problems but it means that employees that work for bill have a better chance of keeping their health care or getting health care and if they are getting health carearebill get some extra money and he might hire that extra worker. right? so, this tax credit is pro-jobs and pro-business, and it starts this year. [applause] this month, we will be sending out details on how to apply for this credit. we will put the facts on our website, whitehouse.gov. this happens this year. here is what else happens. tens of thousands of uninsured americans and parents whose children have a pre-existing condition will finally be able to purchase the coverage they

need. . . what he can finally have access

to health care insurance again. that begins this year. [applause] that is just one of the insurance reforms that starts this year. insurance companies would not be able to drop coverage when they get sick or place like time limits or restrictions or annual limits on the amount of care they can receive. [applause] this is not some abstract concept. there's a story about a woman in the paper this week. where is she? are you out there? stand up. [applause]

>> her husband passed away recently from cancer. before he died, he hit the lifetime cap on his insurance. as a result they havd to not only cope with the loss of for husband but with medical bills. she spent all of your life savings on them. because of this reform, a situation like this will not happen and the united states of america and that will start this year. [applause] we are inspired by stories like yours. [applause] starting this year, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care and starting this year, this may interest some of you, if you are

a young person who does not have insurance or does not have a job that offers insurance, you are going to be able to stay on your parents' insurance policy until you are 26 years old. [applause] starting this year. [applause] >> thank you. >> you are welcome. [applause] >> this year, seniors will fall -- seniors who fall into the donut hole will receive $250 to help pay for prescriptions and

that is just the first that because we will be closing that gap completely. [applause] >> i want seniors to know that despite some of the stuff that has been set out there, these reforms to not cut into your guaranteed benefits. they eliminate deductibles and co-payments for preventive care like checkups and mammograms. you will be getting those for free now. [applause] aarp supported this bill because it is good for seniors. it is the right thing to do. it is good for young people. it is the right thing to do. [applause] it is good for people who have hit these lifetime limits. [applause] it is good for people with pre- existing conditions. [applause] all that happens this year. by 2014, each state will set up what we are calling a health picture its exchange. it is basically a competitive marketplace where small

businesses who are out there on their own trying to negotiate our -- can be part of a big pool. millions of people are leveraging their purchasing power. this is going to lower their rates and they will get a better deal. the reason they are able to negotiate low prices is because they buy it and tell the suppliers that we are the 800 pound gorilla when it comes to whatever product you are talking about. you have to give better prices. the same thing is true for the insurance market. everybody who can be a part of this pool is going to get a better deal than they would otherwise get. members of congress are going to be part of this pool so you know it is going to be good because they have to use it for their own [applause] families. [applause]

>> that will happen in the next few years. millions of people are also a program to get tax breaks to help them afford coverage. even though this pool will give you lower rates, some people can still not afford it. we will give you tax credits to help you afford it. that adds up to the largest middle-class tax cut in health care history. that is what this bill is about. >> think about it. that is what this is about. we are setting up a pool using the private market to give people a better deal. and we are giving tax breaks to working people, some of them working two or three jobs and cannot get insurance, we will give them help. we will give small businesses

help so we can help -- so they can help their workers and improve their bottom line. we have a whole bunch of insurance reforms so that people are not going to be disadvantaged and taken advantage of when they need it most. that is what this bill is. and it is paid for. and it saves on our deficit. this is what everybody has been hollering about as the end of freedom. now that it has passed, they are already promising they will repeal it. they will run on a platform of repeal in november. my attitude is go for it. [applause] >> you tried to appeal it. -- you try to repeal lead. it. [applause] >> i want these members of

congress to come up here. i wanted to tell you that we will take away tax credits and raise your taxes. if they want to look at you and tell you they can take away your father's health insurance, that is their right. if it wanted to you that you can face a lifetime of debt if you lose a family member, they can tell you that. if they want to have a fight, i welcome that fight. i do not believe the american people are going to put the insurance industry back into the driver's seat. [applause] >> i am happy to have that argument. [applause] >> i am happy to have that argument. [applause]

>> in fairness, i want to be scrupulously fair, some of them have said that we want to repeal and replace this bill with our brand of insurance reform. when you poke and prod and ask what it is exactly, it turns out they want to deregulate the insurance market. we have already been there. we know what that is like. we are not going back. this country is ready to move forward. portland, maine is ready to move forward. [applause] [applause] >> while we are talking about moving forward, i want to mention one thing lost in the shuffle of all of this health care debate. the fact that part of the bill

that we signed is going to provide an additional $68 million that used to go to banks and financial services companies and that is going to now go to the student loan program, telegrams, and to make sure that colleges are affordable for every young person in america. [applause] i want to know if they want to repeal that as well because i am happy to have that discussion. [applause] [cheers and applause] >> $68 billion dollars going to banks and financial institutions. we're just taking that from the banks, dublin tel grants, making

sure -- doublin pell grants, making sure that you will never have to pay more than 10% of your income in repayment for your deck so that you are not going broke because you decide to get a college education that makes our economy stronger and makes america stronger. if they want to repeal that, too, we can have that discussion. [cheers and applause] >> the road to this victory has been long. it has been difficult. it is absolutely true that because health care is such a complicated issue, a lot of

people got scared. the misinformation seat in. the process was ugly and everybody was arguing. there was all kinds of stuff to win on in the senate and house and everybody said this looks like a mess. i understand that. that is part of our democracy. democracy is a messy business. it is the worst form of government except for all of the other ones that have been tried. [laughter] [applause] that is what winston churchill said. he is absolutely right. it can be frustrating sometimes but ultimately, that is what makes our country so great. everybody is able to voice their opinions. everybody is able to get out there and organize.

you are free to call your president and idiot. -- an idiot. that is a wonderful thing. people were waiting. everybody was clapping. one guy was like "ehhh." he saw me through the window. i thought that was a great thing. i want everybody to learn the lessons from this debate. in reaching this milestone, it does not represent the end of our problems. we still have jobs to create. we have deficits to reduce. we have children to educate. we still face enormous challenges in this country. jobs have not been returning fast enough despite everything we are doing. the economy is growing again but people have not been hired back as fast as they need to be.

small businesses are still having trouble getting credit. what this fight has taught us about ourselves in this country, it is bigger than any one issue. it has reminded us that change is never easy but always possible. it reminds us that in the united states of america, we still have the power to shape our own destinies and it reminds us that we as a people do not shrink from a challenge. we do not shirk our responsibilities. we embrace our challenges. we do not fear the future. we shape the future. that is what we do. that is who we are. if that is what you are about. that is why you are here. if that is why i ran for president of the united states of america. that is what makes this country. god bless you. god bless the united states of america.

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>> president obama talking about health care. outside with the president spoke, there was a group of protesters.

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>> for more information about health care, this it c-span's web site. what health care speeches, interviews and hearings. link to other health care information. that is c-span/health care. this week on america and the courts, moot court on vaccine. what america and the courts saturday at 7:00 eastern. >> all this month, see the winners of c-span's student camp documentary competition. middle and high school students

from 45 states submitted videos on one -- on one of the country's greatest strength or a challenge we are facing. watch the videos at 6:50 a.m. just before "washington journal." for a preview of all of the winners, visit studentcam.org. >> now a meeting with steny hoyer and david walker. we will hear about how the new health-care law may affect the deficit. the university of maryland hosts this discussion. >> could afternoon. on behalf of the maryland school of public policy, welcome.

i and the professor of public policy. late last fall, i was visiting sol in his new living space on connecticut avenue. he pointed to where i was seated in said that steny hoyer was sitting right there in that chair and he told me that if he possibly could, he would do the program. well, steny hoyer is a man of his word. he is here. his passion and determination were key to making this event happened as they were key to a number of his programs on public policy issues of the day.

it was his deep civic engagement and this event is now a tribute to saul stern. i ask that we share a short moment of silence in memory of his good and rich life. it is now my honor to pass the baton to my friend and colleague. [applause] >> thank you. i and the dean of the school of public policy here at the university of maryland. i want to welcome all of you to this discussion about something that kids and poured into the american teacher as anything we can imagine. this is part of a dramatic change in the debate about the deficit and national debt. we are now talking aboutha