In a statement, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama is “pleased— with Reid’s decision to include a public insurance option in the bill.“While much work remains, the President is pleased at the progress that Congress has made,— Gibbs said. “He’s also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition.—