Sens. Murray, Cantwell explain first vote on health reform

“The successful vote tonight took our country one step closer to finally reforming our broken health care system and at long last helping millions of families and small business owners get the coverage they need at a price they can afford.

"As we begin debating this bill on the floor of the Senate, I continue to call on my colleagues across the aisle to rise above partisanship and work with us to provide families across the country with stable, affordable health insurance coverage.

"Our health reform bill will lower costs for families and small business owners. It will ensure that no one will be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition or go bankrupt if they get sick. And it finally makes insurers compete for the business of the American people.

"For months, as I have worked on this bill, I have fought to ensure that the needs and priorities of Washington state’s families and businesses are preserved. I will continue to tell the stories of Washington state businesses and families as we work to pass a bill that makes our nation and economy healthier and stronger."

The health care reform bill is fully paid for, meeting President Obama’s directive that it add “not one dime” to the federal deficit. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Senate bill will reduce the federal budget deficit by $127 billion in the first ten years and cover 94 percent of the uninsured.

"This vote represents a major step toward a goal that has eluded us for generations: a significant reform of our nation’s health care system," said Cantwell. "Despite partisan differences, a remarkably strong consensus has formed over our basic aims: maintaining quality, reining in out-of-control costs, and covering the uninsured. During debate, I intend to work with my colleagues to preserve the many strong measures in the bill and to strengthen provisions that will further drive down costs for families and businesses."

Today, Senator Cantwell spoke on the Senate floor about two provisions included in the bill during debate in the Senate Finance Committee. Cantwell, a member of the Finance Committee, discussed the need to transform the Medicare reimbursement system so that it rewards quality rather than quantity in the health care system. She also described her Basic Health Plan, modeled after Washington state’s Basic Health, which gives states the power to negotiate with private insurance for lower premiums to cover the uninsured. The speech can be accessed here at http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/ID/215784&start=9837&end=10767