Obama Says He Wants Health Reform "by the Fall" (Video)

Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 6:15 AM on July 24, 2009.

OBAMA: 'I WANT IT DONE BY THE FALL'.... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced today that the Senate will not take up health care reform until after the August recess. Soon after, President Obama spoke at a town-hall event in Ohio with a few thoughts on the matter.

"[W]e just heard today, well, we may not be able to get the bill out of the Senate by the end of August or the beginning of August," Obama said. "That's ok. I just want people to keep on working. Just keep working.

"I want the bill to get out of the committees, and then I want that bill to go to the floors, and then I want that bill to be reconciled between the House and the Senate, and then I want to sign a bill. And I want it done by the end of this year. I want it done by the fall.

"Whenever I hear people say it's happening to soon, I think that's a little odd. We've been talking about health reform since the days of Harry Truman, and he's saying reform is coming too soon. 'Too soon'?"

August is bound to be interesting.

Tagged as: democrats, obama, harry reid, health reform

Steve Benen is "blogger in chief" of the popular Washington Monthly online blog, Political Animal. His background includes publishing The Carpetbagger Report, and writing for a variety of publications, including Talking Points Memo, The American Prospect, the Huffington Post, and The Guardian. He has also appeared on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Air America Radio's "Sam Seder Show," and XM Radio's "POTUS '08."