Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today took part in President Obama's health care summit at the White House.  Bingaman is a member of the two Senate committees with jurisdiction over health care. 

"This is the first serious discussion we've had in more than a decade on health care reform.  The long-term well being of our nation's economy depends on our ability to rein in escalating health care costs.  An important first step is developing a system that provides affordable and meaningful health care to all Americans, which will replace the inefficient and unnecessarily costly patchwork of coverage we currently have," Bingaman said. 

The summit was attended by President Obama and his top health care advisors, congressional leaders who will have a hand in writing health care reform legislation, and representatives from the nation's health care industry. 

Bingaman is a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he's been asked by Chairman Ted Kennedy to lead the panel's efforts on developing legislation to expand health care coverage.