Breakdown of Obama's speech

POINTS FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CONGRESSIONAL SPEECH

The president specified that health insurance companies will be required to cover routine checkups such as mammograms and be restricted from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Obama is looking to create a public insurance option that will be funded by premiums and other cost-cutting techniques, not by the federal government. He said statistics show that less than 5 percent of all Americans will choose the public option.

Obama will not sign a bill that adds money to the deficit. The plan will cost $9 billion over 10 years and includes a provision requiring the government to cut spending if the health care program increases the deficit.

NYU's TAKE ON THE SPEECH

"Obama did what he needed to do. It's pretty much in the hands of Congress now. The fate of health care depends on Congress' action or inaction." -- Rogan Kersh, associate professor of public service and associate dean for academic affairs at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

"One of his mistakes was to let Congress take the reigns of reform. He was able to reframe the debate and try to rebrand a lot of these proposals in a different manner." -- David Laska, president of NYU College Republicans

"What was least convincing about the speech was the part on cost control. This bill will set the foundation, but it will not bring the cost of health care down." -- Rogan Kersh

OBAMA'S QUOTES FROM THE SPEECH

"Under this plan it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition."

"I have no interest of putting insurance companies out of business. … I just want to hold them accountable."

"I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last."

"Our health care problem is our deficit problem. Nothing else even comes close — nothing else."