WASHINGTON, DC – Reps. Barbara Lee, Nydia Velazquez and Mike Honda - Chairs of the Congressional TriCaucus - comprised of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus - issued the following joint statement today:

"We applaud this important first step toward comprehensive health care reform, of which the cornerstone must be a robust public health option and the elimination of all health disparities.

"While this initial proposal in not inclusive of the all of the TriCaucus healthcare reform priorities, we are encouraged that many of our main concerns are addressed and we will work to strengthen the proposal by including others.

"We look forward to working with President Obama, House and Senate leaders and the committees of jurisdiction to ensure that the final package addresses the concerns of minority and underserved communities."

###

The Congressional Tri-Caucus includes the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The objectives of the Congressional Tri-Caucus are to promote the public health and well-being through legislative action, social outreach, and political engagement. To this end, the Tri-Caucus seeks to preserve our Nation’s commitment to fair and equitable treatment to all Americans. The Tri-Caucus has worked together for over a decade to ensure that the Congressional legislative agenda reflects the health challenges of all Americans.