AFL-CIO''s Sweeney Urges Congress Not to Let Health Care Overhaul Drag

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?n=1&innID=920300423

January 30, 2009 Friday

HEADLINE: AFL-CIO's Sweeney Urges Congress Not to Let Health Care Overhaul Drag

BYLINE: Elizabeth Kenigsberg, CongressNow Staff

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney today urged lawmakers not to overlook a major health care overhaul amid the rush to pass an economic stimulus package.

"We have no time left for dithering," Sweeney said in an address to the National Academy of Social Insurance. "We're in a perilous economic ditch and we will not dig our way out and fix our economy until we fix our health care system."

He added, "I'm asking each of you to help convince our awe-inspiring new administration to put health care reform right up there on the front burner as an integral part of an economic rescue package."

Sweeney's comments come as Congressional leaders differ over how fast an overhaul can be passed in both chambers.

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said this week that he wants a comprehensive health care reform plan ready to be sent to President Barack Obama by the end of the year - a timetable that clashes with the one suggested earlier by Waxman's Senate counterpart, Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.). Baucus predicted that the surplus of urgent legislation could push a broader health care overhaul into 2010.

Sweeney identified cost control of health insurance as a critical element.

FULL story at link.