Pledge to support a "public option" for health care

Those of us who have insurance are seeing our premiums go up at twice the rate of wages, higher and higher deductibles, and shocking tactics by insurers to avoid paying claims. More and more employers are dropping insurance altogether because they just can't afford it any longer, adding to the ranks of nearly 50 million Americans who have no insurance.

That's why polls show the vast majority of Americans support healthcare reform that includes a "public option" - public health insurance that would compete fairly with private insurance companies and offer consumers greater choice, expand coverage to more Americans, and ultimately lower healthcare costs.

Congress and the President are seriously focused on healthcare reform for the first time in over fifteen years. We pledge our support for a robust public option for health insurance coverage.