News Archives
December 24, 2009
Senate Passes Health Bill by a Vote of 60 to 39
We respect the U.S. Senate’s diligence and recognize the significance of its passing the first comprehensive health care reform bill in over 40 years. However, for this health care bill to be worthy of the support of working men and women, substantial changes must still be made.
Without the public option, the Senate bill will not check costs in the short term. Additionally, the Senate bill does not ensure that employers pay their fair share and it is not financed fairly, given the inclusion of a tax on workers’ hard-earned and negotiated benefits. The House bill is the right model for reform since it will lower health care costs more quickly, cover more people, and does not place a tax on the middle class to fund reform.
We look forward to working with our two Senators, who strongly support achieving the best possible bill for working families, as well as the rest of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation as the House and Senate bills are merged. We must insist that the right version of reform is the one that makes it to President Obama’s desk.