Healthcare reform certainly isn't easy. But failing to pass a comprehensive overhaul shouldn't be an option.

Right now, more than 45 million Americans don't have health insurance. Given the current recession, that number is likely on the rise. And national healthcare spending continues to escalate at an alarming rate.

Congress's healthcare bills certainly have some flaws. But Americans of all political stripes recognize that we need reform. Republicans and Democrats alike can rally behind initiatives to expand coverage, remove waste and fraud from our system, accelerate the adoption of health information technology, prohibit insurers from denying coverage to patients with pre-existing medical conditions, and reduce the deficit.

Whether lawmakers decide to work with the existing proposals or start from scratch, it's important that they seize this opportunity. New Jersey Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg have worked hard to fight for responsible healthcare legislation that works for all Americans. It's crucial that they keep up the good work.