The Senate Finance Committee passed an amendment to the America’s Healthy Futures Act of 2009 sponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell that will for the first time provide states with the ability to negotiate with health insurers in order to provide high quality health care coverage at a lower cost.

The Senate Finance Committee’s health care reform bill unveiled today includes newly-accepted language authored by Senator Maria Cantwell to fundamentally transform America’s health care payment system so that it focuses on quality, not quantity of care.

Seeking to prevent Enron-style market manipulation in commodities and derivatives markets, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell has introduced legislation strengthening enforcement powers over commodities trading.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell issued the following statement following President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on health care reform:

Today, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on national parks issues, Senator Maria Cantwell urged passage of legislation she introduced with Senator Patty Murray to designate a segment of Illabot Creek as a Wild and Scenic River.