Labor Backs Senate Bill

One of the major obstacles in the way of the House passing the Senate’s health-care bill may have just been lifted: Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union—one of the largest and most influential in the country—has called on the House to pass the Senate’s bill. “The House should pass the Senate's health-insurance reform bill—with an agreement that it will be fixed, fixed right, and fixed right away through a parallel process.” Stern writes. “The Senate bill can serve as the foundation for reform.” The AFL-CIO is less enthusiastic, but takes essentially the same position, saying it wants the House to pass the Senate bill while the Senate simultaneously addresses some of labor's concerns through reconciliation.