More than 20 religious leaders sent a letter Wednesday to President Obama urging him to show “active and public leadership” to get Congress to pass a health-care overhaul bill.

“We implore you to make it plain to all Americans that the decisions of Congress have moral consequences,” it says. “Letting this life-line lapse would be a failure of historic proportions.”

The letter, sent as the president prepares to deliver his State of the Union address tonight, was signed by representatives of groups including Catholics in Alliance for the Public Good, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Hindu American Seva Charities, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, National Council of Churches USA, and Sojourners. The signers include more than a third of the White House Office for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

“Too many people in our congregations and communities have waited too long for quality, affordable health care,” it says. “We cannot let them down.”

Both the House and Senate have passed health-care bills, but momentum was slowed by last week’s election of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts formerly held by Edward M. Kennedy. That deprived the Senate of a 60-vote filibuster-proof supermajority that would make it easier to pass a final bill.