Dems introduce 'Wal-Mart' bill

Democratic Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John Corzine (D-NJ) introduced legislation yesterday which would require states to report the names of companies which have 50 or more employees receiving government subsidized healthcare. The legislation specifically targets large employers like Wal-Mart, who have drawn heavy criticism from some observers recently for failing to provide benefits for their workers. The lawmakers noted that more than 600,000 of Wal-Mart's 1.2 million employees get their health insurance from either the government or through a spouse's employer. Corzine described those numbers as "staggering." A Wal-Mart spokesperson said the company "encourages transparency as long as the collection of information includes all employers in the US."

- see this story from the Boston Globe

PLUS: Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney is trying to win support for his market-based vision of universal healthcare. Story