Dear Friend,

This week I held a bagel breakfast at my office in Hauppauge. A group of protesters was at my office to voice their views and we invited them in to join the gathering, which – like most meetings I’ve had lately – quickly became about health care.

There was no shortage of diverse opinions in the room. Some made the case for a public option. Others said the House health insurance reform bill goes too far. You can watch some excerpts from the question and answer session by clicking here.

As I’ve been calling and meeting with constituents to talk about health care, I’ve been looking for areas of consensus where, no matter which side of this debate you might be on, we can mostly agree. Here are a few principles on which most people seem to agree:

•    We need to end to the abusive insurance company practices that deny someone care or coverage when they need it most.

•    We must begin to control the unsustainable costs of health care that are hurting small businesses and families.

•    Americans should have a way to access insurance that will provide them high-quality affordable care.

As we continue to consider health insurance reform legislation in Washington, I will keep these principles and your thoughts in mind. I don’t expect that everyone will agree on the outcome of this debate, but I am looking forward to continuing a discussion based on facts and compromise.

For more information on the health insurance reform legislation currently before Congress, please visit my website at http://israel.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=624&Itemid=97. And please, if you have a question or concern, call my health insurance reform hotline at 202-226-4229.

Sincerely,

Steve Israel
Member of Congress