NAACP, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE AND BLACK LEADERSHIP COMMEND SENATE FOR PASSING HEALTH CARE BILL
 
CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS URGE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO CREATE LEGISLATION WITH A STRONG PUBLIC OPTION AND INCREASED AFFORDABILITY FOR ALL AMERICANS
 
(Washington, DC) – The NAACP, National Urban League (NUL) and The Black Leadership Forum (BLF), a coalition of over 50 African American civic and professional organizations, commended the US Senate for passing the health care reform bill this morning.  The bill, however, does not include a strong public option, a provision passed by the House in a health care reform bill and expected to increase access to and affordability of health care.  The NAACP, NUL and BLF are urging the conference committee to include the public option in the final bill.
 
"We commend the Senate for taking action on an issue that is critical to our nation but the Senate bill lacks key provisions that exist in the House bill.  The public option is essential to help our country reach the goals of health care affordability and access for all Americans,” stated Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP President and CEO.  “Without a public option, this bill loses the competitive edge necessary to keep the price of health care affordable. We at the NAACP, National Urban League and the Black Leadership Forum urge Congress  during the conference committee meetings,  to  get back to basics and craft a piece of legislation that will offer low-cost alternatives to current plans and increase competition within the already monopolized insurance industry,”  Jealous said.
 
"We applaud the Senate for passing this historic and hard-fought legislation that puts this nation closer to our goal of quality health care for every American. However, the fight is not over," said Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "We urge the Conference Committee to strengthen this bill by restoring the Public Option and putting physicians and people over profits.”