White House Aides: Obama To Be Forceful In Speech To Congress
CNN reports that White House aides say President Obama will make a strong case to Congress in his upcoming speech on health care. "He will be very forceful," said one senior Obama aide. "He will be making the case for action." Another aide said: "He will make a strong case Wednesday night on what health-care reform means to Americans."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will hold a discussion with 9th graders at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, at 10:45 a.m. ET, along with Sec. of Education Arne Duncan. He will deliver his back-to-school speech at 12 p.m. ET. At 2 p.m. ET, Obama and Vice President Biden will attend an investiture ceremony in honor of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Obama and Biden will meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi at 2:45 p.m. ET. Obama and Biden will meet with the Professional Golfers Association Champions of America, at 3:50 p.m. ET.

Insurance Companies Defend Rescissions
The Washington Post reports that the insurance industry is defending itself on the controversial practice of rescissions -- that is, of canceling policies and thus abruptly cutting off health coverage. "We do not rescind a policyholder's coverage because someone on the policy gets sick," said Peggy Hinz, a spokeswoman for Anthem Blue Cross. "We have put in place a thorough process with multiple steps to ensure that we are as fair and as accurate as we can be in making these difficult decisions."

Some Key Liberals Willing To Bargain On Trigger
Roll Call reports that some Congressional liberals may be wiling to compromise on the public option, through the "trigger" mechanism. "I don't want to give the impression that I'm so flexible that I'm willing to compromise away meaningful reform," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). "But there may be a variety of ways of getting there than the one I originally formulated in my mind."

Already, 23 House Dems Voting No On Health Care Bill
Meanwhile, The Hill counts 23 House Democrats who have already said definitively that they will not vote for the health care bill as it now stands -- mostly from the Blue Dog right, but some from the progressive left, as well. Assuming no Republicans vote for the bill, Democrats can only afford to lose a total of 38 members and still pass a bill.

Laura Bush Supports Obama's Back-To-School Speech
Former First Lady Laura Bush has broken with some other Republicans, speaking in favor of President Obama's back-to-school speech. "I think that there is a place for the President of the United States to talk to school children and encourage school children, and I think there are a lot of people that should do the same," Bush told CNN. "And that is encourage their own children to stay in school and to study hard and to try to achieve the dream that they have."

Congress Still Way Behind On Budget Bills
McClatchy points out that amidst the debates in Washington, Congress has still not passed a single major fiscal 2010 spending bill, with the fiscal year set to begin October 1. "This is indicative of a larger problem," said budget expert Susan Tanaka, referring to problems such as the deficit. "We need to recognize there are larger issues at stake."

LeMieux Talks About Policy With Crist
Sen.-designate George LeMieux (R-FL) told Roll Call that he keeps in touch on policy with Gov. Charlie Crist, the man who appointed him to hold the seat while Crist himself is running for it. "He and I talk a lot about policy issues, and I think that kind of relationship is very productive," said LeMieux. "Issues are often not federal issues, but state issues as well."