At Change that Works Montana, we're committed to getting your stories of health care hardship heard. By sharing out stories with Senator Max Baucus, and our local newspapers, we'll convince Senator Baucus and our congressional delegation that true health care reform means quality, affordable health care for everyone. And to accomplish that reform, we need to include a public health care plan option. Thanks to your willingness to share your stories, we're being heard all the way in Washington.

Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern released the following statement on today's draft legislation for quality, affordable healthcare reform from the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor Committee.

"In 2000, Pat DeJong, an SEIU home care aide in Libby, Montana, learned that her husband Dan had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Pat and Dan were ranchers, but when the medical bills piled up, they were forced to sell the land they loved and that had been in his family for generations.

"One thing is clear - families like Pat's pay the ultimate price for our broken healthcare system. We can no longer accept the obstructionist politics of those who wish to file hundreds of amendments to "just say no" to healthcare reform and purposely distort the reality of what fixing healthcare means to millions of American families.

"Today, hardworking families like the DeJongs finally found real hope for change in the draft legislation released by the House Ways and Means Committee. Their plan will provide a uniquely American solution where families have the freedom to keep their current plan and doctor, choose another private plan or choose an affordable quality public health insurance plan. It shares the responsibility of solving this crisis with everyone, invests in the healthcare workforce to ensure delivery of cost-effective preventive and primary care and allows Americans and their doctor to make healthcare decisions rather than insurance company CEOs.

"Americans like Pat DeJong live in every state, in every Congressional district, every big city, every small town. They are counting on our elected officials to stop playing politics and pass comprehensive high quality and affordable healthcare reform this year. At a time when healthcare costs are crushing businesses and dragging down our economy, hard-working Americans cannot afford to wait any longer."