Polis: "Public Option Is Gaining Momentum"

Press Release

Continuing his push to pass meaningful health care reform, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) today, urging the Senate to pass a public health insurance option through reconciliation. After a national surge of grassroots support from citizens across the country urging their Representatives to support the public option, 120 House members--including 6 Blue Dogs--signed on to the letter.

"This letter states loud and clear that the public option is gaining momentum and is alive and well in the eyes of the American public," said Polis. "Our job now is to convince Washington what the American people already know--that a public option is essential to challenging the insurance companies and ensuring the choice and competition we need to drive prices down."

In the letter, co-authored by fellow freshman Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Polis urges Sen. Reid to take up the widely-favored public option using reconciliation, a parliamentary process that is not subject to a filibuster and requires only 51 Senate votes for approval. Over 51 Senators have previously expressed support for the public option.

The letter cites a December poll showing that the public supports a public option by a 2:1 margin, as well as Congressional Budget Office (CBO) data showing how a public option would reduce the federal deficit by billions of dollars.

The letter states, "the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the public option will save taxpayers anywhere from $25 billion to $110 billion and will save billions more when private insurers compete to bring down premium costs. The stronger the public option, the more money it saves."

"As the President said in his State of the Union Address, this is not a time to give up or slow down on health care reform," said Polis. "The public option is one of the most popular things in the health care debate because it directly challenges the power of insurance companies and will keep costs low. Americans are hungry for change and looking to Congress to take charge of the situation. We have an incredible opportunity before us to pass meaningful health care reform and we must not wait."

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