III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 156 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 21, 2009 Mr. Brown (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Harkin, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Reed, Mr. Levin, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Kaufman, Mr. Burris, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. McCaskill, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Akaka) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate that reform of our Nation's health care system should include the establishment of a federally backed insurance pool.

Whereas in the presence of a federally backed insurance pool, those Americans who have become unemployed, live in rural and other traditionally underserved areas, or have been unable to attain affordable health insurance would benefit from consumer choice: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate recognizes that any efforts to reform our Nation's health care system should include as an option the establishment of a federally backed insurance pool to create options for American consumers.