Congress develops, debates, and votes on several initiatives at once, but there are typically two to three salient issues gripping the nation at any one time. What are those issues for you? Tell us. Below are the handful of topics currently on the docket.

Past Installments:
February 2009
March 2009
April/May 2009
June 2009

Health Care, Health Care, Health Care !

The Lowdown: President Obama has insisted that the time is now for health care reform, and Congressman Rangel agrees. We are working hard to reach consensus and hammer out quality legislation that is affordable and covers every American. The Congressman has said that we are close to coalescing around an outline of health-care legislation that would create a public health insurance option and include a mandate requiring employers to provide insurance.

There's an exciting, productive debate brewing about health care in our blog comments section. Just pick a post on health care, and share your views.

Update 07/21 4:23 PM: Some fun stuff: A photo of President Obama and Congressman Rangel, with a few words of support from the former on health care reform & video of Congressman Rangel on Face the Nation.

Update 07/17 5:00 PM: House Ways & Means passes historic health care reform legislation by a committee vote of 23-18.

Here's: A full dissection of the bill. The Ways & Means press release.

A few words from Congressman Rangel: "This is an exciting day in the history of this Committee and the Congress as we tackle the challenges of reforming America’s health care system. America is ready for reform, the rising cost of health care has been draining the economy and the pocketbooks of American families for too long. Today the Committee approved legislation that will encourage competition in the health insurance marketplace, control costs and improve access to quality affordable care.  This uniquely American solution will put patients first, make critical investments in primary care and nurses, and reform the health care delivery system so that we can build a healthier, more productive economy.”

Update: 06/25 3:38 PM: Our entirely unscientific, just-for-fun Web site poll shows strong support for health care reform.

Update: 06/19 3:00 PM: The heads of the three committees with jurisdiction over health care policy − Charles Rangel of Ways & Means, Henry Waxman of Energy & Commerce, and George Miller of Education & Labor − release draft legislation that reforms our health care system.

To read the bill in its entirety, read summaries, or leave your own thoughts, head to our blog post.

Here are a few words from Congressman Rangel:
"President Obama issued a call to action to reform our nation’s health care system and the House Committees have answered in an unprecedented way, working as one to produce a draft that will help control costs, preserve and expand coverage and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid. In the coming weeks, we will continue working with our colleagues and stakeholders to move this draft forward so we can create a new day in American health care that will benefit our nation for generations to come."

Update: 06/09 4:45 PM: Congressman Rangel met with the President regarding Health Care. Here are a few of the Congressman's words, following the meeting:

“We could not ask for a better leader than President Obama to put America back on track for economic recovery and work to fix our broken health care system,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY).  “President Obama issued a call to action and Congress is responding, working with him to engage stakeholders and interest groups across the nation to build upon what works in our current health system and fix what is broken to ensure affordable, quality care for all.  Today’s meeting underscored that we share the same principles and commitment to health reform and we look forward to President Obama’s continued leadership to make this critical effort a reality.”

To read the full Ways & Means release, including an outline of the potential reform, click here.

Update: 06/08 7:46 PM: US Rep Rangel Discusses Health-Care Bill After Closed Meeting − Read about the latest in negotiations in this Wall Street Journal article.

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