30 Washington Legislators Sign Letter Supporting Obama's "Public Option" Plan

700 State Lawmakers Nationally Add Signatures -- Text of Letter

OLYMPIA, June 17.--Thirty Washington state legislators offered their support Wednesday for President Obama's approach to health care reform, in the form of a letter delivered to congressional leaders and the White House. They were among 700 state lawmakers nationwide who joined in the effort, coordinated by the Progressive States Network.
          Karen Keiser, D-Kent, chairwoman of the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee, delivered the state's signatures at a news conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Among the signers was House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle.

          The text of the letter and a list of Washington-state signers follows:


LETTER FROM 700 STATE LEGISLATORS TO WHITE HOUSE, CONGRESS:

WE NEED A PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION

June 17, 2009

Dear President Barack Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Members of the 111th US Congress:

          As leaders in state legislatures across the country, we urgently call on President Obama and the U.S. Congress to take up and pass comprehensive health care reform in 2009.

         The serious problems with health care in America ‚ ever-rising costs, limited access, inconsistent quality, and waste and inefficiency‚ converge in the states. The effects of these problems stress state budgets, exhaust family resources, result in lost worker productivity, stifle entrepreneurial spirit, and literally cause tens of thousands of deaths each year.

Our disjointed health care system has formed a choke-hold on our economy, limiting job growth and economic development. We cannot fix the economy without fixing health care.

         Over the past decade, state legislatures have debated and implemented a myriad of reforms to bring affordability, quality and fairness to health care in America ‚ designing solutions that reflect each state‚ unique economic, social, and geographic features. States play a vital role in the health care for hundreds of millions of Americans, by administering and helping to fund public programs like Medicaid and SCHIP, enacting innovations to expand access to public and private coverage, and serving as watchdogs of health insurance companies and other players.

         Yet, states cannot achieve guaranteed affordable health care for all without the investment, leadership and partnership of the federal government. Successful reform requires robust federal-state collaboration.

Key priorities for reform are reflected in recent state initiatives and public opinion polls which show that Americans want more choices and options for quality health care. Americans recognize that the private sector alone has proven incapable of creating a high-quality, fair, and accountable health care system that works for all families. Therefore, a key priority for reform is the choice of a public health insurance plan that is available to businesses, individuals, and families. Another key priority is strengthening and expanding the Medicaid program with the help of enhanced federal support so that it can serve all low-income Americans. Related priorities include: guaranteeing affordability for individuals and businesses; preserving consumer choice of doctors; eliminating racial, ethnic, gender, and rural health disparities; ensuring shared responsibility among employers, individuals and government in financing health care; and, cost containment strategies that eliminate waste and inefficiency and improve quality, especially for people with chronic illnesses.

Failure to pass national comprehensive health reform now will further jeopardize state and local budgets, undermining public services like education, public safety, and transportation infrastructure.The recently passed economic recovery package includes a number of positive health care measures, but these do not remove states from the critical list. Achieving a high-performing, affordable and quality health care system for all US residents is central to a sustainable economic recovery and to the health and financial security of all families, businesses, and governments.

         We, the undersigned, call on President Obama and the Congress to enact bold and comprehensive health care reform this year‚ based on these principles and a strong federal-state collaboration‚ and pledge our support as state legislators and allies in pursuit of guaranteed, high quality, affordable health care for all.

This letter was developed by the Progressive States Network  in consultation with national health care reform advocates, including the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Community Catalyst, Families USA, Herndon Alliance, National Women's Law Center, Northeast Action, SEIU, and Universal Health Care Action Network.

A full list of the 700+  signers nation-wide can be found at: http://progressivestates.org/statefedhealth/letter

WASHINGTON STATE SIGNERS:

Rep. Maralyn Chase (WA), Vice Chair, Environmental Health Committee
Rep. Frank Chopp (WA), Speaker of the House
Rep. Judy Clibborn (WA), Member, Health Care and Wellness Committee
Rep. Eileen Cody (WA), Chair, Health Care and Wellness Committee
Rep. Steve Conway (WA)
Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (WA), Chair, Human Services Committee; Member, Environmental Health Committee
Rep. Hans Dunshee (WA)
Sen. Rosa Franklin (WA), Vice Chair, Health and Long-Term Care Committee; Member, Health Disparities Committee; President Pro Tempore
Sen. Karen Fraser (WA)
Rep. Roger Goodman (WA)
Rep. Bob Hasegawa (WA)
Rep. Sam Hunt (WA), Majority Floor Leader
Sen. Fred Jarrett (WA)
Sen. Karen Keiser (WA), Chair, Health and Long-Term Care Committee
Sen. Adam Kline (WA)
Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (WA)
Rep. Marko Liias (WA)
Sen. Chris Marr (WA), Member Health & Long-Term Care Committee; Member, Comprehensive School Health Reform
Rep. Marcie Maxwell (WA)
Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe (WA)
Sen. Joe McDermott (WA)
Rep. Dawn Morrell (WA), Member, Health Care and Wellness Committee
Sen. Ed Murray (WA), Majority Caucus Chair
Rep. Timm Ormsby (WA)
Rep. Jamie Pedersen (WA), Member, Health Care and Wellness Committee
Sen. Debbie Regala (WA)
Rep. Christine Rolfes (WA), Member, Environmental Health Committee
Rep. Mary Helen Roberts (WA)
Rep. Mike Sells (WA)
Sen. Paull Shin (WA), Vice President Pro Tempore
Rep. Dean Takko (WA)
Rep. Scott White (WA), Assistant Majority Whip
Rep. Brendan Williams (WA), Majority External Relations Leader