---

September 9, 2009
The majority of Americans support having a Public Option when choosing health insurance, and so does the Sonoma County Democratic Party Central Committee. The following resolution was adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee on September 8, 2009:

WHEREAS, the health care system of the United States is in crisis, with almost 50 million Americans lacking any health insurance, tens of millions more lacking adequate coverage, and millions more who do have private coverage paying increasingly unaffordable premiums, resulting in inadequate access to care and premature death, illness, or financial ruin for millions of Americans; and

WHEREAS, public polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans want health care reform to offer the choice of a robust public option, available to everyone, similar to Medicare, at a minimum, in order to, in the words of President Obama, “keep the insurance companies honest,” while co-ops or so-called “triggers” are inadequate in and of themselves to address the health care crisis by creating significant competition for the medical insurance industry; and

WHEREAS, Republicans and their allies in the health insurance industry have organized and funded groups of extremists to disrupt efforts on the part of the Democratic majority and administration to reasonably discuss the issue with the American people, and have demonstrated an utter unwillingness to compromise in any way to pass meaningful health care reform;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee urges Democratic members of Congress to vote for only such health care reform proposals as contain at least a robust public option available to everyone at all stages of the legislative process including conference and reconciliation, and encourages Democratic legislators to use any available parliamentary means to pass such reform;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee shall send a copy of this resolution to all Democratic members of Congress who represent at least a part of the geographic region of which this Committee is the officially sanctioned body of the Democratic Party.

As approved 9/8/09

---