From:              Dawn Sweeney, CEO & Pesident of National Restaurant Assocaiton
 
Date:               March 22, 2010
 
Re:                   Health Care Reform Update

As we all know, the House passed health care reform legislation late last night by a vote of 219-212.    There is much for all of us to learn from this as our industry takes a more proactive role in the legislative process.  We all know that we are working in a very difficult and different environment than in years past.  It is clearly apparent that Congressional leadership was committed to passing a bill regardless of what the public thought of it.

We worked hard, along with many of the state restaurant associations, over the past 15 months to make the concerns of our industry known.  Over time, we were able to convince lawmakers to make some improvements important to our industry relative to where we started the discussions.  The Bill that passed last night includes an exemption for part time workers on penalty calculations/coverage, ERISA provisions for multi-state employers, and a 90-day waiting period for enrollment of new employees.   Nonetheless, the legislation as passed creates many challenges for our industry and will have profound impacts across the country.  Our battle isn't over.

Earlier today, we sent the attached Action Alert as a package of specific House measures goes to the Senate for consideration. We must continue to stay engaged as many steps remain before health care reform legislation is finalized and its changes take effect.  The debate over this legislation will continue in the regulatory, legislative, and political arenas, offering opportunities to improve health care policy and minimize the harmful impacts of the overarching legislation.  

In the coming days, we will be reporting to you in more detail about the bill that just passed, what it means for our members and our industry, and the Association's continued plan of action and engagement.

Thank you.

Attachments:

File	Description	File size
Call to Action		35 Kb