This is about what reform would mean for all those men and women I’ve met over the last few years who’ve been brave enough to share their stories.  When we started our push for reform last year, I talked to a young mother in Wisconsin named Laura Klitzka.  She has two young children.  She thought she had beaten her breast cancer but then later discovered it had spread to her bones.  She and her husband were working and had insurance, but their medical bills still landed them in debt.  And now she spends time worrying about that debt when all she wants to do is spend time with her children and focus on getting well.

This should not happen in the United States of America.  And it doesn’t have to.  (Applause.)

In the end, that's what this debate is about.  It's about what kind of country we want to be.  It's about the millions of lives that would be touched and, in some cases, saved by making private health insurance more secure and more affordable.

So at stake（在危险中，紧要关头） right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem.  The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future.  They are waiting for us to act.  They are waiting for us to lead.  And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership.  I do not know how this plays politically, but I know it's right.  (Applause.)  And so I ask Congress to finish its work, and I look forward to signing this reform into law.

Thank you very much, everybody. Let's get it done.  (Applause.)

END
2:09 P.M. EST