The chairmen of three committees in the U.S. House of Representatives have agreed to work together to build legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system, which they hope to present this summer.

Henry A. Waxman

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chair of the Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-New York), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, have pledged to work jointly, according to a report in the New York Times.

The Democrats are expected to focus their efforts on helping employers to provide coverage options, while offering government-sponsored health insurance as an alternative, the report said.

When the administration of President Bill Clinton attempted to adopt universal health coverage 15 years ago, a key reason for the failure was competition among various congressional committee chairs.

The chairmen say a single piece of legislation should be prepared by August.

Several senators, including Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), have said they hope to have legislation prepared for review on health care reform within the next few months, and President Barack Obama has said he intends to offer legislation seeking to improve coverage in the U.S.