PELOSI — Floor Remarks Opposing the Republican Budget Resolution
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Pelosi Floor Remarks Opposing the Republican Budget Resolution
"Thank you,
"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
"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,
"The
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"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
"The reality is, as Mr.
"Furthermore,
"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.
"And Mr.
"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
"The
"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
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