White House Pushes Health Care Reform

The United States needs health care reform now, members of interest groups and both political parties agreed March 5 at a summit. The White House sponsored the meeting. People don’t agree on how to solve the problem, President Barack Obama said. But he stressed that every idea and opinion must be heard. The goal is to provide health coverage for everyone, he said. Congress is expected to begin writing the plan by June. Drug makers, insurance companies and others support the reform effort. Their opposition in the 1990s helped to derail health reform under President Bill Clinton. The Associated Press reported on the summit March 6.