From the Mailbag, courtesy of Campaign for America's Future

***HEALTHCARE FOR ALL INFORMATION PROJECT***, Roger Hickey

Table of Contents:
1. Tracking Poll Examines Public Opinion About Health Care Reform
2. Debate on new health program postponed
3. Health-Care Dialogue Alarms Obama's Allies
4. Democrats Consider Bypassing G.O.P. on Health Care Plan
5. Healthcare provisions would not derail budget legislation
6. U.S. senators hope to have health bills by June

1. Tracking Poll Examines Public Opinion About Health Care Reform
Kaiser Family Foundation
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Two-thirds (67%) of U.S. residents "strongly" or "somewhat" favor establishing a public health insurance option "similar to Medicare," with about 80% of Democrats, 60% of independents and 49% of Republicans in favor of such a plan.

Read more here

2. Debate on new health program postponed
By Jeffrey Young
The Hill
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The lead Democratic senator for healthcare reform has made the tactical decision to postpone debate on one of its more controversial aspects — the creation of a government-run insurance program.
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3. Health-Care Dialogue Alarms Obama's Allies
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post
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As Congress returns to begin an intense debate over reshaping the nation's $2.2 trillion health-care system, prominent left-leaning organizations and liberal House members are issuing a warning to their Democratic allies: Don't cave on us.
Read more here

4. Democrats Consider Bypassing G.O.P. on Health Care Plan
By Robert Pear
New York Times
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With solid majorities in both houses of Congress, Democrats are tempted to use their political muscle to speed passage of health care legislation with minimal concessions to the Republican minority.
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5. Healthcare provisions would not derail budget legislation
By Walter Alarkon
The Hill
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Democrats appear to have the votes for a budget measure that would allow reform of the nation’s healthcare system with just 51 Senate votes.

Centrist Democrats said they could support the special reconciliation budget process to push ahead healthcare reform, even though many of them voted to ban the use of reconciliation rules for climate change regulations earlier this month.
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6. U.S. senators hope to have health bills by June
By Maggie Fox
Reuters
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The chairmen of two Senate committees drafting legislation to overhaul healthcare told President Barack Obama on Monday they were working together to have bills ready by early June.

Senator Max Baucus, who heads the Finance Committee, and Senator Edward Kennedy, who heads the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a letter they will ensure that compatible bills emerge from their panels.
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Read the letter here

Additional Resources:
Public Health Insurance Resource Page

• Jacob Hacker: "Healthy Competition: How to Structure Public Health Insurance Plan Choice to Ensure Risk-Sharing, Cost Control, and Quality Improvement" (PDF)
• Jacob Hacker: "The Case For Public Plan Choice in National Health Reform: Key to Cost Control and Quality Coverage" (PDF)
• Diane Archer: "Near Universal Coverage, But No Cost Controls or Guarantee of Quality, Affordable Health Care for All" (PDF)
• Frank Clemente: "A Public Health Insurance Plan: Reducing Costs and Improving Quality" (PDF)
• The Commonwealth Fund: The Path to a High Performance U.S. Health System: A 2020 Vision and the Policies to Pave the Way
• Leaders and Experts Agree that a Public Insurance Option is Critical to the Success of Obama’s Health Reform Proposals (PDF)