What Government Did Today

If you’ve followed the public discussion of the Affordable Care Act, you probably have become accustomed to seeing the use of estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).  At the time that the Affordable Care Act passed , and a year later , CBO estimated that the health care law in its entirety would reduce the Federal budget deficit over the next decade. And this week, a new report from the Government Accountability Office found that the Affordable Care Act “would have a major effect” on reducing the deficit if implemented as intended.  This year, CBO also updated estimates for parts of the health care law. They project that: The cost of the coverage provisions will be $50 billion lower from 2012 through 2021 when compared to last year’s estimates, and Private health insurance premiums will be 8 percent lower in 2021 than CBO projected last year.

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Bad Math and the Affordable Care Act

The President believes this is a make or break moment for the middle class and those working to reach it.  That’s why he has put forward a blueprint for an economy built to last – one where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.   Today at the Associated Press Luncheon, the President discussed how his vision differs with the radical vision laid out in the House Republican Budget:  “This Congressional Republican budget, however, is something different altogether.  It’s a Trojan Horse.  Disguised as deficit reduction plan, it’s really an attempt to impose a radical vision on our country.  It’s nothing but thinly-veiled Social Darwinism.  It’s antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity and upward mobility for everyone who’s willing to work for it – a place where prosperity doesn’t trickle down from the top, but grows outward from the heart of the middle class.  And by gutting the very things we need to grow an economy that’s built to last – education and training; research and development – it’s a prescription for decline.” The President’s approach to reducing our deficit is a balanced approach that asks the wealthiest to pay their fair share, achieves significant health savings and enacts sensible spending cuts while making the investments we need to have a strong middle class.   Take a look at how the President’s approach and the Congressional Republican policies stack up side by side:  Side by Side – The President’s Budget vs. Republican Budget It’s a test of fairness.  The Congressional Republican budget gives every millionaire and billionaire a tax cut of at least $150,000 paid for by ending Medicare as we know it and gutting programs that help the middle class and our economy.  This graphic shows just what that $150,000 means to those programs our economic recovery depends on:  The House Republican Budget – The Budget Fails the Test of Balance, Fairness, and Shared Responsibility By standing by massive tax cuts we can’t afford paid for by the middle class and seniors, the Republican establishment has rubber stamped the economic policies of the past that caused the financial crisis in the first place.   Just take a look at how much the Republican policies of the past added to our deficit:    Changes in Deficit Projections Since January 2001 At this critical moment for our economy and the middle class, the President will continue to stand by a policy of fairness that reflects our core values as a nation.

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Three Charts Illustrating Two Different Visions for Our Nation

Last week, President Obama signed an Executive Order directing Federal agencies to expedite permitting and review decisions for key infrastructure projects – a critical step in improving our nation’s infrastructure and maintaining our competitive edge. U.S

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Business Leaders Respond to President Obama’s Executive Order on Infrastructure Permitting

As we commemorate the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act this Friday, it’s worth taking a look at the many ways this landmark health reform law is making a difference in the lives of Americans, especially Latinos who suffer disproportionately from a lack of access to coverage.  Thirty two percent of Latinos were uninsured in 2009 – higher than any other racial or ethnic group – and half of Latinos did not have a regular doctor, compared to only one-fifth of white Americans.  And twenty percent of low-income Hispanic youth have gone a year without a health care visit.  When you look at these numbers, it’s clear that the Affordable Care Act has had and will continue to have a profound effect on the health of the Latino community.  Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis wrote an op-ed this past week for ImpreMedia on the Affordable Care Act and Latinos in which she highlighted that “Too often because of cost, Latinos don’t get the preventive care they need to stay healthy. This is particularly true during tough economic times, when many are forced to forego health services for other needs, like rent or groceries.  A recent study found that 6.1 million Latinos gained prevention coverage in their private insurance plans in 2011.”  You can read the rest of her op-ed HERE .

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The Affordable Care Act and Latinos

This week, we are holding a series of White House Office Hours with Administration officials as we mark the two year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. On Monday, Nancy-Ann DeParle , Deputy Chief of Staff and former Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, held Office Hours on Twitter to answer your questions.  Tweets poured in from individuals, local governments, and advocacy groups accross the country.  Check out the full questions and answer session below, or on Storify .

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This Week in Office Hours: Two Years of Health Care Progress

Ed note: This originally appeared on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau blog It can be hard to understand the language of financial products and services.

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Learning to Speak Financial Products and Services

President Barack Obama delivers remarks highlighting the Administration’s commitment to expanding domestic oil and gas production, at the Maljamar Cooperative Association located on federal lands outside of Maljamar, New Mexico, March 21, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) The second stop of President Obama's energy tour this week was a set of oil and gas production fields located on federal lands outside of Maljamar, New Mexico. It's currently home to more than 70 active drilling rigs

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President Obama Discusses Domestic Energy Production in New Mexico

Release Time:  For Immediate Release March 22, 2012 MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES SUBJECT: Expediting Review of Pipeline Projects from Cushing, Oklahoma, to Port Arthur, Texas, and Other Domestic Pipeline Infrastructure Projects In an economy that relies on oil, rising prices at the pump affect all of us.  With crude oil prices controlling about three-quarters of gasoline prices, the most important driver of the price here at home is the world oil price — making our economy vulnerable to events halfway around the globe.  There are no quick fixes to this problem.  In the long run we need to reduce America's dependence on oil — which is why my Administration is implementing historic fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, launching new programs to improve energy efficiency in our buildings, and facilitating the safe and responsible development of our natural gas resources. But for the foreseeable future, we will continue to rely on oil to help fuel our transportation system.  As a result, we must safely and responsibly develop our oil resources here at home, as part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy to grow our economy and make us more secure. Because of rising oil production, more efficient cars and trucks, and a world-class refining sector that last year was a net exporter of petroleum products for the first time in 60 years, we have cut net imports by a million barrels a day in the last year alone.  By reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we will make our Nation more secure and improve our trade balance — creating jobs and supporting domestic industry.

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Presidential Memorandum — Expediting Review of Pipeline Projects from Cushing, Oklahoma, to Port Arthur, Texas, and Other Domestic Pipeline Infrastructure Projects

Tracy Muñoz realized our health care system needed to change the hard way: Her family had to take drastic financial measures to pay thousands of dollars for surgery that her private insurance wouldn't cover.

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Health Reform in Action: A Mother’s Story

Ed note: This was originally posted on healthcare.gov The Affordable Care Act – the new health care law – gives hard-working families the security they need and important new benefits.

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Breaking it Down: The Health Law and Young Adults