REID: There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hear from someone in Nevada about the problems with health care.

It could be an e-mail that my staff bring to me, it could be a letter, it should be -- it could be a phone call.

And not just from individuals, from businesses, who are struggling to maintain health care. Individuals, really all kinds of problems. They have been turned down for a procedure. They're turned down for coverage because of some pre-existing condition.

They had to change jobs or lost their jobs, they have no insurance. They can't afford COBRA.

And far too many skip the medicine and treatment they need because it's too expensive.

It's not just Nevadans who know we can't afford this broken system any longer. The American people get it. Eighty-six percent say rising costs threaten our economy and their family's financial security. Seventy-two percent support a public option that will keep insurance companies honest.

President Obama gets it. He said so from 11:30 to 12:30 today. That's why he says reforming health -- health care is his number one priority.

The health industry gets it. Doctors, hospitals, even drug- makers are onboard to cut costs.

Governors get it. They're coming here for a meeting tomorrow to talk to President Obama about some way to do something to help states with these burdensome health care costs they have.

The only ones who don't seem to get it are congressional Republicans, who continue to defend the status quo. And during an event earlier here today, all they did is criticize the New York Times poll that I just gave you.

The status quo is not an option. It will only lead to families paying more, businesses cutting insurance. Congressional Republicans need to realize that health care is not a luxury, and neither is health care reform.

It's why we, again, renew our plan for doing something about health care. In effect, it's a plea for Republicans to stop saying no and work with us to create a bipartisan bill that ensures quality, affordable health care for all of us.

Questions?

QUESTION: (inaudible) directly to leg branch this afternoon, 2:15. Are you going to have problems with that and homeland security (inaudible)?

REID: What did you say, we can't go to it?

QUESTION: I heard you do not have -- yet have an agreement to...

REID: Well, we didn't have an agreement a few minutes ago. We haven't had agreement on anything to speak of. I've filed cloture I think 18 times on just to proceed to bills.

So I don't know why they would not let us go to leg branch appropriations bill. But remember, this is the same group of senators who say no to everything, including -- this is hard to comprehend this one -- but on the tourism bill, 11 senators co-sponsored that bill. Nine of them voted against the bill. Little hard to comprehend.

QUESTION: Senator, do you still see yourself (inaudible) Senator Ensign (inaudible).

REID: Let me say this. This'll be what I'm going to say about Ensign today. I know you have a lot of questions, but I'm not going to answer them, other than to say this.

I have known the Ensign family for many, many years. Mike Ensign, Senator Ensign's father and I have been friends before I knew John Ensign .

Mike Ensign is a wonderful man. He has a -- he's done a great job of coming from nowhere to become a very, very wealthy man, and he's done it through hard work, ingenuity, and he's a very bright man.

Everyone knows that Senator Ensign and I had a very difficult race in 1998. We have become friends since then. I'm concerned about his family, and I hope he works his way through this.

But as far as me commenting on any -- any more, I think I've said all I plan to say on Senator Ensign today.

QUESTION: (inaudible)

REID: Yes?

QUESTION: (inaudible) Republicans working with Democrats on the health care plan, you want bipartisanship. However, you have the option of passing health care with 51 votes in October, if it comes to that. Do you absolutely need bipartisan support for this bill?

REID: I hope your radio broadcasts come in better than your voice.

(LAUGHTER)

What did you say?

QUESTION: (inaudible) pass health care, given the fact that you have reconciliation as an option in October with 51 votes to pass it.

REID: Public radio is coming in loud and clear.

We want to do a bipartisan bill. That's not saying we need half the caucus to come with us. We need about three or four Republican senators to join with us, to have a bipartisan bill.

That's what we would like. That's my preference. And we're going to continue working on that. I just completed a very, very informative, important caucus. We spent a lot of our time talking about health care.

And there was -- not a single senator said, "Forget working with these clowns. Let's just go ahead and go to the reconciliation." Everyone there, liberals, moderates, conservatives in my caucus said, let's try to come up with a bipartisan bill. We're going to continue to go down that road.

QUESTION: What happened yesterday with the tourism bill and would the fact that you couldn't reach agreement on something as relatively noncontroversial as that make it more difficult or...

REID: The question is, what happened on the tourism bill yesterday, really a bipartisan bill; does this cause me to be concerned about coming up with bipartisan support on a comprehensive health care bill?

The answer is, of course, yes. But remember -- and I don't want to bore everyone with us, but we have accomplished a great deal. Pundits have said we've accomplished more this first five months than any first-year Congress since Roosevelt, FDR.

We've done some very difficult things, complicated things, and with each one of them, we've needed Republican support. We haven't gotten much, but we've gotten enough to get them passed. And that's how I look at this health care bill.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) President Obama's immigration meeting and when the issue might be able to come up?

REID: Did you ask me what about it?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

REID: Yes, the meeting was supposed to have taken place a week or two ago. Prior to that meeting taking place, I called and spoke to the White House in length, one of his assistants, and that's either Rahm, Messina or Rauss (ph).

It was Rauss (ph) that I talked to -- in detail told him what I thought should be in comprehensive immigration reform, and I wanted him to relay that to the president. And I'm confident he did and I'm sure the president will have that information when they meet tomorrow or whenever it is.

QUESTION: Are you disappointed that the issue seems to be getting delayed?

REID: No. I've said right here that we have to finish health care. We have to do energy before we get to immigration reform. But being third on the list is pretty good.

QUESTION: Senator, because of the rising unemployment numbers -- does it make it more difficult for you to make the case for comprehensive immigration reform? REID: The question is because we have rising unemployment numbers -- is that what you said? -- harder to do immigration reform? No, I don't think so. I don't -- I don't think that that is directly impacting doing comprehensive immigration reform.

What is impacting doing comprehensive immigration reform is getting floor time to do it. I think the votes are there to do it.

Thank you.