Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) released a statement upon the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Senate health care reform bill. Here’s the full text:
“After decades of dashed hopes and a year of very contentious debate, Congress has produced a bill that will deliver meaningful health care reform to Americans of all ages and all walks of life. Through tough negotiations, we struck an appropriate balance between private and public approaches to reduce cost, expand coverage and increase choice for Louisiana families and small businesses. And we have done so without a government takeover of health care.
“For too long, small businesses have struggled with skyrocketing premiums and the tough choice between providing health insurance for their employees or cutting jobs. Those days are over with the passage of this bill. Families who have had a child denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition or who have lost their insurance because they changed jobs will now have access to insurance they can count on. And by shoring up the Medicare trust fund and eliminating the program’s waste and fraud, our seniors will have the care they need for years to come.
“It is now time to move this effort across the finish line. I look forward to the Senate’s up-or-down vote this week to approve the House’s target improvements to this historic legislation.”
