for a final comment, let me just ask you to reiterate my request that you fill out those blue evaluation forms so we can continue to improve these programs for you. >> thank you so much to the panel. i do want to emphasize how critical this piece of the reform bill is. we have focused a lot on the public plan over the last year and other pieces of the puzzle, but i think this is critical. the individual and small group market is where people lose their coverage in the united states. this is the fix to those markets if we are going to build on the existing system. markets if we do not build on the existing system and the issues that are raised in tim's paper and in this panel are critically important in terms of deciding on the provisions in the bills, federal

vs. state control, and also implementing their bills and provisions over the next few years. >> thank you, sara and to our friends at the commonwealth for supporting some of the research and. thank you for your fortitude and listening to a lot of actuarial terminology over the last hour and a half. the me ask you to help thank the panelists. if the insurance exchanges in whatever form ru

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> today, president obama's ambassador at large talks about supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg, the changing roles of women in the law, and the rights of women around the world. that is at 7 eastern on c- span's america and the courts.

this is just about nine minutes. >> a year ago when i took office in the midst of the worst recession since the great depression, i promise you two things. the first was that there would be better days ahead, and the second was that the road to recovery would be long, and sometimes bumpy. that was brought home again yesterday when we learn that in november, our economy sought its first month of job gains in nearly two years. last month, we lost war that we gained. we know that no single month makes a trend, and job losses for the final quarter of 2009 or one-tenth of what they were in the first quarter. until we see the trend of good, sustainable job creation, we will be relentless in our efforts to put america back to work. that task goes deeper than replacing the 7 million jobs that have been lost of the past two years. we need to rebuild our economy so that families can feel some

measure of security again. the stories i hear tell me that they have known their own private recession since long before economists have declared one and still feel it after economist declare it is over. for decades, washington avoided doing what was right in favor of doing what was easy. the result was an economy where some made out well, but the middle class too often took a beating. over the past decade, the income of the average household actually declined, and we lost as many jobs as we created. hard-working folks found themselves forced to downscale their dreams because of factors beyond their control. a good job with a good wage, a secure in dignified retirement, stable health care, the chance to give our kids a better shot than we got. that is why as we began to emerge from this crisis, we will

not return to that complacency that helped cause the crisis. even as we focus on putting america back to work, we are building a new foundation for our economy to create a good, lasting jobs and shared prosperity of tomorrow. we are making historic investments in science and a clean energy economy that will generate and keep jobs for the future right here in america. we are reforming the education system so our kids are prepared to compete with workers anywhere in the world. we are fixing are broken health insurance system that is crushing families, eating away at take-home pay, and nailing and small businesses with premium increases. after a long and thorough debate, we are on the verge of passing health insurance reform that will finally offer americans the security of knowing they will have quality, affordable health care whether they lose their job, change their job, move, or get sick.

the worst practices of the insurance industry will be forever banned, and costs will come down for families, businesses, and our government. it will take a few years to fully implement these reforms and responsible way. what every american should know is that once i sign health insurance reform into law, there are dozens of protections and benefits that will take effect this year. uninsured americans with pre- existing illness or condition will finally be able to purchase coverage they can afford. children with pre-existing conditions will no longer be reduced coverage, and young adults will be able to stay on their parents' policy until they are 26 or 27 years old. small-business owners will be immediately offered tax credits to purchase coverage. early retirees who receive coverage from their employers will see their careers protected and their premiums go down. seniors who fall into the coverage gap known as the dawn of a whole will receive

discounts of up to 50% on their prescriptions as we began to close that gap altogether. every patient's choice of doctor will be protected, along with access to emergency care. here is what else will happen within the first year. insurance plans will be required to offer free print care to their customers so that we can start catching -- free preventive care to their customers so we can start catching diseases on the front ends. there will -- that will be prohibited from dropping your coverage when you get sick and need it most. there will be a new independent appeals process for anyone who feels they were unfairly denied a claim by their insurance company. in short, what i signed health reform insurance into law, doctors and patients will have more control over their health care decisions an insurance company bureaucrats will have less. these changes represent the most sweeping reforms on insurance

companies the country has ever known. that is how we will make 2010 a healthier and more secure year for every american. for those who held health insurance and those who do not. we enter a new decade with the perils. we are going to meet them. it is also a time of tremendous promise. we will rebuild the american dream for the middle class and put the american economy on a stronger footing for the future. this year, i am as hopeful and confident as ever that we are going to rise this moment the same way that generations of americans always have, as one nation and one people. thanks for listening. >> i am republican congressman pete king. i am a member of the house intelligence committee. i have the privilege of representing the suburbs of new york city. two weeks ago, the terrorist

plot to bring down northwest airlines flight over the skies of detroit was thwarted by a combination of luck and vigilance. as president obama has rightly said, it should never have gotten to that point. last year, the terrorist's father went to our embassy in nigeria and shared his concerns that his son was becoming a radical jihad iist. that should have been more than enough to trigger a red flag to prevent this terrorist from setting foot on the aircraft. reviews will take place in congressional hearings will be held. this is about much more than whether the no-fly list gets longer or takes more time to get through the security line at the airport. this is about whether we have learned our lesson. terrorists still have innocent people in their sites and the will to murder them. they are always working on the

next attack. september 11 is not ancient history, is all too real. the people in my community certainly get it, and now it is time for the administration to stop sending mixed messages and get it through. one of the first things we need to do is pass the ago keep terrorists out of america" act. this bill would help stop the misguided plan to put khalid sheikh mohammed and other 9/11 terrorist on trial in downtown manhattan. it is an enormous an unnecessary risk. there is a good reason why the government has had such a hard time transferring these terrorist detainees to other countries. they are the worst of the worst. that is why we put in place a process by which these terrorists should be held and tried as enemy combatants by

military commissions, to keep -- the act will also help to ensure that we are treating it terrorism as what it is. we cannot gather in the intelligence we need to foil attacks. we are a nation at war and we should act like it. we need to pull together and remain vigilant and send a clear signal both to our friends and enemies that this government will stop at nothing to protect our homeland. that is out america sets an example for the world. thank you for listening. >> of next, "the communicators."

later, state of the state addresses from governors oral schwarzenegger and david paterson of new york. -- arnold's schwarzenegger and david paterson of new york. >> the house is back in session tuesday, january 12. live coverage on c-span. the senate returns january 20. they plan to consider a judicial nomination and an increase in the federal debt ceiling. watch live coverage of the senate on c-span2. off the floor, leaders are negotiating with the white house on the health care bill. the senate passed its bill on christmas eve, but it does not include the public option which is in the house bill. they have to agree on the same version before sending it to the president. the aim is to get a final bill to president obama's desk before the state of the union address sometime in early february.

>> this week on "the communicators," an update on a national broadband plan plus other issues. our guest is fcc commissioner robert mcdowell. >> robert mcdowell is our guest this week on "the communicators ." we are about a month away from a national broadband plan being delivered. can you give us an update on what is in that plan, what you have seen, and how it is developing? >> we have had a team since the middle of last year that has been brought in some from outside and some are internal. we are soliciting opinions and backs and analyses on just about

every possible angle of how broad ban might affect america and what can we do as a country to make broadband work available. our broadband team has given us a number of briefings over the past few months. it comes down to a matter of supply and demand, as simple as that. what can we do to make the existing pipes that serve the broadband connections fatter and faster for americans and more affordable? what can we do to help americans want to subscribe more to broadband? we have not yet seen the draft detailed plan. we have only seen