From Bruce Josten's letter to Senators Baucus and Grassley on the America's Healthy Future Act, (details on the positives and the negatives).

Although The Chamber believes much work remains for the Committee, the mark is the best bill to be considered by Congress so far. We applaud the efforts of Chairman Baucus and the other five Senators who worked toward a compromise. However, it is unfortunate that a true bipartisan compromise could not be reached.

It is critical that the health care system be reformed, but passing this bill without serious modifications would be counterproductive. The Chamber urges Congress to start over with a different framework and recommends that the Committee focus on three areas: controlling the costs of health care and insurance, reforming the way insurance companies do business, and creating a vibrant, transparent marketplace in which people can shop for insurance. These steps could be taken in a bipartisan way that is far more affordable, that would achieve the goals the Chamber and the business community share with the President, and that could be understood and supported by the public.

The current bill is unacceptable in many areas and a number of proposed amendments could make it even more objectionable. Nevertheless, the Chamber hopes the markup serves as an opportunity to come to consensus on health care issues in the Committee and looks forward to working with you to enact comprehensive health reform legislation.