The president did not offer a specific way forward, but he did suggest that the plans that the White House had developed with Congressional leaders over the last year were the right way to go. And he told lawmakers to take another look at those plans once tempers have cooled.

"The approach we've taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry. It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market. It would require every insurance plan to cover preventive care…Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan. It would reduce costs and premiums for millions of families and businesses. And according to the Congressional Budget Office—the independent organization that both parties have cited as the official scorekeeper for Congress—our approach would bring down the deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades."

Towards the end of his speech, Obama directed Democrats not to "run for the hills" because they lost a seat in the Senate, and he urged Republicans to work with him on legislation.

Consumer Union’s president, Jim Guest, was at the address. "It’s important the President indicated his continuing commitment to fixing our broken health care system," said Guest afterwards. "Hopefully, the speech can help shift the debate away from the political posturing and focus on what’s really important—the problems Americans have getting affordable, reliable health care. If we walk away from this problem, it’s only going to get worse."

—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor