A U.S. senator says that there is support by both Democrats and Republicans to let uninsured Americans buy into a health insurance plan run by the government.

Tom Harkin

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) recently told attendees at a health care forum in his home state, “I think the votes might be there for something like that,” according to the Des Moines Register.

The meeting March 23 was one of many being held by President Barack Obama and his administration to pool public opinion on how to reform America’s health care system.  About 500 medical professionals, insurance representatives and public officials attended the Iowa meeting, according to the report.

Also helping to moderate the meeting was Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office on Health Reform, who said it was too early to say whether Obama would insist on permitting the purchase of health insurance through one of several existing public plans, according to the Register.

“My job isn’t to run in and say here’s the way we want to do it,” DeParle said. “My job is to look at the president’s principles and see how we can meet his principles with various ways the Congress might approach it.”