Tom Udall Spells Out Benefits to New Mexicans of Health Reform on Senate Floor

Here's video of Sen. Tom Udall's speech on the Senate floor this morning about the health insurance reform bill in the debate leading up to a cloture vote to permit the bill to move forward. You can read his remarks here (pdf).

Senator Udall noted that the vast majority of New Mexicans would gain access to quality, affordable health care through the reform legislation, which was unveiled earlier this week after months of consideration by two Senate committees. Small businesses and rural areas also stand to benefit from reform, he said.

“When it comes to health care today, too many New Mexicans are living on a cliff, teetering on the edge of financial ruin. All it would take is an illness or a job loss and they could fall into an abyss of medical invoices, bill collectors and bankruptcy. For these New Mexicans, the status quo isn’t an option,” Udall said. “This bill offers a life rope to these New Mexicans to pull them back from the precipice. Passing it would provide stability and security to those who have insurance, affordable coverage to those who don’t, and lower costs for families, businesses, and government.”