WASHINGTON - September 29 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after the Senate Finance Committee rejected two amendments to add a public option plan to major health care legislation:

“I am disappointed, although not surprised, that the effort to pass a public option failed in the Senate Finance Committee. Fortunately, there is a public option in the health committee bill and my hope and expectation is that that provision will be part of the final bill. Clearly, if we are serious about cost containment, private insurance companies must have competition from a public plan.”