Obama makes fresh push for healthcare reform

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama made his fresh push for a sweeping healthcare overhaul bill on Wednesday, saying the renewed proposal "incorporates the best ideas" from both parties, while calling for a "up-or-down" vote.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks about moving forward into the final stage of the health insurance reform debate at the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, March 3, 2010. Obama urged on Wednesday the Congress to move swiftly toward votes on the legislation. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)

Bracing Republican ideas

The latest proposal reflected "an approach that has been debated and changed and I believe improved over the last year," Obama said in a speech at the White House on Wednesday when putting forward a renewed proposal for healthcare overhaul.

"It incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans - - including some of the ideas that Republicans offered during the health care summit."

The Obama administration has changed its approach for healthcare reform after Democrats lost their Senate supermajority in a Massachusetts special election, in which Democrats were deprived of the 60th vote needed to stop a filibuster.

To gain Republicans' support, the president unveiled a 10-year, 950-billion-dollar proposal before the highlighted bipartisan summit last week, claiming to have braced Republican suggestions.

In a letter addressed to Congressional leaders on Tuesday, Obama again reached out to Republicans by identifying four specific areas he'd like to seek agreement with Republicans, including establishing "health courts" to resolve medical malpractice claims and encouraging the use of Health Savings Accounts that get favorable tax treatment.

However, these efforts gained no plaudits from Republicans, who insist on a start-from-scratch approach.