Pelosi: White House Health Care Plans 'Contains Positive Elements' From House, Senate Bills

In an encouraging sign for proponents of reform, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has released a fairly positive statement in response to the White House's plan to fix health care.

"The President today made available to all Americans the Administration's health insurance reform proposal, which contains positive elements from the House and Senate-passed bills," Pelosi said. "I look forward to reviewing it with House Members and then joining the President and the Republican leadership at the Blair House meeting on Thursday. This discussion will continue a year-long historic level of transparency and open debate of this crucial reform effort."

Pelosi has long held that the House can not pass the Senate's health care bill unless it's paired with a separate bill, making significant changes to that legislation. And that's what the White House's proposal amounts to: a fix to the Senate bill. That Pelosi seems to think it's a good start is the first step toward moving comprehensive legislation through the House.

You can read the entire statement below the fold.

The President today made available to all Americans the Administration's health insurance reform proposal, which contains positive elements from the House and Senate-passed bills. I look forward to reviewing it with House Members and then joining the President and the Republican leadership at the Blair House meeting on Thursday. This discussion will continue a year-long historic level of transparency and open debate of this crucial reform effort.

Our nation is closer than ever to guaranteeing affordable health care to America's middle class and small businesses, lowering costs and strengthening Medicare for seniors, holding insurance companies accountable, and reducing our deficit. The cost of inaction is too great for our nation and for every family facing the heartbreaking reality of skyrocketing health care costs and denied care or coverage.

We must pass comprehensive, affordable health insurance reform, and I am hopeful that Thursday's meeting will help us achieve this goal.