Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he will include a public option in the health reform bill to be voted on in the Senate (as opposed to breaking it off in a separate amendment). Sen. Reid also confirmed that the Senate version will give states the authority to deny their residents the choice of a public option. Following Reid's announcement, the bill now heads to the Congressional Budget Office for scoring.

The outlook for health care reform is getting brighter. Today's announcement represents a big step towards driving costs down and guaranteeing people have a choice. But, our job is by no means done. Big questions still remain: Will the Senate make sure the middle class can afford their premiums and out-of-pocket costs? Will conservative Democrats try and hold the legislation hostage?

As the legislation moves to the floor, we must make sure the legislation makes health care affordable and that conservative Democrats won't filibuster, preventing health care reform from receiving a fair "up or down" vote on the Senate floor.

In yesterday's Huffington Post, SEIU President Andy Stern said "there is no such thing as a Republican filibuster." The truth is, it will not be Republican opponents like Sen. Jim Demint who stand between America and a new beginning for our health care system, but Democratic Senators caving to attacks by the right-wing and special interests. Now, the race to get to 60 begins. We'll be leading the fight - marshaling the voices of our members and health care voters to hold elected leaders accountable to their constituents.