Congress last tried and failed to pass health care reform in 1994. Bill Clinton was president. "Forrest Gump" was named best motion picture. Social networking was something you did at the corner bar.

Sixteen years later, and health care cost growth has vastly outpaced inflation. More people go without insurance. Thousands have died for lack of it. Experts across the political spectrum agree that our system costs too much, delivers too little.

Now Congress has another chance. If Democrats find the courage to look beyond mercurial polling numbers and false accusations, they will do the nation and future generations a huge service.

Now is the time to enact historic legislation that will bring financial and medical security to millions of families, reduce the federal deficit, and pave the way for a fairer and better-performing health care system.

Getting a reform bill to this point has exposed the worst of our legislative process. We’ve witnessed unseemly deals, inscrutable maneuverings and far too much misinformation.

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