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AFL-CIO: Senate health care bill 'inadequate'

The AFL-CIO issued a statement today calling the Senate bill "inadequate." It is the second major labor union today to criticize the bill.

Earlier today, the AP reported that the SEIU sent a letter to its 2.1 million members saying: "Now, more than ever, all of us must stand up ... and fight like hell to deliver real and meaningful reform to the American people."

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said "substantial changes" must be made to the bill before the union can support it.

"The absolute refusal of Republicans in the Senate to support health care reform and the hijacking of the bill by defenders of the insurance industry have brought us a Senate bill that is inadequate:  It is too kind to the insurance industry."

The union wants the kind of public option that is in the House bill, but it was dropped by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in an attempt to attract the votes of centrists, including Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.

The union also opposes the tax on so-called Cadillac health plans. The House bill does not have such a tax.

"The House bill is the model for genuine health care reform," Trumka's statement said. "Working people cannot accept anything less than real reform."

Posted by Eugene Kiely at 03:02 PM/ET, December 17, 2009 in Health care, Senate

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It is going to be very interesting...