Hello, Iowa! Are you fired up? Oh, it is good to be back in Iowa. I got to take off my jacket when I'm in Iowa. It is good to be back in Iowa. It’s a little colder than it is in D.C., I got to admit. But I can feel spring coming. I want to make a couple of acknowledgments. First of all, University of Iowa President Dr. Sally Mason and the entire Hawkeye community, thanks for hosting us. The outstanding governor of the great state of Iowa, Chet Culver and First Lady Mari Culver. There he is back there. A couple of great friends, Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge. The co-chairs of my campaign here in Iowa, Attorney General Tom Miller and Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald. The former governor of Iowa who is now I think going to end up being one of the greatest Secretaries of Agriculture in history, Tom Vilsack is in the house. I want to acknowledge Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek. The entire Iowa delegation could not be here because they are still busy finishing business, crossing “T’s” and dotting “I’s” in Washington. But I want every single person to know that this celebration would not be happening if it were not for your members of Congress, Leonard Boswell, Bruce Braley, your own personal congressman, Dave Loebsack and Senator Tom Harkin.
Now, thank you Secretary Sebelius for the introduction, but more importantly, for all the amazing and tireless work that you’ve done to make healthcare reform a reality. I, too, feel your pain because in my bracket I had Kansas winning it all. I feel a little bitter. The President of Northern Iowa came here and he was just, big smile, he was gloating...I now...I’m sold. I want to congratulate all the Northern Iowa fans in this part of the state on their big win. And since you ruined my bracket I'm rooting for you now. I want you to just go ahead and take it. Go all the way.
I also want to start things off...oh, there’s one other thing. Some of you know that I have a military aide that travels with me wherever I go. This is one of the things the President does...he carries a big satchel with all kinds of important stuff in there. And the military aide I have with me today is a guy named Lieutenant Colonel Dave Kalinske. And Dave was strong safety for the Hawkeyes. There he is right there...there’s Dave Kalinske. Strong safety. See, that briefcase is big so you got to have a former strong safety carrying it. I want to start off by telling folks here how inspired that I’ve been by your continued resilience in the wake of the floods that devastated this region a few years back. And I remember traveling here right after they happened and how tough things were. I know the rebuilding has been difficult, but you should know that you always have a committed partner in this administration to support the road to recovery. And we know that Iowa City is going to be as good as new and better; Cedar Rapids, all across the state we're seeing that rebuilding take place. So, it’s just good to be back in Iowa. This is the state that first believed in our campaign. When all the pundits had written us off, when we were down in the polls, this is the state that inspired us to keep on going, even when the path was uncertain. And because of you, this is the place where change began. Three years ago, I came here to this campus to make a promise. Just a few months into our campaign, I stood at the University of Iowa hospital right around the corner and I promised that by the end of my first term in office, I would sign legislation to reform our health insurance system. On Tuesday, after a year of debate, a century of trying, after so many of you shared your stories and your heartaches and your hopes, that promise was finally fulfilled. And today, health insurance reform is the law of the land all across America.
AUDIENCE: Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did!
BO: Yes, we did. Yes, we did. Just like the campaign that led us here, this historic change didn’t start in Washington. It began in places like Iowa City, places just like this, with Americans just like you. It began when people had the courage to stand up in town hall meetings and talk about how insurance companies were denying their families coverage because of a pre-existing condition. It began when folks wrote letters about how premium hikes of 40[%] and 50[%] and a 100% were forcing them to give up their insurance. It began when countless small business owners and families and doctors shared stories about a healthcare system that works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people. So, this is your victory, because when the special interests sent an army of lobbyists to Congress, they blanketed the airwaves with millions of dollars of negative ads, you mobilized and you organized and you refused to give up. And when the pundits were obsessing over who was up and who was down and how is this affecting the Obama administration and what’s going on over in the House [of Representatives], you never lost sight of what was right and what was wrong. You knew this was not about the fortunes of one party...this was about the future of our country. And today, because of what you did, that future looks stronger and more hopeful and brighter than it has in some time...because of you.

标题
Iowa Healthcare Policy Speech - 1 (Obama)

视频介绍
Health Policy Speech - March 25, 2010
President Obama addresses a crowd in Iowa City, Iowa, to promote the Affordable Care Act. (Part 1)

Speaker: Barack Obama, President of the United States of America