Such power of exercising a public health option eventually would produce a single payer system.

It is difficult enough to provide access and coverage for the 30 to 45 million Americans without insurance.

Employer-provided insurance is under pressure and in many cases is already eroding.

It is entirely possible to imagine effective health care reform changes that would expand coverage and help control costs without a public option.

Even the White House has signaled that they are not wedded to a public plan in the health care reform issue.

We are a small business, and of course we pay very high rates for our medical insurance. I am concerned because I am a 44-year-old woman that is scheduled for surgery on Friday, and it is a bad surgery.

I would say on this issue, at this time, on health care only, why don't we try to have a more balanced panel.

But for the chairman to then say we don't have the employers here to talk to when we are only given one witness--

I think we should also focus on some of those areas where we can maybe work together--transparency in pricing and quality.

Unilateral action by the U.S. will not impact climate change, but it will put millions of Americans out of work.

When carrots work, why is the Committee so readily resorting to the stick?