“Tonight, President Obama demonstrated that health care reform is urgent on multiple fronts. It is urgent for middle-class families who are in danger of losing health coverage for reasons beyond their control, from sudden illnesses to job loss. It is urgent for the 45 million Americans who lose out on the preventive care they need, and whose higher costs of treatment are ultimately borne by the rest of us. It is urgent for small businesses struggling under the burden of continually rising insurance costs for their employees. And it is urgent for a federal budget that will never escape deficits until the rising cost of health care is brought under control.

“Details of reform are still being worked out amid strong debate on Capitol Hill—exactly the kind of debate that is healthy when such a crucial issue is at stake. But Democrats are dedicated to a reform plan that will prevent insurance companies from discriminating against patients, strengthen competition among insurers, expand patient choice of options and doctors, and ensure that middle-class Americans find affordability, security, and peace-of-mind in their coverage. Reform must be done in a fiscally responsible way that does not add to the deficit and addresses the rapid rise in health care costs making health care more expensive for everyone and consuming more of our federal budget each year. Our commitment to those goals is unshakeable, and we will succeed in passing the health reform that the vast majority of Americans demand.”