Obama Speaks to the American Nurses Association

President Barack Obama spoke to the the American Nurses Association about health care reform. The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 will provide grants for nursing training.

Obama stressed the urgency for health care reform.

This is a problem we can no longer wait to fix. Deferring reform is nothing more than defending the status quo - and those who would oppose our efforts should take a hard look at just what it is they're defending. Over the last decade, health insurance premiums have risen three times faster than wages. Deductibles and out-of-pocket costs are skyrocketing. And every single day we wait to act, thousands of Americans lose their insurance, some turning to nurses in the emergency room as their only recourse.

So make no mistake: The status quo on health care is not an option for the United States of America. It is threatening the financial stability of our families, our businesses, and government itself. It is unsustainable.

Video of Obama and the American Nurses Association in the Rose Garden.