Thomas Daschle: “this week we had what I consider to be a very significant development. And frankly, I am a little disappointed that it…”

“this week we had what I consider to be a very significant development. And frankly, I am a little disappointed that it has not generated more attention in the media. I am referring to a public endorsement of employer-based insurance by more than 100 organizations--in fact, 115 to be specific--that represent labor, scores of businesses, consumers and providers companies. For example, the National Leadership Coalition for Health Care Reform, which signed the letter, includes ACME Steel; Bank South Corp.; the H.J. Heinz Corporation; Keebler Co.; Lockheed; LTV Steel; Safeway; Scott Paper; U.S. Bankcorp; and Xerox, among other companies. All of those businesses and other national-known organizations have come forward this week to say they think the best way to achieve universal coverage is through an employer-based insurance system. I would think that would generate a tremendous amount of news. Just a couple of weeks ago the news of one or two business organizations concluding that they would not now endorse the plan proposed by the President made the front page of several national newspapers. And yet this major endorsement of a concept that has generated so much controversy has not received anything like that kind of attention. There has been a tremendous amount of misinformation about this issue of employer-based insurance, sometimes called an employer mandate.”