Comeast Corporation
@omcast®
One Com east Center
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838
December 3, 2009
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Congratulations on today 's Summit on Jobs and Economic Growth. I believe that hosting a
thoughtful and vibrant discussion with the Vice President, members of your Cabinet, business
leaders, scholars, and other public officials about the persistent economic challenges confronting
America and the path we must forge to foster job creation, investment, and innovation is a really
important initiative.
Because of our announcement today that we have formed a joint venture with General Electric
consisting ofNBCU's businesses and Comcast' s cable networks, I am unable to attend the
Summit. I very much appreciate the outreach to the business community, and want to express one
of the thoughts I intended to make at the Summit -- that enactment of comprehensive health care
reform legislation is, in my judgment, critical to putting this country on a path ofsustained growth
and prosperity.
As the nation' s largest cable and broadband company with over 100,000 employees in 36 states
and the District of Columbia, we are proud to offer health insurance to all Comcast employees.
But sadly, there are millions ofAmericans who simply cannot afford to get sick, as health coverage
gets increasingly difficult to secure and the resultant demands placed on federal and state budgets
are enormous. This cycle is not sustainable.
While there has been much controversy and debate over hundreds of provisions and alternatives, it
is my view that the current legislation pending in the Senate provides a workable framework for
this country to take an important step toward enhancing health care accessibility, promoting
operational efficiencies and technological innovation, and reducing the cost of health care and the
federal deficit. My support of meaningful health care reform is buttressed by the estimate by the
Congress