Pelosi Pushes Health Care Reform

She received a standing ovation Tuesday and chants of thank you as she called last weekend's house passage of the health care reform bill historic.

But Pelosi said she knows it still has to get the nod from the Senate.

KCBS’ Margie Shafer Reports

"I'm hopeful that we will have a bill as a Christmas present for the American people. But we will have a bill and it will be soon." Pelosi said.

Pelosi said she plans to see the senate leaders at the conference table.

" Now, we will go up to the table fighting for a public option because we believe that's the best way to keep the insurance companies honest and to increase competition," said Pelosi.

But Charles Kolb, the President of the Community for Economic Development said he has issues with the public option.

"The Community for Economic Development is very much in favor of health care reform, but we'd like to see reform that actually bends the cost curve as well as provide universal coverage, but does so in a way that really offers important structural reform that's market-oriented and incentive-based," Cobb said.

Representatives from the AARP, local health centers, labor and the small business majority were out to lend their support to the house version of the bill.

(kmi)