The Porter County Democratic Precinct Organization has unanimously passed a resolution urging Northwest Indiana’s Congressional delegation to “vote for only such health care reform proposals as contain a robust public option.”

The precinct organization did so at its October meeting.

The “health care system of the United States is in crisis, with almost 50 million Americans lacking any health insurance, tens of millions more lacking adequate coverage, and millions more with private coverage, who pay increasingly unaffordable premiums,” Porter County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Chidester said in a statement released on Thursday.

Continuing on the current path will only continue the situation of “inadequate access to care and premature death, illness, or financial ruin for millions of Americans,” Chidester added.

“Significant legislative reform which includes a public option is necessary,” the statement said.

According to that resolution:

•“Public polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans want health care reform to offer the choice of a robust public option similar to Medicare.”

•“(H)ealth insurance industry lobbyists have organized and funded groups of extremists to disrupt efforts on the part of the Democratic majority and administration to deliberate the issue with the American people, and Republicans in the House and Senate have demonstrated an utter unwillingness to compromise in any way to pass meaningful health care reform.”

The precinct organization therefore resolved to urge “Sen. Evan Bayh, Sen. Richard Lugar, Congressman Pete Visclosky, and Congressman Joe Donnelly to vote for only such health care reform proposals as contain a robust public option at all stages of the legislative process including conference and reconciliation, and encourages Democratic legislators to use any available parliamentary means to pass such reform.”