will join the exchanges, gained what they obviously think will be the benefit of that, and whether they drop coverage altogether, i do not know. [inaudible] >> can you speak into the microphone? we have >> is this dumping people off -- is its switching the way we think about how we cover people? >> if we were riding on a blank slate, i would not and most

people would not want to predicate the health care coverage on your employment. when we had a wage in price, this was a way to get around that. as a result, her employer- sponsored insurance grew significantly. during the debate about the affordable care action, -- act, and how the legislation should be shaped, and -- it is based on previous failed efforts. when you threaten people's coverage that exists right nail , -- right now, it never works.

to enablet we want people to stay with coverage if they like it. there is going to be a new dynamic. i think you will see a fair number of people joined the exchanges. in terms of the dynamic of the legislative and political process, it is not as precipitous as pulling away and requiring new leaf. -- leave. people felt that the coverage would be taken away.

>> among the problems with cover system is it increases the cost of care. it has and can -- inflationary effect on premiums. and one person says only the devil could have designed a or health insurance. it is important to recognize to fix this problem the right way, we have to understand how the problem came to be. it is an example of government failure. it was an accidental decision.

that is how health insurance group. -- grew. we are in this terrible place where almost everybody wants to move to more secure coverage and then as a result moves from job to job. how to reno said it is -- we have to look at who is making the decision about if the individual worker is leaving the employer sponsored plan for a plan that they have purchased? those decisions will be made by

policy makers for them. we should give the individual workers the money that the employers for spending on their behalf. the employer takes the money out of the wages. give the workers of the $10,000. they would determine if they would stay in that plan. their preferences should drive the decision rather than it be driven by policies and other tax provision policies. there are better ways of dealing with the problem then the where we are dealing with it now. >> getting rid of the exclusion is very popular.

i have been there. [laughter] >> im gordon smith. i live in the washington area. my analysis is that we have large, technical increases in medical care. the technical increases are growing faster than allen ability to pay for them. our economy cannot keep up with it. , and part of an aging population. why should not find work hard in my lifetime and at 79 continue to work, even with health

problems, so that i save my money can get the care i feel is needed, even though i cannot afford it. my grandfather could not afford a ford car. he had to keep his horses. i did not have to pay for them as a grandchild. hull would love to have a safer car than a currently drive, but i do not have it. why should i have to pay for this health-care plan and force it on my grandchildren?

>> i am not sure i fully understand your question. ?re you kidding medicare thank >> you are talking about not being in the medicare. right. [unintelligible] [inaudible] >> are you participating in the medicare program? [unintelligible] if you are receiving so security pacific, you are probably getting medicare -- social security benefits, you are probably getting medicare part a.

>> when medicare was enacted, several seniors cannot have health care coverage. i do not think it was a good thing. seniors could not receive significant care. i think we as a country in half a bipartisan consensus that medicare should not be eliminated. there are probably some

different things about the medicare program that are likely to be modified over the next few years. we as a nation have gotten past that. you may not have. we as a nation have come to the conclusion that it is a good thing to do. we will continue to do it. five believe the same is true for other parts of the population that cannot get health care without some kind of a safety net. i am glad the affordable care act provides a stronger safety net. >> i heard a different dimension of what you were asking around.

i think there is a fundamental back up for me when i get into that type of dialogue. as a health-care provider, i do not want people to get a ford, because the provision of care is -- if we have the knowledge to do something to prevent you from having a heart attack, i do not classify that as here is your fourth option. ford option.

if you come to get your cholesterol checked into have high cholesterol, you may be feeling fine, heine from a medical perspective, you probably -- i know from a medical perspective, you probably need to address that. i understand that in order for our system not to go bankrupt for the next decade, we need to think very hard about thinking through benefits that you can afford to put in more money and that is something you do. health reform is not. to stop with the affordable health care act. -- not going to stop with the health care affordable act.

we needed better information. there are several steps that i have a say there is a bigger issue of medical care. it is more complicated. i understand you wanting to do what he wants with more money. >> we will have to end it there. last question. >> i am from the financial times. do you feel let universal coverage is a correct objective?

how would you approach it? >> my quick answer is that if your goal is to provide health care -- ever increasing quality to ever increasing people, so fewer people are falling through the cracks, and you do not want the government to set universal coverage as a cold. it makes it harder for the market to deliver on that underlying goal, which is have a few people fall through the cracks. some thought it is a wonderful idea, because it will make health care more available for more people.

it leaves a lot of people without insurance when they retire. many people do not have health insurance in their golden years. large expansions such as with medicare, they have not found health benefits from them. they looked at what the data says and found no health improvement in seniors the teen years after medicare was enacted. medicare caused health care spending to explode.

we were actually providing -- a lot of people get hurt as a result. so it has been harder to deliver on the goal of having fewer people fall through the cracks. >> we have already established universal health-care coverage. you cannot turn down any individual in need of care. will you have a mandate for goal on financial products and health insurance? but we can impede our ability to care.

the second mistake is that we do not allow the innovation and competition as a result of that will give us better insurance products. we need young people to understand why it is prudent to buy insurance products. >> we do not have universal coverage. there is no such thing as a guarantee to get care. >> anybody in immediate risk of life and limb should be treated.

you may not -- you do have a right in this scenario to get care. but that is the extent of it. the last thing i would say is that they are issues surrounding the private sector. it is not a place where we are likely to see the private market cure this problem. 50.7 million people. each year, there is an increase in the number of people that are not insured. this may be an area where we need public intervention. >> we will have to leave it

there. thanks to our panelists. we will have a 15 minute break and start again at 3:15 sharp. thanks. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] 1 >> tonight, we will talk about efforts to change the filibuster. they will discuss proceedings in the senate. >> it does not make any sense. what are the rules in the senate? there are only two.

he said exhaustion and unanimous consent. if you get to the senator's exhausted enough, they will unanimously agree to anything. >> watched senate reform tonight on c-span2. >> in a few moments, the speech from president obama's yesterday in chile. a couple of live events to tell you about this morning. a discussion on how to improve high school graduation rates. vice-president joe biden and jeb bush will discuss this.

on the c-span3 smart companies can access capital. timman mills intimate the guy will discusangeithner this. and check out our video library. >> we will feature the top winners of the student can competition. hundred submitted the documentary is focusing on any event, topic that helped them better understand the role of the federal government. watch it on c-span. you can look at all of the

winning videos any time on line. >> the truth of president obama through latimer america continues today in el salvador. he spoke yesterday in chile. this is a little over half an hour. >> thank you. [applause] it is a wonderful honor to be here in chile. i want to thank your president

for his outstanding leadership and hospitality that he has extended to me and my wife, my daughters, and most importantly, my mother in law. [applause] [laughter] thanks for your wonderful welcome. thanks for your friendship and a strong bonds between our people. there are several people that want to acknowledge briefly. the president of the inter- american development bank. [applause]

throughout our history, this land has been called the end of the world. i come here today because in the 21st century, this nation is a vital part of our interconnected world. in an age where people are intertwined like never before, this country shows that we should not be divided by race, religion, or ethnic conflict. you have welcomed immigrants from every corner of the globe.

in the celebrate a proud, indigenous heritage. people around the world are reaching for their freedoms. chile shows it is possible to transition from dictatorship to democracy. it is a testament to your progress and undying democratic spirit. despite barriers of distance in geography, you have integrated chile into the greater economy. in a world where there is much change as seen in japan, it is

the character of the country that inspires. our original start, our struggle in hope, and there is no such thing as a lone a struggle. as a lone hope. the chilean people have shown this time and again. that was seen in the terrible earthquake over a year ago. sacrifices and perseverance build this nation to where it is. we are honored to be joined by four leaders that have guided us. , in your current

president. thanks for your presence and her being here. [applause] i cannot imagine a more fitting a ofe to discuss the erro partnership across this area and the americas. within my first 100 days of office, one of my first foreign trips was through trinidad and tobago to meet with leaders across the hemisphere. i pledged to seek partnerships of the quality and sheer irresponsibility.

i want mutual respect on shared values. i pledged a new spirit of partnership with our latin american neighbors. words are easy. there have been times when the united states took this for granted. even now, our headlines are dominated by events in other parts of the world. let us never forget every day the future is being forged by people in latin america. the world must recognize latin america for the dynamic and growing region that it truly is.

civil war has ended and insurgency has been pushed back. in colombia, great sacrifices by citizens has restored a level of security not seen in decades. the old debates on economies, between the abuses of right wing paramilitary and insurgents -- those that believe the united states ignores those problems are false. they do not reflect today's realities. today, latin america is democratic. virtually all the people here have gone from living under a

dictatorship to democracy. we have seen historic, peaceful transfers of power. the work of perfecting ever democracies is never done. this is outstanding progress that has been made here in the americas. today, latin america is growing. they made a tough but necessary reforms. they have handled the economic downturn better than other regions. tens of millions of people have been lifted from extreme poverty. a new middle-class is demanding

more of themselves and more from their government. latin america is coming together to address shared challenges. when a coup in honduras threatened a democratic process, the nations of the hemisphere in felt the democratic charge, helping to lay this foundation for a return to the pool of law. contributions of latin american countries have been critical in haiti as well as latin america diplomacy in the elections in haiti. that america is contributing to global prosperity in the security. longtime contributors to the united nations peacekeeping missions. they prevent catholics -- conflicts from africa to asia.

mexico, brazil, argentina have a greater voice in global economic decision making in the g-20. they have helped in efforts to combat climate change. they have played a leading role in civil society groups around the world. this is the latin america i see today. a region on the move, proud of its progress, and ready to assume a greater role in world affairs. for these reasons, that's an america is more important to prosperity in the united states than ever before. no other reason does the united states have more connections. we see that in the tens of millions of hispanic americans in the united states that

enriched our society and grow our economy and strengthen our nation every single day. that in america is going to become more important to the united states. trades has surged. we buy more of your products and goods than any other country. we invest more in this region than any other country. we export more than three times as much as latin america as we do to china. our exports will support more than 2 million u.s. jobs. when latin america is more prosperous, the united states is more prosperous. we are bound by a share of values. we see reflections of our own journey in yours.

pioneers who open to new frontiers. citizens that have struggled to expand our nation's promise to all people, men and women, white, black, and brown. we are people of faith. let's do our part for the least among us. insuring the democracies' for a people must be the work of all. this is our common history. it is our common heritage. we are all americans. across the americas, parents want their children to run and play and know they will come home safely.

fathers want the dignity that comes from work. women want the same opportunities as their husband. on a trip to new worse want to start a new business. -- entrepreurs want a chance to start a new business. but this may be beyond the reach of too many. progress in the americas does not come fast enough, not for the millions that indoor the injustice of extreme poverty. not for the children in shantytown that want the same chance as everybody else. not for the communities caught in the brutal corp. of cartels and gains and to many people live in fear. despite this democratic progress

in this region, there are still stark in -- inequalities. too often we do not serve the many. there is still corruption that cycles some economic development. and in some leaders that cling to bankrupt ideology is to justify their own power. they have the audacity to demanded a universal rights. these are realities we must face. we are not the first-generation to face these challenges. 50 years ago this month, president john f. kennedy had an ambition for progress. it was a massive investments. billions of u.s. dollars to meet the needs of the people across a

region. such a program was appropriate for that era. the realities of our time in a new capabilities and confidence of latin america the live -- deserve something different. to build a hemisphere where they have a sustainable this of level. but we have a new way. i believe in the americas today, there are no senior or junior partners. there are only equal partners. that demands a sense of shared responsibility. we have obligations to each

other. today the united states is working with the nations of the hemisphere to meet our responsibilities in several key areas. first, we are partnering to address concerns that they say they worry about the most, the security of their families. criminal gangs are not only a threat to citizens but also to developers. they scare away investors. they are a direct threat to democracy. they feel the corruption. with our partners from colombia and mexico and new regional initiatives, we are confronting the challenge together from every direction. we have increased our support in equipment, training, security forces, border security.

we need to keep the community safe. we are sharing information so that those that traffic in drugs and human beings have less places to hide. we are working on the set in the united states. we have to address the social and economic forces. 22 reached at risk youth before they turn to drugs and crime. we are trying to expand across the region. we want to invest in drug and crime prevention programs. the united states stands ready to do our part in a new partnership to put the focus where it should be.

with regional and international partners, we make sure our support is not just well- intentioned, but well- coordinated. i have said before, and i will repeat. the united states shares our responsibility for drug violence. the demand for drugs in the united states drives this crisis. we have new strategies to focus on reducing the demand for drugs. we are increasing education and treatment options. we are increasing our efforts by $10 billion this year alone. we want to extend the flow of we are screening rail cargo in seizing more guns and putting

more people behind bars. every gun we take off of the streets is one less threat to the families of the americas. we are promoting prosperity and opportunity. i have been impressed with the president's pledge to lift everyone out of extreme poverty by 2020. that is an ambitious and appropriate goal. i am working to expand some of the trade and investment that might help achieve this goal. across the region, we are moving ahead with open skies agreement to bring businesses closer together. we are moving forward with our transatlantic partnership to create new trade opportunities in the fast and growing market, the asia-pacific.

my administration is moving forward on trade agreement with panama and colombia. it is consistent with our values and our interests. we are incurred in the next generation of businessmen. we will work to increase lending. we are expanding credit. we are supporting reforms of the tax system necessary for economic growth. we are creating new pathways to prosperity. we have training for those that must share in economic growth, including men and women from different ethnic communities. we are coming together to create clean energy jobs and procurer more sustainable energy future.

from stronger storms in the caribbean to the loss of forest and farmland across the region. under the energy and climate partnership of the americas that i have proposed, countries step forward providing leadership and expertise. brazil has expertise. mexico energy efficient. el salvador, connecting grids to make electricity more reliable. these are exactly the kinds of partnerships that we need. neighbors joining with neighbors to unleash the progress that none of us could achieve a loan. it is the same philosophy between additional initiatives i am announcing today, which will help our country's innovate and educate for the future.

we are launching a new initiative to help students, scientists and academics to collaborate and develop products to keep america competitive in a global economy. i am proud to announce that we will work with partners in the region to increase the number of students studying in the latin america's and in the united states. staying competitive also means we must address the immigration. it is an issue for both you and us. we are a nation of immigrants. that is why i have spoken out against the anti-immigration

sentiment. aws.re also a nation of los i want to fix ever broken immigration system. i want to address the millions of undocumented workers living in the shadow of the united states. i believe this challenge will be with us for a long time. that is so long as people believe is important to provide for their families by leaving their families and head north. we want to give people and nations a path out of poverty. that is what we see here. as part of our new approach, we are working with partners like guatemala and el salvador. from helping farmers improve to

helping health care systems deliver better care. it leads me to the final area where we must continue to partner. that is strengthening democracy and human rights. more than 60 years ago, our nation came together with an organization of the united states and declares that representatives democracy is an indispensable condition for peace and development in the region. a decade ago, we reaffirm to this principle. the people of the americas have a right to democracy. the government has an obligation to promote it. generations including generations of chileans have struggled in the sacrifice to

give meaning to these words. ordinary men and women who dared to speak their minds, activists, who organized new movements. faith leaders who preached social justice. mothers of the disappeared who demanded the truth. political prisoners and rose to become president, and even now who marched in quiet dignity. the people of the americas have shown to not -- democracy is needed. we have an obligation to defend what has been one. -- won.

let us to recommit to defending democracy and human rights in our own country. we need to strengthen the institutions that democracy needs to flourish. people need to choose their own leaders. legislature that provides oversight. independent judiciary that uphold the rule of law. open debate. professional military under civilian control. a strong civil society that hold governments accountable. governments that are transparent and responses to their states. this is what makes a democracy. just as we defend democracy and human rights within our quarters, let recommit to get across our hemispheres.

every nation will follow its own path. no nation should impose its will on another. surely we can agree that this is about more than a majority rule. it is not give a leader of the right to suppress the power of others. the leader must have consent not coercion. we have to speak up we must not waver in our support for people to demand the rights of their own future. that includes cuba. the most significant changes to my nation's policies towards cuba has occurred in decades. it is possible for americans to visit their families in cuba. to allow americans to send remittances to bring economic

hope to people across the region. we will seek ways to help the cuban people get the same liberties and freedoms that everyone else has in this hemisphere. i want to break out of this history. cuban authorities must take meaningful action for their own people, not because of the united states insists upon it, but because the people of cuba deserve it. the lessons of latin america can

be a guide. they are beginning their own journeys towards democracy. there is no one model for democratic transitions. as this region knows, successful transitions can occur. the moral force of nonviolence, dialogue that is open, the protection of basic rights such as peaceful expression and assembly. accountability for past wrongs. matching political reform with economic reform. we must meet the basic needs and aspirations of people. with decades of experience, there is so much that latin america can now share. how to build political parties and organize elections. how to navigate the winding

paths of reconciliation and reform. when the inevitable setbacks form, you can remind people to never lose sight of the skyping stars -- guiding stars that tougher struggle and hope. security for our citizens, trade and development that creates jobs, prosperity, a clean energy future, standing up for democracy and human rights, these are the partnerships that we can forge together. we can do that here in the americas but also around the world. we have the capacity to meet these challenges. if anyone doubts this, look at what happened here a few months ago. their resolve inspired the world.

i do not need to tell you the story. you know it well. how this entire nation came together across the private sector with large companies donating supplies. across every segment of chilean society, people came together to sustain those miners down below and their families. it was a miraculous rescue, which is a tribute to the killion leadership. when luis emerged, he spoke for an entire nation when he said i am proud to be chilean. something else happened in those two months.

the people and governments of latin america came together to stand with a neighbor in need. with a latin american country, the world was proud to play a supporting role, sending workers from the united states, rescue equipment from europe, communications gear from asia. as the miners were lifted to safety, for those joyous reunions, it was truly a global movement. to watch them, millions of people watch them celebrate the moment. if ever we need a reminder of the humanities and the hopes that we share, the that moment in the desert, when a country like yours puts it mind to it, there is nothing you cannot do.

when countries across latin america come together to focus on a common goal, when others do our part, there is nothing we cannot accomplish together. that is our vision of the americas. this is the progress we can achieve together. it is the spirit of partnership and the quality with which the united states is committed. i am confident that working together, there is nothing we cannot achieve. thanks very much. [applause] ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ >> president obama's trip to latin america continues today and tomorrow in el salvador. a couple of live events to tell you about this morning. the group americas promise alliance wants to improve high school graduation rates. speakers include vice president joe biden and former florida

gov. jeb bush. that is at 7:30 eastern. on c-span3 hour -- how small companies can access capital. timothy geithner will be speaking along with karen mills. in a few moments, today's headlines and your calls on "washington journal." the canadian budget speech in the house of commons is at 4:00 p.m. eastern. and a discussion hosted by diane sawyer about journalism and the state of network news. in about 45 minutes, a talk about spending with a democratic representative, ranking member of the budget committee. of the budget committee.