Official Statement of Robert J. Haynes, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO on Passage by U.S. House of Historic Health Care Reform

Malden, MA....In reaction to House Democrats passing comprehensive health care reform, Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert J. Haynes said:

"The challenges we face in this country are the hardest in generations. The solutions we are forced to seek must be as bold and historic as the challenges. Nowhere is this more true than America's health care crisis. The soaring costs of health care coupled with the immorality of millions going without insurance have had too devastating an effect on our economy, and more importantly, on human lives. Something has to be done. It is an economic imperative and a moral imperative. Health care reform is central to turning around this economy and giving as many Americans as possible the security and dignity that comes with the health insurance coverage that should be everyone's birthright. The bill is not perfect, but imperfect progress NOW is better than perfect progress NEVER. I know not everyone agreed with everything in this legislation, including the labor movement. But I congratulate the House of Representatives for being both courageous enough and pragmatic enough to take on this problem. I thank the Massachusetts delegation for its leadership and support, as well as President Obama for his moral fortitude on this, and I look forward to begin working with all of them immediately to improve the shortcomings of this particular bill so we can have a health care system and an economy that is worthy of all Americans' hard work and contributions."