The Obama Administration: July 18-31, 2009

This article is the thirteenth in a continuing series chronicling the unfolding history of the Obama Administration. The writer's opinions are not offered, leaving the readers to arrive at their own conclusions.

“Just the other day, one Republican senator said, and�I'm quoting him now, ‘If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him'."Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, July 20, 2009

Day177/July18th/Saturday: In his weekly address, the President urged the House and the Senate to seize the opportunity and vote for healthcare reform that gives the American people the best care at the lowest cost, reins in insurance companies, strengthens businesses and, finally, gives families the choices and the security they need.� Transcript Video

The President spoke by telephone with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to congratulate Yudhoyono on his re-election, to expressed support for and solidarity with his government and the people of Indonesia in the wake of yesterday's terrorist attacks in Jakarta and offered U.S. government support for the ongoing Indonesian investigation.

Day178/July19th/Sunday: the chronicler presumes the President relaxed this day

Day179/July20th/Monday: the President met with a handful of outside health care experts at the White House who included Harvard economist David Cutler, Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf, Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Jonathan Gruber and former Clinton budget director Alice Rivlin.

The President attended a roundtable with healthcare providers at Children's Hospital in Washington. Among his remarks, the President said: “Just a quick statistic I heard about this hospital: Just a few years ago, there were approximately 50,000 people coming into the emergency room. Now they've got 85,000. There's been almost a doubling of emergency room care in a relatively short span of time, which is putting enormous strains on the system as a whole. That's the status quo, and it's only going to get worse.”� Transcript� Video

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The President met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Church of Latter Day Saints President Thomas S. Monson and other LDS leaders. The President issued a statement after the meeting: "I enjoyed my meeting with President Monson and Elder Oaks.� I'm grateful for the genealogical records that they brought with them and am looking forward to reading through the materials with my daughters.� It's something our family will treasure for years to come."

The President met with Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. to commemorate the 40^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 first-men-on-the-moon mission. Among his remarks, the President said to the three retired astronauts: “"as a consequence of the extraordinary work of NASA generally, that you inspired an entire generation of scientists and engineers that ended up really sparking the innovation, the drive, the entrepreneurship, the creativity back here on Earth.”� Transcript Video

The President participated in a credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors. A list of the foreign ambassadors who participated in the credentialing ceremony at the White House can be found here.

The President sent these nominations to the United States Senate:

Daniel R. Elliott, III, of Ohio, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board for a term expiring December 31, 2013

Lee Andrew Feinstein, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Poland.

John R. Fernandez, of Indiana, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

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