[THS] Pelosi: No public option, no bill

[Peter Webster]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=821BEEC6-18FE-70B2-A849ED984B9BDC61

Pelosi: No public option, no bill
By: Alex Isenstadt
September 3, 2009 06:53 PM EST

As the White House signals that it is willing to move forward on a health reform plan
without a public option, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sent a strong message
Thursday evening: not so fast.

In her strongest statement yet, Pelosi said that any bill "without a strong public
option will not pass the House":

“Any real change requires the inclusion of a strong public option to promote
competition and bring down costs,” Pelosi said. “If a vigorous public option is not
included, it would be a major victory for the health insurance industry.”

Pelosi’s remarks come less than one week before President Barack Obama delivers an
address to a joint session of Congress as part of a re-launched campaign effort to sell
his health care reform bill to both lawmakers and the public. White House aides have
said the president will use the speech to offer more detail than he has so far about
what sort of bill he'd like to reach his desk.

“President Obama has said that a public option will keep the insurance companies
honest. If someone has a better idea for promoting competition and reducing health
care costs, they should put it on the table,” Pelosi said. “But for the past month,
opponents of health insurance reform have demonstrated that they are afraid of the
facts. They have only offered distortions, distractions and misrepresentations to try to
kill this historic legislation.”

“A bill without a strong public option will not pass the House,” Pelosi said.
“Eliminating the public option would be a major victory for the insurance companies
who have rationed care, increased premiums and denied coverage.”

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