W.H. circulates memo signed by Tommy Thompson, Gephardt

The White House is distributing a joint statement signed by former Wisconsin GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson to tout the bipartisan credentials of the Senate healthcare bill.

The joint statement from Thompson and former House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt states that the Senate bill represents a milestone in achieving meaningful healthcare reform.

“While we both have specific concerns with the bill in its current form, we believe a bipartisan consensus must emerge to address the healthcare crisis in America,” the statement said. “We can all agree that the opportunity before us is far too great to let specific differences stand in the way of reaching consensus legislation needed this year.”

Thompson is a former Bush administration Health and Human Services secretary who has previously spoke of the need for healthcare reform.

The White House has previously touted statements by former Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole (Kansas) and other prominent Republicans on the need for healthcare reform.

No Senate Republicans are expected to vote in favor of a motion to proceed to debate on the Senate bill. That vote is scheduled for Saturday.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine.) vote for the Senate Finance Committee’s healthcare bill, while Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.) voted for the House healthcare bill. They are the only Republicans to cast favorable votes so far.

Read the full statement after the jump.

Statement on Senate Health-Care Reform Bill
By Tommy Thompson and Richard Gephardt

The health-care bill in the Senate represents another milestone in achieving meaningful health-care reform for millions of Americans. It is now critical that members of Congress work together in a bi-partisan fashion to pass a common-sense, fiscally responsible solution to drive down health-care costs, ensure access to affordable and quality care, increase efficiency and achieve real savings.
 
While we both have specific concerns with the bill in its current form, we believe a bipartisan consensus must emerge to address the health care crises in America. All evidence shows that the number of uninsured Americans will continue to rise and that skyrocketing costs will be simply unsustainable for American businesses and workers without Congressional action in the near term.
 
Any final bill passed into law must focus on both the human and economic impact, ensuring that access and affordability are achieved for employers, employees, and Americans currently without coverage. We can all agree that the opportunity before us is far too great to let specific differences stand in the way of reaching consensus legislation needed this year.

As the Senate takes up the bill, we urge Members to further reduce costs, waste, inefficiency and chronic disease prevalence through such measures as coordinated health teams at the family doctor-patient level. It is a proven idea that both business and labor have rallied behind, and will redefine the way we prevent chronic disease, eliminate unnecessary costs and deliver 21st Century health-care to millions who need it most. In short, coordinated health teams will tie together, and make real, disparate elements of health-care reform by providing a means to help eliminate costly fragmentation of our health care system once and for all.
 
Americans will look back with appreciation for those who set aside political interests to keep the process moving forward. Working together, it is time to show the nation that consensus legislation is possible, that ideas and bipartisanship far outweigh politics and, above all, that members of both parties rose to the occasion and got the job done.