In an address before a joint session of Congress, on Wednesday, September 9, President Barack Obama urged lawmakers to put aside partisan rancor and come together to help finalize a bipartisan health care solution. "The time for bickering is over," the president said. "The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do."

Here's a look at some of the data compiled from last week's survey of ABA member booksellers regarding health care reform.

This information, as well as additional comments provided by survey respondents, will be very helpful to the ABA Board of Directors as it considers how it might advocate for health care reform on behalf of independent booksellers. In addition, Bookselling This Week will continue to cover the ongoing story of health care reform.

On Wednesday, July 29, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary Landrieu (D-LA) joined Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) at a press conference to discuss the effects skyrocketing health care costs are having on small businesses.

At its summer meeting, the American Booksellers Association's Board of Directors discussed the ongoing national debate regarding health care reform, and how ABA might play an advocacy role on behalf of independent booksellers. Following its discussions, the Board concluded that it needed more information from member stores.

On Tuesday, July 14, Democratic leaders introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives comprehensive health care reform legislation. The bill, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, was introduced against a backdrop of ongoing public and political debate over policy, legislative details, and cost. Meanwhile, House Republicans announced this week that they would be introducing an alternative health care reform bill, which, they contend, will be less costly than the legislation introduced by their Democratic colleagues.

With Congress scheduled to recess in just a few weeks, lawmakers have continued to focus on health care reform.

Here is a look at some of the latest developments:

Congress, voters, and the President all continued to focus on the issue of health care reform this week, and a major player in the political debate -- the Obama administration -- issued a report on how the escalating costs of health care adversely affect small businesses.

With President Obama pressing Congress to draft viable and fiscally prudent health care reform legislation by October, the debate over how to reform health care has intensified.

This month, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to make health insurance more available and affordable for the employees of small businesses and for the self-employed. The legislation, the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), S. 2795, is sponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and Norm Coleman (R-MN).