AP:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the case is growing stronger for allowing the government to sell health insurance in competition with private companies, contending recent attacks from the industry should dispel any doubts.
“The need for a public option is very clear,” the California Democrat told reporters at her weekly news conference, making the argument as lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol worked to finalize sweeping legislation extending coverage to millions of the uninsured.
“Anyone who had any doubts about the need for such an option need only look at the behavior of the health insurance industry this week,” Pelosi said.