President Barack Obama pitched his healthcare plans to the American people tonight, in a speech from the White House, in Washington. He stated healthcare overhaul is mandatory, to control spiraling costs that he does not want to negatively impact the national deficit.   

Obama says healthcare overhaul needed to curb deficits

Wed Jul 22, 2009 10:11pm EDT - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday a broad healthcare overhaul was critical to a U.S. economic recovery and urged Congress to take advantage of momentum behind the reform package, despite doubts about the plan even among fellow Democrats.

In a televised evening news conference, Obama said the biggest driving force behind the federal deficit was skyrocketing healthcare costs for the government's Medicare program of healthcare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor.

"If we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit," he said after another day when leaders in Congress struggled to find common ground on the cost and scope of a healthcare plan, Obama's top legislative priority.

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