From the Desk of a Pro-Life Senator

Today at the White House, I was a witness to history.

This historic moment, when President Obama signed health care reform into law, would not have been possible without the support of so many people just like you who spoke out about the need to put patients ahead of insurance companies.Your calls, letters, and emails to members of Congress, along with President Obama's leadership, made this vital reform a reality. We should all celebrate this moment together.I hope now we can stop talking about the partisan gamesmanship and political process and focus on what matters: the benefits this bill will provide to the American people.Health insurance will be more affordable for families and small businesses. Thirty-two million Americans who don't have health insurance today will get coverage. And the bill will hold insurance companies accountable and implement powerful consumer protections.

All of these benefits come while reducing the deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years -- and by more than $1 trillion in the ten years after that.And Americans will see many benefits of this bill immediately. As the law takes effect this year, small businesses will get tax credits to provide health insurance to their employees. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny children care for pre-existing conditions. Adults who are denied coverage for pre-existing conditions will have access to insurance. Insurance companies can no longer drop coverage if you get sick or impose lifetime caps on your benefits.

This bill isn't perfect. I strongly advocated for a public option, which didn't make it into the final version. But it does include strong measures to increase competition and crack down on insurance company abuses.The Republican leadership in Washington made it very clear that they didn't want to be a part of this process. They will continue to spread myths and misinformation about this bill to manufacture an issue for the November elections.But we have achieved a historic victory with the passage of this bill, and we did it by focusing on what matters most: helping the American people.Thank you again for your support. Without thousands of people just like you speaking out in favor of health care reform, this history-making moment would not have been possible.

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

Paid for by Bob Casey for Senate (posted here for free)