PILGRIM: Well President Obama took his case for health care overhaul to Congress in a televised speech last night. But did the speech provide enough detail about the health care proposal? Did it change any minds? Well that's the topic of tonight's "Face Off" debate.

And joining me now is Congressman Scott Garrett, Republican of New Jersey. And he says the current health care system needs to be changed but a government takeover is not the answer. And Congressman Steve Rothman is a Democrat of New Jersey and he supports the president's plan. He says last night's speech changed the health care debate entirely.

So let's start with basically -- we'll start with you Congressman Garrett. Was this a make or break moment for the president? And did he stand up and make his case?

REP. SCOTT GARRETT (R), NEW JERSEY: Well, I think it was potentially make or break and he did try to make his case, and he made a case, but it's the same speech, basically the same points that he's been making from day one, so I don't know whether much of America was tuning in and heard anything different.

My take away from it was is that what he was describing though as far as his ideas and plans sure isn't what we're seeing in the bill that Speaker Pelosi and Harry Reid would have us vote in the House or the Senate any time soon. It's very different in a lot of key and crucial points.

PILGRIM: This is sort of a war of words at this point. We need details. We need specifics. Tell us what you think should go in it, Congressman Rothman.

REP. STEVE ROTHMAN (D), NEW JERSEY: Well I think my colleague, Scott Garrett and I, the Democrats and Republicans in general in the House agree on about 80 percent of what's already in H.R. 3200. I did 10 town haul meetings over the summer and we learned a lot about what language needs to be tightened up, what things concern people and those suggestions are going to be incorporated in the bill, but basically if you have insurance, we're going to make sure it's more affordable, bend the cost curve...

(CROSSTALK)

ROTHMAN: ... make sure that the insurance companies can't dump you if you get sick.

PILGRIM: Who could disagree with that? Who honestly could disagree with that?

ROTHMAN: (INAUDIBLE)

PILGRIM: Let's talk about the public option because that seems to be a point of contention although some of our reporting today points out that it may be -- there may be some movement on this. You know the president said last night quote, "only one part of my -- it's only one part of my plan and should not be used as a handy excuse for the Washington ideological battles." So Congressman Rothman, are you for the public option?

ROTHMAN: I'm for the public option because it allows for us to keep the insurance companies honest so they can't dump people if they discover pre-existing condition or the person gets sick or if a person loses their job and they can't get that insurance policy again. But if my friends on the Republican side of the aisle -- I happen to be a Democrat -- have other solutions we -- as the president said -- have had an open mind, we're ready to hear what their solutions are. The Democrats have put forth solutions. We're tightening them up after our August town hall meetings but we're waiting to hear from our Republican friends who identify the same problems but don't offer any solutions.

PILGRIM: Congressman Grassley -- Congressman Garrett, Senator Grassley said that the speech passed a big opportunity that it would have been pivotal, pivotal for bipartisanship if they had ruled out a government-run plan. Do you agree with that and what's your view on the public option?

GARRETT: Well I don't support the public option. And it's really disconcerting that Steve makes that point that he's still waiting to hear from the Republicans for different ideas and plans because you know we've been laying them out since day one. As a matter of fact, as the president walked down the aisle last night when he was all done, I reached out, extended my hand to him and I handed him a packet with over two dozen different Republican bills on health care that had been filed.

It's on the record, so Steve, it's right there for you to look at. And if the president has it now, he said he would be glad to look at it. But they've been out there. The Republicans have had these suggestions out there. We're just asking to have the administration be able to be open to the American public to hear these other ideas.

ROTHMAN: Well you know, Scott, I looked on your Web site tonight and I saw that we share the same concerns and you were criticizing the Democrats' ideas but you didn't offer one specific program on your Web site of how to address the problem of insurance companies dropping people with insurance when they get sick or providing competition so the insurance companies can't raise rates, double and triple as we've seen them happen before.

Plus there was no suggestion from your Web site or my other Republican friends on what to do with those American citizens who are uninsured and the public option is an option only. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to take it. It's an option that we would provide with private other -- private insurance policies. You pick the public one or the private ones, whatever makes sense for you. That's what we think Americans want -- affordability and choice.

PILGRIM: Congressman Garrett, response to that?

GARRETT: Well we certainly do want affordability and choice. And that's why when I listened to the president I said you know he's describing some really -- some good points but it sure ain't the bill that Speaker Pelosi would have us vote. For example, on the public option the president says he would not have that public option being subsidized by the government. Well that's a good point, but if you look in the bill that the House is about to vote on, the one that Steve said that he's all behind and he would support, that has subsidization by the government.

Matter of fact, it says if you make up the 300 percent of poverty level the government is going to step in there and subsidize it. It says that the government will be able to set the rates that they will pay on. That's another subsidization.

So I guess the question for Steve is, we both want to do the same thing but you're saying you support the House bill so you're really not supporting what the president was saying right now. So I guess you have to go back to your constituents and say, are you with the president and what he said last night or are you with Speaker Pelosi and the bill that you've already set on your -- (INAUDIBLE) August?

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN ANCHOR: Last word.

ROTHMAN: I did 10 town hall meetings, Scott. I gathered you didn't do any. But the language in the bill says that after two years there will be no subsidization of the public health option. So I think you misread the bill.

But the bottom line is we need to tighten the language and let's hear from our Republican friends. What's their solution? And the president said if there's something wrong with the language of the bill, help us tighten it up.

Most Americans, 80 percent of them, agree on 80 percent of what's wrong. Let's keep what's right about America's great health care system but fix what's wrong. We can do it. And we'll do it.

PILGRIM: Gentlemen, I have to say we conclude it there. I know we'll be discussing it for quite some time. And good luck with your work.

ROTHMAN: Thank you.

GARRETT: Thank you so much.

PILGRIM: Congressman Steve Rothman, Congressman Scott Garrett, thank you.