WASHINGTON – With the ink barely dry on various 2012 federal budget proposals, the Maryland congressional delegation began working on shaping the final product this week.

As many as 261,000 uninsured Marylanders could receive health care coverage and approximately 1 million families and 122,100 small businesses could receive tax credits to offset health care costs, under the current health care reform plan, according to a new congressional study.

Maryland’s Democrat-dominated Congressional delegation praised President Obama‘s State of the Union address for taking on controversial issues, including gays in the military, and not giving up on health care.

Maryland lawmakers underscored the urgency of equitable health care reform on Capitol Hill Oct. 6, drawing attention to a new report by the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University that highlights the economic burden of discriminatory health care practices.

Maryland’s Democratic-dominated congressional delegation sang the praises of President Obama‘s health care speech Wednesday night, calling it “bold” and “powerful.”