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The Numbers - A majority in the House |
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Over the last week, two important constituencies in the House and Senate have come out forcefully in favor of a public health insurance option.
Yesterday, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio sent a letter to Senators Baucus and Kennedy, the chairmen of the two Senate committees overseeing health reform, expressing his support for the public health insurance option. It was signed by 15 other Senators:
As members of key committees and leaders on health care issues, we write to support a public plan option as a core component of this reform. There is no reason to believe that private insurers alone will meet the public purpose of ensuring coverage for all Americans at affordable prices for taxpayers.
The day before, members of the Progressive Caucus (CPC), the Black Caucus (CBC), the Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) in the House, 117 Members in all, sent a similar letter to President Obama and House and Senate leadership:
…our support for enacting legislation this year to guarantee affordable health care for all firmly hinges on the inclusion of a robust public health insurance plan like Medicare.
If you add in those Members of Congress who support Health Care for America Now (and take out the duplicates), we have 26 Senators and 235 Representatives.
That means, a majority of the House of Representatives supports a public health insurance option!
(also posted at the NOW! blog)
