President Barack Obama calls it a great privilege to honor former Senator Edward William Brooke with the Congressional Gold Medal. (0:17)

 

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Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and fellow Republicans argued on Wednesday against cuts in benefits for Medicare and Medicare Advantage recipients.

“Poll after Poll shows that America’s seniors are the group that has the greatest concerns about government takeover of health care, that’s because proposals cut Medicare benefits that seniors rely on,” said Boehner.

The Republican Leader used Wednesday’s press conference to promote the his party’s healthcare website, healthcare.gop.gov, where users can view “better solutions” to fix the nation’s health care system.

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who also attended the press conference, invoked words from President Barack Obama’s campaign.

Responding to then-Senator Obama’s pledge that Americans who like their health care plan would not be forced to give it up, Pence said, “ I guess he wasn’t talking about American senior citizens,” adding that “under recent legislation, $162 billion will be cut from the popular Medicare Advantage.”

By Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

President Barack Obama along with congressional leaders awarded former Senator Edward William Brooke with the Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday. Brooke was recognized for the years of work he did on civil rights issues, and for being the first popularly elected African-American senator in U.S. history.

“It is a great privilege to be here today as we confer the Congressional Gold Medal on a man who’s spent his life breaking barriers and bridging divides across this country,” said the President.

Brooke served in the Senate from 1967 until 1979. During this time, he became known as a leading advocate for affordable housing, and against discrimination in housing. A 25-year military veteran, Brooke also served as the Attorney General of Massachusetts prior to his career in Congress.

The ceremony also included a tribute to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, who lost his battle with cancer two short months ago. Kennedy served side by side with Brooke in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate delegation. Members of Kennedy’s family, including his wife Victoria, and son, current Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D), attended the ceremony.

In a speech delivered Wednesday morning, President Barack Obama addresses the need for small businesses to have the ability to access capital so that “they can lend to small businesses in their communities.” (0:29)

 

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President Barack Obama calls on Congress to increase Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to $5 million so that small franchises can grow. (0:23)

 

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President Barack Obama honors Alpha Troop 1st Squadron 11th Armored Calvary, the legendary “Black Horse Regimen,” by awarding it the Nation’s highest honor for a military unit, The Presidential Unit Citation. (0:43)

 

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President Barack Obama states that when America sends U.S. troops into harm’s way it must be a necessary situation, and when U.S. troops are sent they must be accompanied with the proper strategy and equipment. Obama also urged that Americans always treat U.S. troops with the utmost dignity and respect they deserve. (0:36)

 

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Governor Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) suggested to the newly awarded Nobel Peace Prize winner President Barack Obama to pay more attention to Latin America. Richardson says he wants to see the current administration establish better ties with Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. (0:29)

 

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Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Governor Bill Richardson (D-N.M.), today said that he was, “utterly and positively surprised that President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace prize.” Richardson’s remarks came during an event hosted by the New Democrat Network.

Richardson, who spent a week in Cuba talking to leaders from various Latin speaking nations, said that he would like to see “our new Nobel Peace Prize winning president…pay more attention to Latin America.”

Richardson, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination against Obama before dropping out in early 2008, called for a new alliance of progress with Latin American countries to focus on micro-lending, education, health care, new aid efforts and capitalization.

The Governor of New Mexico also commented on the recent selection of Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

“This is our hemisphere, where we have shared generations of culture, and brotherhood…somehow, we’re ignoring the fact that one of the most dynamic countries in the world, Brazil, just overwhelmed us with the Olympic site,” he said.

Richardson closed by asking to see more U.S. free trade agreements with Cuba. “We need to get rid of the travel ban… the embargo has not worked.”

President Barack Obama thanks the 150 docotors who came to the White House today to represent the medical community’s approval for heath care reform. He says that with the help of doctors and nurses “speaking out” in favor of heath reform he is confident it will get passed this year. (0:36)

 

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