US President Barack Obama on Tuesday vowed to control the rising cost of health care during his address to a joint session of the Congress.

"This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes," he said.

"And it's one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of our budget," said Obama.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2009)