"We've been talking about this for a century," Obama said. ". . . If not now, when? If not us, who? I don't know how health-care reform will play politically, but I know it's the right thing to do."
Obama slammed Republicans for their opposition to the Democrats' proposals, saying they had failed to act when they controlled Congress.
"I got all my Republican colleagues out there saying, 'Well, no, no, no, we want to focus on things like cost,' " the president said. "You had 10 years. What happened? What were you doing?"
He said insurers should no longer be able to deny coverage for preexisting conditions, drop coverage when a policyholder gets sick, or jack up premiums. "We allow the insurance industry to run wild in this country," Obama said.
The health-care package stalled in Congress after Democrats lost their 60th seat in the Senate in a Massachusetts special election, and amid growing concern about the potential $1 trillion cost. Opponents say the legislation would amount to a government takeover.
Underscoring the passions aroused by the issue, about 200 conservative activists from the tea-party movement protested outside the Arcadia gym, while a smaller group of proponents competed with them in chanting and waving signs.
Obama's brief campaign-style trip came at the beginning of a pivotal week, as Democratic leaders ready the legislation for a final vote. The Congressional Budget Office is expected to release a fiscal analysis of the bill later this week, and Obama is scheduled to travel tomorrow to Missouri, an electorally important swing state like Pennsylvania.
