Maryland Congressman Elijah E. Cummings is the latest to come to the defense of a government-run insurance program to compete with private insurers, calling the lack of a public option “unfair” if all Americans are required to have coverage.

Elijah E. Cummings

Cummings, a Democrat and senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, called health care reform “one of the greatest and most important legislative decisions of our lifetime and we cannot afford to get it wrong.”

“We must be sure that we have legislation that includes a public option – it would be unfair to require all Americans to purchase health insurance without the guarantee of an affordable option provided by true competition,” he said in a statement.

Following a statement by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius calling the inclusion of the public option not “essential” to a final bill, the White House found itself reiterating President Barack Obama’s support for a government-run program to reduce cost and increase competition.

In his statement, Cummings said the principle of competition in the public option “is based on the same fundamental principle upon which our entire nation was built.”

“A competitive environment will put an end to the practices that have left so many families with outrageous medical bills and substandard medical care while leaving insurance company executives with fat wallets,” he said. “The public option will ensure that companies provide Americans with quality, affordable plans that are based on common sense and recommendations of doctors and other medical experts.”

Cummings added that President Obama has emphasized the importance of the public option in the past “and we cannot afford to drop such a critical component of reform in favor of another option that isn’t guaranteed to make any significant difference in the status quo.”