BALTIMORE, Md. -- Senate candidates Ben Cardin and Michael Steele both said Tuesday that health care would be on their agenda in the U.S. Senate, if elected.

Both said they want to make it more affordable for Americans, and both said they believe the government should help.

The divide comes in exactly how much help that should be.

"I want health care for the 46 million Americans who don't have health care," Steele said Tuesday.

Cardin made a similar comment, saying, "Forty-six million people without health care is a national disgrace."

Plans proposed by Cardin and Steele both have the government helping cover costs to get Americans insured.

Cardin is calling for universal health care and said he sees three ways to achieve it.

First, he said, it would be attainable through individual responsibility. Cardin said people who can afford to pay for insurance should buy it.

Next, Cardin said employers should be encouraged to provide policies for their workers. He also said he believes the government should underwrite coverage for those who can't afford it.

Cardin said, "The government programs that deal with those who are financially unable to afford health care or for our seniors or our disabled population need to be stronger than they are today."

Cardin voted in favor of the failed Clinton health care plan.

WBAL TV 11 News reporter Kate Amara asked Cardin Tuesday if it was possible for Washington to come up with a solution.

Cardin responded, "We can do that. We have the tools to do that. The question is: do we have the political will? And I can tell you I'm going to be fighting for that every day in the United States Senate."

Steele has his own ideas to extend America's health care umbrella.

Like Cardin, Steele said he supports individual responsibility and favors health savings accounts for people who can't afford a broad insurance policy. He is also proposing a plan to help small businesses pool resources to boost purchasing power, he said.

Steele said he wants health policies to look more like a la carte car insurance policies, calling them "a system that you could design for yourself."

As for Americans who can't afford any of these options, Steele said he would call for elected leaders and insurance companies to work out a solution if he gets elected to the Senate.

However, Steele could not answer how he would convince the Aetnas, Cignas and other large health care providers of the world to help foot the bill.

He said, "This isn't about getting paid, this is about providing health care to people who need it. You've got 46 million Americans with no health insurance. Do you think Aetna wouldn't like to have 46 million new annuitants on their rolls?"

Steele continued, "The government and the private sector would work together to design a package for those who are at the margins."

Steele and Cardin's opinions differ on the issue of stem cell research. Steele opposes embryonic stem cell research and abortion, while Cardin is in favor of stem cell research and supports a woman's right to choose.