Wilton Democratic Town Committee

And Support U.S. Senate Vote on Health Care Reform with Public Insurance Plan Option

WHEREAS Senator Joseph Lieberman has threatened to filibuster health reform legislation in the United States Senate, and to block a vote on a bill including a public insurance plan option

AND WHEREAS Senator Lieberman states his opposition to a public insurance plan option is based on the wrong and misleading labeling of such a plan as a "new government entitlement program," which it is not

AND WHEREAS numerous CBO estimates have shown that a public insurance plan would help lower government costs and reduce the federal deficit

AND WHEREAS Senator Chris Dodd has successfully passed health care reform with a public insurance option through the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and has succeeded in having similar legislation agreed to by the Senate Democratic leadership

AND WHEREAS all five Connecticut delegation Members of the U.S. House of Representatives recently voted in favor of the House health care reform bill when it passed in the House

AND WHEREAS polls have shown that two-thirds of Connecticut voters support health care reform with a public insurance plan option

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Wilton Democratic Town Committee, urge Senator Joseph Lieberman to not join Republicans to block Senate health reform votes, that Senator Lieberman allow upcoming debate to proceed and support cloture on a Senate bill including a public insurance plan option at all stages of the legislative process, even if he chooses to vote No on the bill itself.

AND FURTHERMORE we urge Senator Chris Dodd to work with the Senate Democratic leadership to prepare legislation and procedures to allow health care reform with a public insurance plan option to be approved by a majority in the Senate, if necessary through the budget reconciliation process.

Approved and Adopted unanimously
November 10, 2009

Wilton Democratic Town Committee
P.O. Box 103
Wilton, CT 06897