spk1 0.022 6.412 A year ago, when I took office in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, I promised you two things. spk1 6.412 9.125 The first was that there would be better days ahead. spk1 9.125 13.743 And the second was that the road to recovery would be long, and sometimes bumpy. spk1 13.743 16.173 That was brought home again yesterday. spk1 16.173 22.147 We learned that in November, our economy saw its first month of job gains in nearly two years - spk1 22.147 24.861 but last month, we lost more than we gained. spk1 24.861 33.893 Now, we know that no single month makes a trend, and job losses for the final quarter of 2009 were one-tenth what they were in the first quarter. spk1 33.893 42.196 But until we see a trend of good, sustainable job creation, we will be relentless in our efforts to put America back to work. spk1 42.196 47.543 That task goes even deeper than replacing the seven million jobs that have been lost over the past two years. spk1 47.543 52.606 spk1 52.606 63.14 We need to rebuild our economy in such a way that our families can feel a measure of security again. Too many of the folks I've talked with this year, and whose stories I read in letters at night, tell me that they've known their own private recessions since long before economists declared one - spk1 63.14 67.188 and they'll still feel the recession long after economists have declared it over. spk1 67.188 73.613 That's because, for decades, Washington avoided doing what was right in favor of doing what was easy. spk1 73.613 79.228 And the result was an economy where some made out well, but the middle class too often took a beating. spk1 79.228 86.951 Over the past decade, the income of the average household actually declined, and we lost as many jobs as we created. spk1 86.951 95.018 Hardworking folks who did everything right suddenly found themselves forced to downscale their dreams because of economic factors beyond their control. spk1 95.018 96.761 We're talking about simple dreams. spk1 96.761 98.078 American dreams. spk1 98.078 100.105 A good job with a good wage. spk1 100.105 102.313 A secure and dignified retirement. spk1 102.313 105.799 Stable health care so you don't go broke just because you get sick. spk1 105.799 109.326 The chance to give our kids a better shot than we got. spk1 109.326 116.866 That's why, as we begin to emerge from this crisis, we will not return to the complacency that helped cause the crisis. spk1 116.866 125.926 Even as we focus on putting America back to work today, we're building a new foundation for our economy to create the good, lasting jobs and shared prosperity of tomorrow. spk1 125.926 134.664 We're making historic investments in science and in a clean energy economy that will generate and keep the jobs and industries of the future right here in America. spk1 134.664 143.421 We're reforming our education system, so that our kids are fully prepared to compete with workers anywhere in the world and win the race for the 21st century. spk1 143.421 153.313 We're fixing our broken health insurance system that's crushing families, eating away at workers' take-home pay, and nailing small businesses with double-digit premium increases. spk1 153.313 155.745 And that's what I'd like to focus on for a moment. spk1 155.745 172.468 After a long and thorough debate, we are on the verge of passing health insurance reform that will finally offer Americans the security of knowing they'll have quality, affordable health care whether they lose their job, change jobs, move, or get sick. spk1 172.468 176.42 The worst practices of the insurance industry will be forever banned. spk1 176.42 181.974 And costs will finally come down for families, businesses, and our government. spk1 181.974 186.697 Now, it'll take a few years to fully implement these reforms in a responsible way. spk1 186.697 197.217 But what every American should know is that once I sign health insurance reform into law, there are dozens of protections and benefits that will take effect this year. spk1 197.217 203.764 Uninsured Americans with a pre-existing illness or condition will finally be able to purchase coverage they can afford. spk1 203.764 213.959 Children with pre-existing conditions will no longer be refused coverage, and young adults will be able to stay on their parents' policy until they're 26 or 27 years old. spk1 213.959 220.994 Small business owners who can't afford to cover their employees will be immediately offered tax credits to purchase coverage. spk1 220.994 227.948 Early retirees who receive coverage from their employers will see their coverage protected and their premiums go down. spk1 227.948 238.124 Seniors who fall into the coverage gap known as the donut hole will receive discounts of up to 50 percent on their prescriptions as we begin to close that gap altogether. spk1 238.124 244.003 And every patient's choice of doctor will be protected, along with access to emergency care. spk1 244.003 246.253 Here's what else will happen within the first year. spk1 246.253 250.935 Insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care to their customers - spk1 250.935 255.597 so that we can start catching preventable illnesses and diseases on the front end. spk1 255.597 263.259 They'll no longer be allowed to impose restrictive annual limits on the amount of coverage you receive or lifetime limits on the amount of benefits you receive. spk1 263.259 267.333 They'll be prohibited from dropping your coverage when you get sick and need it most. spk1 267.333 275.522 And there will be a new, independent appeals process for anyone who feels they were unfairly denied a claim by their insurance company. spk1 275.522 286.933 In short, once I sign health insurance reform into law, doctors and patients will have more control over their health care decisions, and insurance company bureaucrats will have less. spk1 286.933 295.182 All told, these changes represent the most sweeping reforms and toughest restrictions on insurance companies that this country has ever known. spk1 295.182 300.999 That's how we'll make 2010 a healthier and more secure year for every American - spk1 300.999 304.363 for those who have health insurance, and those who don't. spk1 304.363 310.24 We enter a new decade, now, with new perils - \but we're going to meet them. spk1 310.24 313.888 It's also a time of tremendous promise - and we're going to seize it. spk1 313.888 320.841 We will rebuild the American Dream for our middle class and put the American economy on a stronger footing for the future. spk1 320.841 329.8 And this year, I am as hopeful and as confident as ever that we're going to rise to this moment the same way that generations of Americans always have: spk1 329.8 332.333 as one nation, and one people. spk1 332.333 333.853 Thanks for listening.