Nelson on health care -- says he hopes for "some form of a public option"

With activists hammering Bill Nelson to support a public health insurance option, the Florida Democrat offers a tepid endorsement, saying in an e-mail to supporters that he'd still like to see the Senate health care proposal include "some form of a public option to keep the insurance companies honest."

Full e-mail after the jump.

"Dear Friend, As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I've been on the front lines of the health care fight. I've met hundreds of people and heard countless stories about lives devastated first by illness or injury and, then again, by a broken system. We cannot afford to sit by and do nothing.

In America today, we ought to have health care that is both available and affordable - for everybody.

My recent vote in committee to support the health care bill was one of the most important in my career. The bill isn't perfect, and we will continue to fight for improvements on the Senate floor, but it's a massive advancement that will help millions of Americans.

When I voted in favor of this bill, I thought about the parents who can't pay the hospital bills for a sick child because of a cap on their insurance. I thought about the pastor who has heart disease, but his insurance company won't pay because of a pre-existing condition. I thought about the 49-year-old fellow who literally is forced to choose between his cancer medications or his mortgage payment.

These are our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers - and, this system must change.

This is going to be a long legislative process and we have only taken the first major step. But it's an important move. There are key provisions that I'd still like to see added, including measures that would have drug companies pay their fair share and would create some form of a public option to keep the insurance companies honest.

As we continue this work, I would very much like to ask you once again to send me your thoughts on this critical issue. I want to hear your opinions, your ideas, your stories.

Submit your comments

I hope to hear from you.

 Bill Nelson

"Dear Friend, As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I've been on the front lines of the health care fight. I've met hundreds of people and heard countless stories about lives devastated first by illness or injury and, then again, by a broken system. We cannot afford to sit by and do nothing.

In America today, we ought to have health care that is both available and affordable - for everybody.

My recent vote in committee to support the health care bill was one of the most important in my career. The bill isn't perfect, and we will continue to fight for improvements on the Senate floor, but it's a massive advancement that will help millions of Americans.

When I voted in favor of this bill, I thought about the parents who can't pay the hospital bills for a sick child because of a cap on their insurance. I thought about the pastor who has heart disease, but his insurance company won't pay because of a pre-existing condition. I thought about the 49-year-old fellow who literally is forced to choose between his cancer medications or his mortgage payment.

These are our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers - and, this system must change.

This is going to be a long legislative process and we have only taken the first major step. But it's an important move. There are key provisions that I'd still like to see added, including measures that would have drug companies pay their fair share and would create some form of a public option to keep the insurance companies honest.

As we continue this work, I would very much like to ask you once again to send me your thoughts on this critical issue. I want to hear your opinions, your ideas, your stories.

Submit your comments

I hope to hear from you.

 Bill Nelson