THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

____________________________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                                                    August 11, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

IN HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM TOWN HALL

Portsmouth High School

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

1:05 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Portsmouth!  Thank you.  (Applause.) Thank you so much.  Everybody have a seat.  Oh, thank you so —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  Thank you.  (Laughter.)  It is great to be back in Portsmouth.  (Applause.)  It’s great to be back in New Hampshire.  I have to say, though, that most of my memories of this state are cold.  (Laughter.)  So it’s good to be here in August.

There are a couple of people that I want to acknowledge who are here today, some special guests.  First of all, I want to thank principal Jeffrey Collins, and the Portsmouth students and faculty and staff.  (Applause.)  Thank you — our host for today. Your own outstanding governor, John Lynch is here.  (Applause.)  And his wonderful wife, Dr. Susan Lynch is here, the First Lady of New Hampshire.  (Applause.)  Your United States senator, doing a great job, Jeanne Shaheen is here.  (Applause.)  The governor of the great state of Maine, and we are glad he’s here in New Hampshire today, John Baldacci is here.  (Applause.)

Two of my favorite people, they are just taking Congress by storm, outstanding work — Paul Hodes, Carol Shea-Porter — give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  And we’ve got your own mayor, Tom Ferrini is here.  Where’s Tom?  There he is.  (Applause.)

Now, I want to thank more than anybody, Lori, for that introduction, and for sharing her story with the rest of us.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Lori.  Lori’s story is the same kind of story that I’ve read in letters, that I’ve heard in town hall meetings just like this one for the past five years.  In fact, some of you were in that town hall — those town hall meetings, as I was traveling all throughout New Hampshire.  It’s the story of hardworking Americans who are held hostage by health insurance companies that deny them coverage, or drop their coverage, or charge fees that they can’t afford for care that they desperately need.

I believe it is wrong.  It is bankrupting families and businesses, and that’s why we are going to pass health insurance reform in 2009.  (Applause.)

Now, this is obviously a tough time for families here in New Hampshire and all across America.  Six months ago, […]