Bingaman & Udall Introduce Resolution Requiring Public Health Care Choice

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today joined 26 of their colleagues in introducing a resolution that would require a public health insurance option in any piece of health care reform legislation. The resolution would help ensure a choice of affordable health plans for Americans who are unemployed, or who live in rural and other traditionally underserved areas.

"President Obama has made health care reform a top priority for the country. Our goal now is to provide meaningful and affordable coverage to all Americans, including the more than 45 million among us who lack health insurance. I think a federally-backed health care option is an important part of the solution," said Bingaman, who as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee will play a key role in writing health care reform legislation.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care," said Udall. "Providing a public option will give Americans another choice for care and make the health insurance more competitive, benefiting patients and driving down the cost of care."

The resolution was sponsored by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Carl Levin (D-MI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ted Kaufman (D-DE), Roland W. Burris (D-IL), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD).