“I am very concerned that it has become necessary for federal law enforcement officials to look into actions directed possibly at Members of Congress and their families following the historic vote on health insurance reform. I understand that law enforcement officials are taking these actions seriously. In all, at least ten Members have related concerns about threats made since last weekend.

“This is especially troubling given racial and other slurs that Members were subjected to over the weekend by protesters on Capitol Hill.

“No policy dispute justifies violence and intimidation. It is time for Republicans to do more than express concern about the actions of some of their supporters.

“Republican leaders are themselves engaging in actions and rhetoric that previously would have been limited to fringe elements of the Republican Party. Sarah Palin has invoked health care ‘death panels’ and has now placed gun sights on 20 Members of Congress who supported reform. House Minority Leader John Boehner used overheated language and tone of the floor of Congress to denounce the health insurance reform vote. Off the floor, he said that passing health reform was ‘Armageddon’ for America and that a Democratic Congressman in an adjoining Congressional District would be a ‘dead man’ for voting for reform. A Texas Congressman yelled “Baby Killer” on the House floor while a Democratic Member was speaking.

“The Republican National Committee has followed up its infamous fundraising presentation with a new fundraising appeal that shows the Speaker of the House aflame online. The RNC’s Chairman has said that the Speaker should be put before a firing squad and vehemently defended Rep. Boehner’s characterization of the passage of health insurance reform as ‘Armageddon.’

“It is no coincidence that we now have reports that Democratic Congressional offices have been vandalized, Democratic Members of Congress have received threats and been subject to racial epithets and homophobic slurs, and a gas line was cut at what was thought to be the home of a Democratic Member of Congress after the address was posted online and tea partiers were encouraged to intimidate the Congressman.

“These now cannot be brushed off as isolated incidents.

“It is no longer enough for Republicans to characterize threats and incidents of vandalism as isolated. It is no longer enough for Republicans to blame these events on outsiders.

“Republican leaders must disassociate themselves from this deplorable behavior, they must condemn these acts decisively and, most importantly, they must tone down their own tactics and rhetoric to set a better example for their supporters and the country. I call on them to do so.

The President quoted Abraham Lincoln in his closing argument:

We are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true. We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine.

We have been debating health care for decades.

It now has been debated for a year.

It is in your hands.

It is time to pass health care reform for America, and I am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow.

Thank you very much, House of Representatives. Let's get this done.

Although it's Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill.

In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.

There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they'll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.

If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.

In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can't be revoked at a moment's notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control.

When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you're making -- a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.

There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law -- a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House -- and I'm counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

President Barack Obama

P.S. -- Supporters of reform are signing a note of appreciation to all the senators who have worked so hard to make this possible. I hope you'll join them.

"Years from now, when historians look back on 2009, they will recall a Christmas Eve vote in the Senate that took us one giant step closer to finally delivering health reform to the American people.

"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is landmark legislation. It is the most significant piece of domestic policy since Social Security, the single largest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare and the largest deficit reduction package in more than a decade.

"This bill will help more than 30 million Americans access quality affordable insurance. It will outlaw the insurance industry's worst practices, prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition or retroactively canceling coverage when someone gets sick. It will lower premiums for individuals, families and businesses. And it will actually reduce our deficit by more than $130 billion over the next 10 years.

"This bill accomplishes the goals President Obama articulated at the beginning of this debate: more stable and secure coverage for the insured, more quality affordable choices for the uninsured, and reducing the skyrocketing costs of care for everyone, including our government.

"For Senate Democrats - who stand united in the belief that health care is a right not a privilege - this bill represents hard fought common ground. Thanks to President Obama's extraordinary leadership and the legislative acumen of Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV), Committee Chairmen Max Baucus (MT), Chris Dodd (CT), Tom Harkin (IA) and the inspiration of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, Democrats are now closer than ever to achieving what no president in the past 100 years has been able to do. While there is still more work to do in the weeks ahead, comprehensive health reform is finally within our grasp.

"This victory for the American people comes despite the incessant and virulent obstructionism of Senate Republicans. Not one voted in a favor of reform - a crippling commentary on their failure to fulfill the responsibilities of leadership. As we move forward, the onus is on the GOP to explain why they sided with their insurance industry friends instead of American families - why they turned their backs on workers and small businesses who are struggling to stay afloat under the status quo.

"Democrats will continue to move forward; we will continue to make progress; and as the New Year dawns, President Obama and Congressional Democrats will deliver the critical changes to our health care system that have been nearly a century in the making."

Governor Kaine was fielding questions from callers, when “Barry from DC” called in. Surprise! Barry was actually President Barack Obama – calling in to thank the Governor for his service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and wish him happy holidays.

Here’s an excerpt from the round up in the Washington Post:

Obama started his call by telling Kaine that he had some questions about traffic in Northern Virginia. Both men laughed, and then Obama went on to say, "Rather than go there, I just want to say how proud we are of your service as governor as the Commonwealth of Virginia and just you and the family all the best this Christmas season, after a just terrific round of service for the people of Virginia." "Well, Mr President, that means a lot," Kaine told Obama. "As I think back about my four years as governor, I still think my happiest day as governor was in November of 2008 and the great work we did together across the nation and in Virginia was spectacular and I'm excited to continue to be in service, as they say."