Dear Friend,

Last week I introduced an updated health care bill in the House, H.R. 3962: The Affordable Health Care for America Act.  This bill combines the best parts of each previous version of the legislation and input from Americans like yourself across the country to deliver the most effective and affordable health care reform possible.  It also encompasses every objective listed by President Obama as key to a real and successful health insurance system overhaul.

One of those key objectives emphasized by President Obama was that health care insurance reform not add so much as a penny to our nation’s deficit.  I’m happy to say that over ten years’ time this bill would actually reduce the deficit by at least $30 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.  Not only will H.R. 3962 ensure that 96 percent of Americans receive quality, affordable health care coverage; it will help American businesses compete in the global economy.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act was written to ensure the following:

-Reducing the Deficit:  As I mentioned above, the bill will reduce the national deficit by at least $30 billion over ten years

-Consumer Protection:  Reduce abuse, waste and fraud and enable consumers to easily buy and keep good health care insurance

-Stability and Security:  Ensure that individuals stay covered in the event that they lose their job, their employer drops their plan, or they move.

-Shared Responsibility:  Spread the responsibility across government, individuals and employers to protect any one group from bearing the weight, as well as to ensure the system’s stability.

-More Choices:  Increasing consumers’ choices while maintaining their right to choose to keep their current plan; reserving choices for patients and their doctors rather than insurance companies.

-More Competition:  Higher quality health care and coverage through competition, motivating insurance companies to provide a better product at lower costs.

We put together this well-thought out, accommodating and transformative piece of legislation thanks in large part to the input from you, your neighbors and millions of other Americans across the country.  We are closer to accomplishing meaningful health insurance reform than ever before.  This goal is one that I shared with my father before me and my good friend, Ted Kennedy, and it gives me great hope to know we are so close to achieving access to stable, quality, affordable health care coverage for all Americans.

At the unveiling of H.R. 3962, holding the gavel I used to preside over the House during the first offering of Medicare.

Click here to view more pictures of the event at Yahoo