Local Congressional leaders weigh in on health care reform
Tuesday, when asked by KOMO News about the importance of the so called "public option", Sen. Murray said, "I think it's very important that we keep that on the table and work as hard as we can to get it."
Over the weekend, top White House officials seemed to be signaling that President Obama was willing to back away from the public option. However, now White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insists otherwise.
"The president has said repeatedly that he's open to different ideas and discussions, that his preferred option was the public plan," said Gibbs at a Tuesday press briefing.
The White House hasn't clarified whether a cooperative insurance program, similar to Group Health, would qualify as a public option.
When asked, Sen. Murray only said, "Of course we have a co-op here in this region that people are very familiar with, but without a large number of people to support a co-op idea, I'd need to see how it would actually work."
Republican Congressman Dave Reichert told Kirby Wilburn on 570 KVI radio Tuesday that he believes anger at congressional town hall meetings has led to the change in tone at the White House regarding the public option.
"The loud voices of common folk, the silent majority has finally raised its voice loud enough to be heard and that's what finally put the brakes on this," he said.
Rep. Reichert went on to say he was seeing other signs of change.
"They're also saying we might consider some language around Tort reform. We'll see what the final bill has in it," he said.
But Sen. Murray dismissed Rep. Reichert's assertion that it was anger at congressional events that was changing any minds.
"I don't agree," she said.