Sen. Feinstein declares her support for public option

Those 'Smile and Dial' phone calls seem to be working. Sen. Diane Feinstein, until recently a holdout on the issue, declared her support yesterday for a strong public option in healthcare reform. Here's the announcement, from her official website:

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, along with 29 Democratic Senate colleagues, has signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging the inclusion of a public option in any health reform legislation that will be considered on the Senate floor. An additional 14 Senators at least have expressed support for the public option through a resolution, letter, or by voting for a strong public option during committee markups.

The Senators’ letter states that “absent a competitive and continuous public insurance option – health reform legislation will not produce nationwide access and ongoing cost containment.”

It continues: “The number one goal of health reform must be to look out for the best interests of the American people – patients and taxpayers alike – not the profit margins of insurance companies.”

The full text of the announcement is available on Sen. Feinstein's official website. In the meantime, let's call her offices one more time, to thank her for her support! Those numbers again:

Senator Diane Feinstein
Local: (559) 485-7430
Washington, D.C.: (202) 224-3841