We're our own worst enemies...
Centrist Dems stake out ground on healthcare
By Jeffrey Young
Posted: 05/07/09 05:11 PM
Centrist Democrats in both houses of Congress sought to make their voices heard on health reform Thursday as the Democratic lawmakers at the heart of the effort move closer to introducing legislation.
In the House, the New Democrat Coalition issued a statement of principles on health reform that emphasizes strengthening the private insurance market for employees of large and small businesses and for individuals. :eyes:
Likewise, Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), the most conservative Democrat in the upper chamber, gave a speech on the Senate floor laying out his position on the overhaul the U.S. healthcare system.
Both the New Democrats, a caucus of more than 50 House members, and Nelson offer support for a variety of policy proposals, such as funding comparative effectiveness research on medical treatments, beefing up America’s health information technology infrastructure, speeding the availability of generic drugs and enacting significant reforms to the health insurance market.
“I believe that two of the highest priorities should be reducing the cost of healthcare and improving efficiency in our delivery system, “ Nelson said on the Senate floor Thursday. “Despite state-of-the-art treatment, some studies still show that Americans receive appropriate care just 55 percent of the time.”
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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/centrist-dems-stake-out-ground-on-healthcare-2009-05-07.html