PELOSI — Floor Remarks Opposing the Republican Budget Resolution

January 13, 2017

Contact: Drew Hammill/Caroline Behringer, 202-226-7616

Pelosi Floor Remarks Opposing the Republican Budget Resolution

Washington, D.C. - Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the Republican Budget Resolution. Below are the Leader's remarks:

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding - so proud of him and his leadership as the Ranking Member on the Budget Committee.

"I'm so sorry that the Speaker left the Floor, because I have some very good news for him. Clearly he does not understand what the Affordable Care Act has brought to our country in terms of expanding benefits, lowering costs and expanding the access of many more people to the promise of our founders of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - a healthier life and the freedom to pursue their happiness.

"I understand why the Speaker may want to concentrate on some mythology that he presented about the Affordable Care Act because he's not going to focus on what this bill on the Floor does today - the Republican budget. It does not create more good-paying jobs or raise wages, it does not invest in infrastructure to rebuild our nation. The Republican plan does not invest in the education of our children or the lifetime learning of working people, it does not help Americans find balance between work and family, it does not reduce the deficit. In fact, it increases the deficit, and it does not seek to 'drain the swamp' of secret money from our elections.

"Instead, the Republicans are feeding their ideological obsession with repealing the ACA and dismantling the health and economic security of hard-working families.

"We all know that a budget should be a statement of our values. What is important to us as a nation should be reflected in our budget proposals. I always say: show me your values, show me your budget. Well, you heard me say some of what this budget does not do. As we get further into the next stage of the budget, we will see that what their budget does is just broaden, widen the disparity in income in our country, give tax breaks to the high end. And part of their tax breaks to the high end is to repeal the Affordable Care Act so they can eliminate the tax on those who are helping to fund the Affordable Care Act.

"So, let me just talk about the Affordable Care Act for a while because this is - one of the things the public should know is that the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid are now wed. If you mess with the ACA, it will directly impact these important other initiatives: Medicare and Medicaid.

"The Republicans have never supported Medicare. They opposed it at its origin, and over time continue to oppose it. Their Speaker in the 1990's, Newt Gingrich, said, 'Medicare should wither on the vine.' Their Speaker, Paul Ryan, has in his budget: removing the guarantee of Medicare for our seniors - remove the guarantee. That means you'll get a voucher and you go shop for Medicare in this nonexistent health plan that they have put forth.

"Republicans talk about they're going to 'repeal and replace' - interesting alliteratively, but not realistic in terms of: for six years they have had a chance to propose an alternative. We see nothing. But what we have seen is their 'cut and run.' They want to cut benefits, and run. They want to cut savings, and run. They want to cut access and run. They want to cut Medicare and run. [Cut] Medicaid, and run. The list goes on and on. And they want to cut jobs. We will lose three million jobs if they have their way, with their nonexistent 'cut and run' plan on the Affordable Care Act. As I said about the relationship between ACA and Medicare and Medicaid, with their [plan], hospitals would be devastated under the ACA repeal because they would be left with uncompensated care.

"One of the challenges to hospitals was they must care for people who come, and they don't have the ability to pay. With the Affordable Care Act we now take care of that, and that alleviates the cost to corporate America or those who are providing health benefits to their workers - adding between $1,000 [and] $3,000 a year per policy because they're carrying the uncompensated cost of care. The Affordable Care Act alleviates them of that.

"The reality is, as Mr. Richie Neal, our new Ranking Member of Ways and Means, has said: the reality is Medicaid is now a health program that crosses the economic spectrum. It's not just for the poor. People think of Medicaid as a poor people initiative. No, it enables mothers to work their way out of poverty by providing affordable coverage for their children, yes. It enables people with disabilities to get the care needed to live and work in the community. And it provides critical nursing home care for middle-class elderly who have spent down their savings and have no other alternative. As Richie says: grandma is going to be living in the guest room or in the attic or in the basement if they cannot have nursing home care. This is very important to families because parents, families - we want a budget that enables people to have good-paying jobs, increase their paychecks so that they can afford their home, address the aspirations of their children and have a dignified retirement. If they have to care for their aging parents, they can do less for their children. And this assault on Medicaid is an assault on the financial stability of families across the board, whatever their age.

"Furthermore, Medicaid is one of the best tools to fight an addiction. We made a big deal about our opioid legislation. Americans who previously did not have access to health care and therefore self-medicated, they self-medicated with opioids and other painkillers are able to access diagnosis, treatment and pain management. Medicaid provides real care for addiction - for the addiction and underlying condition to turn, and turn for the better for individuals, their families and the community. The lists go on and on.

"The jobs issue - in most of your communities, health care providers, hospitals, etc. are the biggest employers. They won't be anymore. Millions of jobs will be lost. Mr. Pallone, our Ranking Member on Energy and Commerce, another Committee of Jurisdiction, keeps making that point. 'Why are you being, he says, ideological about this when the practical effect is about the economic security of our families?' Thank you, Mr. Pallone, for that.

"And Mr. Bobby Scott, who is the Ranking Member on the Education and Workforce Committee, shows what happens to states if you overturn the Affordable Care Act. In his own state of Virginia, he can give testimony to the increased cost to the state or lack of meeting the needs, health care needs of constituents. The ACA guards and strengthens the health care and economic security of every American, no matter where he or she gets health insurance. It delivered transformational progress in terms of coverage, quality and cost.

"Now, much has been said about the fact that more than 20 million people now have access to affordable health care. This is a wonderful and remarkable thing. But that is only part of the story. Every American benefits from this who has access to health care. Most Americans receive their health benefits in the workplace. And if you do, you now cannot be discriminated against because of a pre-existing medical condition. You cannot be discriminated against if you are a woman - no longer is being a woman a pre-existing medical condition, which means you paid more if you are a woman. No longer can the insurance companies levy lifetime limits, just hold you to lifetime limits for a pre-existing condition that you may have or just even the care you are getting on a new basis. The list goes on and on. The list goes on and on, and you know how many people have a pre-existing medical condition" Over 100 million American families are affected by pre-existing conditions. If your child is born prematurely - I myself have five children. Long ago, an insurance company said to me, 'You are at poor risk because you have five children.' And I said, 'I thought that was a sign of my strength. I didn't know that you were measuring it as a weakness.' But any excuse will do. Any excuse will do - would have done, but not with the Affordable Care Act.

"It stands there as a pillar of economic and health security. It stands as a pillar of economic security. Like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which, again, the Republicans opposed. 'Wither on the vine' - Newt Gingrich, 1990's. Paul Ryan in his budget: take away the guarantee. But it is a pillar of economic and health security. So when they're greatly - their proposal today, which increases the debt, the deficit, does not create jobs, undermines the health security of the American people, does not do much in any regard to address the challenges I posed in the beginning, it's no wonder they want to talk about the Affordable Care Act because they have nothing to recommend them in their budget resolution.

"The GOP's repeal plan will raise premiums. The rate of growth of health care costs in our country has been greatly diminished by the Affordable Care Act. In the more than 50 years that they had been measuring the rate of growth, it has never been slower than now. Repeal would create chaos that will echo the health care - one of our - affordable care versus chaos. Chaos is the order of the day for them.

"So the American people will not be dragged back to the days when an illness or injury meant financial ruin, that you might not get a job because someone in your family was ill and was going to raise the cost of health care in the company that might hire you, that you could lose your home. Most bankruptcies spring because of not being able to pay medical bills.

"Anyway, just in short, we will not allow the Republicans to make America sick again. I urge a 'no' vote on this unfortunate resolution."