WASHINGTON — President Obama yesterday cited a rising number of uninsured Americans since he took office as proof that his health-care overhaul must be approved.
“Over the past 12 months, it’s estimated that the ranks of the uninsured have swelled by nearly 6 million people — that’s 17,000 men and women every single day,” Obama said, citing fresh data released by the Census Bureau.
“And we know that during this period of time, the number of adults who get their coverage at the workplace has dropped by 8 million people,” he said at a gathering with nurses next door to the White House.
Census figures released yesterday shows that the number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million in the current recession as the nation’s poverty rate rose to 13.2 percent — an 11-year high.
The White House hoped to ride a wave of momentum yesterday in the wake of Obama’s health-care speech to Congress Wednesday night. He’s planning to visit Minnesota tomorrow to further push his plan.
Republicans were skeptical. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News, “I want to find a bipartisan solution, and I felt the speech was combative.”
One person enthralled by Obama’s words was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
“Last night, President Obama delivered what I believe to be one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in the Congress of the United States,” Pelosi said yesterday, according to The Washington Times.