President Obama was in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Thursday to promote his push for healthcare reform. Speaking at a town hall-style event, Obama rejected criticism of his calls for creating a government-run public insurance program that would compete with private insurers.

President Obama: “To those who criticize our efforts, I ask them, ’What’s the alternative?’ What else do we say to all the families who spend more on healthcare than on housing or on food? What do we tell those businesses that are choosing between closing their doors and letting their workers go?”

Obama’s comments were aimed at critics who have opposed any type of public health plan. Private insurers have opposed a government-run program out of fear they’d be unable to compete with its cheaper costs. Obama did not, however, address his progressive critics who advocate the creation of a single-payer system that would eliminate for-profit insurance companies entirely. As Obama promoted his version of a public insurance program, a key Senate Democrat said he would oppose any form of public healthcare. Max Baucus, the Senate Finance Committee chair leading congressional efforts on healthcare reform, said he would propose a plan based on creating member-based insurance cooperatives not run by the government. Baucus explicitly ruled out using the word “public,” saying, “It’s not going to be public, we won’t call it public, but it will be tough enough to keep insurance companies’ feet to the fire.”