I am thrilled at Congress’s passage of the historic health care reform bill last night.
As today’s New York Times editorial states, this is a beginning on health care reform—not the end. But what a momentous beginning! In the coming months, I will work with lawmakers and the health care community to ensure reform is implemented smoothly here in Rhode Island.
From a release I issued earlier today:
The moment we have been waiting for has finally come. We know that 1 in 5 Rhode Islanders will be without health insurance at some point during the year. The passage of this health reform bill is an important first step toward ensuring that every Rhode Islander will have access to high quality, affordable health care.
I applaud the House of Representatives for voting to approve the health reform bill, and I wish to thank Congressman Kennedy and Congressman Langevin for their hard work and support in passing this legislation. I look forward to working hand-in-hand with our federal delegation and the General Assembly as we make health care reform a reality in Rhode Island.