayatollah is singing the u.s. is giving mixed messages or the president specifically how well that complicate the dialogue? >> i don't think anybody should be under the illusion that this will be easy. but our interests remained the same. i think the interest of the world remain the same. i think we have a pretty good sense what not engaging with iran, but the results of that are in the number of several thousand spinning centrifuges the president discussed the notion that we have to do things differently and i can't you see as we've said we've seen at least the ferment as the president said the change in

iraq. >> i'm wondering the fact the president said he doesn't want the metal is possible to have strong language in support of the iranians people without meddling? >> it is giving the president did it monday and tuesday. >> some believe that it's not strong enough. >> i know there are some republicans that didn't believe it was strong enough. there are some republicans that did believe it was. >> is it possible without taking sides? >> i think the president feels strong with the language he employed monday and tuesday to discuss the situation. but let me repeat again, there are people in iran that would love for us to get involved. there are people in iran who would love not to make about one side and iran versus another but to make this about iran forces the west, iran versus the united states of america.

it worked great for years. the president is not going to do that. i think many others, democrat and republican have discussed the wisdom and that stance and the president is quite comfortable with where he is. >> iran is concerned the president has been preaching to everyone in that part of the world including the speech at cairo's a clear message democracy and changes in those part of the world. do you think the president's voices are not being heard and his message because -- changes must part to the common that part of the world and the u.s. or elsewhere. >> i think that the actions the administration has taken and the voice of this president in

reaching out, whether it was interviews early in the administration, messages to the people, directly to the people of iran, the speech in cairo. i do think that people have heard the president's message. the president understands five months of activity or an interview, and message and a speech aren't going to change everything overnight but the president feels confident we are making progress in that region. >> maybe i missed this and maybe it's redundant but i want to get it clarified as the president condemned the actions of the iranians about governor? >> he has condemned the violence -- but does he condemned the actions of the ayatollah? >> the violence is being conducted by the government. the revolutionary guard, the pictures that we saw monday that the president reacted to, that

was then. i think if you look what he said throughout the week it is clear. >> on health care, some reports out of their i'm sure they are much more dire than you think they ought to be but there have been delays. there's a lot of democrats who say the price tag now is just eye-popping especially in light of the cbo analysis and there are republicans feel they are getting tremendous attraction on the cost issue and the tightest turning in their favor. is this coming off of the -- [inaudible] >> no, i am reminded in five short months in the administration about every six weeks by asked if the current initiative is heading off the rails. if something has on wound. we did it with the recovery plan. we did with our budget, we did it with the recent supplemental. >> but this is bigger and much more difficult than any of

those. >> i would love to have a response to one of your questions and say early january, mid march or just a few weeks ago on the supplemental. look, chip, there is a legislative process that takes time to wind its way through. this is an issue -- >> what level are we on health care? >> early, maybe second. you still have time to get a beer and a hot dog before the last call. [laughter] maybe a better alternative than a hot dog. i'm going to get a hot dog. but look, i think we had an introduction in the bill on the house today or the release on a piece of legislation today that upholds the president's goal of cutting costs and increasing the quality of health care in

america, broadening accessibility. the health committee that senator dodd is leading right now is marking up a bill and making progress. i think we continue to put 1 foot in front of the other in the march toward health care reform. but as i have said before, there is a reason this is an issue that has been debated back and forth for 40 years. again, i think some of the most important things that came out of cbo this week were underscoring -- i know this doesn't get a lot of news attention because there is no conflict, but underscoring the notion that the president has outlined a series of steps cbo believes must be taken in order to deal with rising costs of health care as it relates to the government's budget. we think those are all positive developments and we have five

think if you look back at some of the efforts that have been done the past few decades, we have stakeholders involved in this that are on occasion split up and on different sides and shooting back-and-forth at each other all at the table working on this, so i wouldn't call the game in the second inning. >> you said nothing would change, nothing is coming to change with what the president wants to do in a policy toward iran and having to do with the nuclear situation. does the administration believe there should be consequences in any future dialogue than start based on the actions the iranian government is taking? >> i don't want to get ahead of any of the dialogue. i think the president has been

cleared in underscoring and deploring the violence. but as i have said, we still have the best interests including the one on nuclear weapons. >> what message does that send? >> the message it sends is we are clear about dealing with the nuclear efforts. >> even if it means dealing with a regime that has stolen and the election and may have started violence and mayhem pushback, a setback freedom? >> this is about -- i think the president and the international community understand the importance of dealing with what they all believe is the danger of iran possessing the nuclear weapon.

>> some international capacity to sort of come them -- because of this violence you now say has condemned the arana and government should there be some sort of action that may be does this? >> i have not talked to anybody on our team at the u.n.. i think blood you see -- one you see is the size of march's increase. i think you see the passion increase but i don't know of any steps happening. >> he says something today in the speech that he wanted to seek comprehensive immigration reform. at this press conference he talked about he seemed to step back from that so what has changed since before he said we want to enforce law and the books and then start looking at trying to do more -- has somein