Setting the stage for a Feb. 25 bipartisan summit on the future of health care, the Obama Administration echoed its drive for unified, comprehensive reform, while at least one Republican says Democrats continue to move forward without his party’s input.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Vice President Joe Biden said the Obama Administration has invited Republicans to the White House to work together toward a final piece of legislation. Progress in joining the Senate and House bills into one comprehensive proposal has faced numerous roadblocks in the last two months.

Joe Biden

“It is my sincere hope that they [Republicans] all say there’s a real problem,” Biden said. “If they’re willing and they have ideas that can better deal with those three problems, we’re ready, willing and able to listen; and we’re anxious to. But we think it’s absolutely essential for the economic health of this country that we move forward on health care.”

Biden defended President Barack Obama’s decision to “move aggressively” on health care reform to stem rising costs and ensure “the insurance companies can’t engage in the kind of practices they do with pre-existing conditions and limits on coverage.”

Later in the program, Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) said that while cameras will be rolling Feb. 25 during the health care summit, the roadblocks faced in the past could have been avoided by including Republicans.

Schock said last April he was one of more than a hundred Republicans asking the president to meet with the party and listen to its ideas on how to reform health care.

“And for the good part of that year, the president spent his time only working with Democratic members,” he said. “And it wasn’t until the losses in New Jersey and Virginia [gubernatorial races] and, subsequently, the [Sen.] Scott Brown election in Massachusetts that have forced them to the table to talk about truly wanting to work with us.”

The congressman added that “unfortunately,” Republicans have learned that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are “now trying to develop a new bill” prior to the Feb. 25 summit.

“If that’s the case, I think it’s unfortunate,” Schock said. “We need to start from scratch, which is where the American people are on this issue. They have overwhelmingly rejected both the House and the Senate versions. And if the president was – is willing to start from scratch, is truly willing to be a negotiator, meet us halfway, where the American people are, we will support it.”