"There are four fundamental reasons why we support this approach," Bennet said in the letter, "... its potential for billions of dollars in cost savings; the growing need to increase competition and lower costs for the consumer; the history of using reconciliation for significant pieces of health care legislation; and the continued public support for a public option."

Senator Bennet also recommended using the procedure known as reconciliation to enact health care reform measures. "There is substantial senate precedent for using reconciliation to enact important health care policies. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare Advantage, and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), which actually contains the term 'reconciliation' in its title, were all enacted under reconciliation."


Bennet concluded by stating that a majority of Americans were in favor of a public option.

The latest New York Times poll on this issue, in December, shows that despite the attacks of recent months Americans support the public option 59% to 29%. Support includes 80% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, and 33% of Republicans."

Read the details:

Speaker Pelosi's remarks: http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=1553

Senator Durbin's remarks: http://durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=322427

Senator Leahy's remarks: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/press_releases/release/?id=4f787628-c28d-4f7d-9843-6724a93414f8

Representative Boehner's remarks: http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=171584

Senator McConnell's remarks: http://mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=4d97aed7-bde2-45fe-8fa5-b0dd3aa33ff9&ContentType_id=c19bc7a5-2bb9-4a73-b2ab-3c1b5191a72b&Group_id=0fd6ddca-6a05-4b26-8710-a0b7b59a8f1f

Press Secretary Gibbs' remarks: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/briefing-white-house-press-secretary-robert-gibbs-22210

And http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/briefing-white-house-press-secretary-robert-gibbs-22310

Senator Bennet's letter: http://bennet.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=4cffb0f5-2865-45ab-80d2-54d7a2094bb4



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