Without a public option health-care reform will be a joke - on us

I have just sent the following message to Sens. Gillibrand and Schumer and Rep. Nadler. Hopefully you can communicate something along these lines to your senators and representative. It is truly essential for us to put pressure on Congress to put pressure on the administration to preserve, at least, the public option. Without it health-care reform would simply be a joke - on us. For more information on this contact Campaign for America's Future

The Obama administration has indicated that it might be willing to accept a health-care reform package without a public option. It might be just a trial balloon to assess the blowback from the President's constituency - people like me. But whatever their purpose in sending out messages about a public option, we need to make it very clear that the public option (already a fallback position from single payer) is non-negotiable. And we need your support, by communicating to the administration that it is non-negotiable to you also. If the administration wants your support (vote) for the bill, it has to include a public option or no deal. The public option is essential to the two fundamental purposes of health-care coverage reform: (1) Covering everybody, including the 48 million people who are currently not covered and (2) Bringing down the cost of health-care insurance and ultimately the delivery of healthcare.

I appreciate your time and attention to my concerns. Good luck in your next election.