White House: No Rift Between Reid and Obama on Public Option

Here’s Dan Pfeiffer, deputy communications director at the White House, writing yesterday to dispel stories that President Obama and Democratic leaders have different ideas on how to proceed on the public insurance option.

A rumor is making the rounds that the White House and Senator Reid are pursuing different strategies on the public option.  Those rumors are absolutely false.

In his September 9th address to Congress, President Obama made clear that he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition.  That continues to be the President’s position.

Senator Reid and his leadership team are now working to get the most effective bill possible approved by the Senate. President Obama completely supports their efforts and has full confidence they will succeed and continue the unprecedented progress that is being made in both the House and Senate.

The comments follow last week’s stories that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is inclined to include an “opt-out” public insurance option in the upper chamber’s health reform bill, while other stories indicated that Obama favors the softer “trigger” strategy.

h/t: The Hill.