With all the concern over the House’s health care bill, and Obama’s recent omission that he was not familiar with all the provisions in it, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tried her best to defend the proposed tax increases. She asserted that only very wealthy Americans will be paying more taxes, and that the Middle Class would not be affected. Check out the following story on Pelosi’s arguments below courtesy of USA Today.
Ensuring that the middle class doesn't have to pay the $1 trillion-plus price for overhauling the nation's health care system could mean that the wealthiest Americans will pay a higher rate than the House originally proposed, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told USA Today’s editorial board Tuesday.
"I wanted to remove all doubt that we were not touching the middle class on this," Pelosi said, explaining why she has advocated in recent days for a higher income threshold for taxes proposed in the House version of the health care bill. "When you go there you get less money because there are fewer people so you have to adjust the fee, but you can't adjust it endlessly. It has to be responsible."
President Obama continued to push for quick legislation Tuesday and had harsh words Tuesday for those who want to "block" health care legislation.
"Time and again we've heard excuses to delay" health care reform, Obama said in brief remarks from the White House Rose Garden. But he also stressed the "common ground" that has already been forged on Capitol Hill.
"We have traveled long and hard to reach this point," Obama said adding that "we are closer than ever before to the reform that the American people need, and we're going to get the job done."
