room because there are no other options.
I’ve read some of the many letters they’ve sent asking me for help. And they’re usually not asking for much. I don’t get letters where people are just asking for a free ride, for a handout. Most of them are embarrassed about their situation; they would rather not have to ask for help. They start, usually, by saying that they’ve never written a letter like this before. Some end by apologizing — saying they’ve written to me because they have nowhere else to turn; asking me not to forget about them, not to forget about their families.
But there are a lot of people out there who are desperate. There’s a lot of desperation out there. Today I want them, and people like them across this country, to know that I have not forgotten them. We have not forgotten them. They are why we’re here today — to start delivering the change they demanded at the polls in November; that they have continued to demand since the election. And if we’re successful, if we can pass comprehensive reform, these folks will see their costs come down, they’ll get the care they need, and we’ll help our businesses create jobs again so our economy can grow.
So it’s not going to be easy. And there are going to be false starts and setbacks and mistakes along the way. But I’m confident if we come together and work together, we will finally achieve what generations of Americans have fought for and fulfill the promise of health care in our time. And what a remarkable achievement that would be — something that Democrats and Republicans, business and labor, consumer groups and providers, all of us could share extraordinary pride in finally dealing with something that has been vexing us for so long.
(Source: White House)