Shaking off a summer of setbacks, President Barack Obama summoned Congress to enact sweeping health care legislation Wednesday night, declaring the "time for bickering is over" and the moment has arrived to protect millions who have unreliable insurance or no coverage at all.

The White House has released a letter written by Ted Kennedy shortly before his death on August 25 to Barack Obama in which he praised the president for his commitment to health care reform.

Shaking off a summer of setbacks, President Barack Obama summoned Congress to enact sweeping health care legislation.

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama used only-in-Washington accounting Wednesday when he promised to overhaul the nations health care system without adding one dime to the deficit. By conventional arithmetic, Democratic plans would raise the deficit by billions of dollars.

Some Northern Nevada students gave President Barack Obama high marks for his nationally televised address about their responsibility in the educational process with their teachers, parents and administrators.

Barack Obama has delivered his highstakes health care speech to Congress. Here is the full text of the speech:

Barack Obama faced a raucous and divided Congress as he attempted to put his presidency back on course with a fighting speech pledging to extend health care to all Americans.

President Barack Obama has condemned the "collective failure" of Americans to provide health care coverage for all presenting reform as a moral imperative while lambasting opponents for "scare tactics".

Barack Obama tried to put his presidency back on course last night with a rare fighting speech to Congress rounding on his Republican critics and promising he would not be deflected from his ambitious plan to extend healthcare to all Americans.