PELOSI — Transcript of House Democrats’ Press Call Ahead of ACA National Day of Action
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Leader Pelosi's Opening Remarks:
"Good morning, everyone. This is a pretty exciting time for us. Four weeks since the Inauguration of a new President. Eight years ago, on this day,
"But I didn't want the morning to pass without acknowledging what this date meant eight years ago. It also began our path toward health care for all Americans as a right, not a privilege for the few. Inspired by so many and seeing the urgency - and captured best by Dr.
"We'll be hearing from five of our leaders from across the country, who will be part of the 85 - we're having events tomorrow - part of over 100 within this [month]. I'm very, very proud of the response that we have received from our colleagues on this.
"Tomorrow will be our centerpiece day for events - town halls, real hospital visits, roundtables and many things in between. Again, I'm joined on the call by some of our Members who will be discussing events they planned. The American people are mobilizing against the Republican assault on affordable health care, but
"Five of our guests today are leaders in the
"I'm pleased to yield, with great respect to all of them, starting with Chairwoman
Leader Pelosi's Closing Remarks:
"Thank you very much,
"I, too, am having a community forum tomorrow in
"I thank all of our colleagues for giving us their regional perspective on all of this. And I'm sure they would be pleased to take any questions you all may have - to our friends in the press. Any questions?
"As we await the questions, I just want to reiterate that this is the four-week anniversary of the Inauguration of a new president. The day after that, we had a - and that was a peaceful transfer of power - the morning after, America awakened to a peaceful demonstration of power with the Women's March on
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Q:
Leader Pelosi. Well, overarchingly, I would say it really hurts poor and middle income families very much. It's going to raise the amount of money that they're going to have to contribute to their care, funds that they can ill-afford. It is a massive tax cut for the wealthy. Repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which this, in fact, does in that respect, will give the 400 richest families in America a
There were three things we wanted to do with the Affordable Care Act: lower cost, expand access and third, to improve benefits. We've done all of that. This will reduce the number of insured; raise the cost of poor and middle class.
After seven years of 'baying at the moon' on this thing, they haven't even taken anything yet to the CBO, as far as I can see or that they have reported back to us. So, we don't know what the impact is on the budget because, again, that was one of the goals of the Affordable Care Act - is to reduce the cost to the federal budget.
I don't know if our colleagues have any comments they would like to make about it. It is just that [inaudible] bare outline. And in terms of
So in terms of opioids and drug epidemic and the rest of that - don't take it from me - Governor
So, for these and other reasons, I think that it is ill-thought out, a poor substitute, and not an improvement, to lowering costs, improving benefits and expanding access. My colleagues - just chime in if you want to join in on this.
It's very rural and what how the
One minor example, they've been able to reach out to the homeless population. We do have homeless people in rural areas as well, one example we've heard from the administrator yesterday is, there was a homeless gentleman who had a wound and literally was going into the Mississippi river to clean the wound to wash it out, and it wouldn't heal. This has allowed them to have staff and supplies to assist this gentleman. That's one minor example, but back to the point that [Congressman]
Leader Pelosi. Thank you.
Leader Pelosi. Thank you my colleagues. Next question?
Q: Thank you all for doing this. Is there anything in the plan [
Leader Pelosi. No I don't think so at all. I think they have a tin ear to what people are saying to them, they're saying, "we need this coverage, don't take it away from us" and that's exactly what they're doing. Mind you if they just wanted to add a proposal to Affordable Care Act, health savings accounts or something like that, it's no substitute for it but that's some way to say hands off our Affordable Care Act.
If you want to add something, okay, as long as it doesn't undermine the three standards that we have - expanded coverage, expanded access and lower costs. They have an ideological approach to all of this, which is that they had been opposed to a public role in delivering insurance; they try to frame it as delivery of service, which it isn't. They try to use a handful of insurance companies may leave as a reason. What they have presented is only an outline anyway it's not even a plan, it hasn't been scored, so I don't know how serious they are about this. They can say they have a press release, but they really don't have a plan.
It really is unfortunate because our plan has Republican heart in it. The exchanges, the market place, the individual mandate, are all central parts of the Romney plan in
Hopefully they'll listen more clearly to their constituents, make a judgement, weigh the equities and decide. I've never known a perfect bill, I've been in
I don't think that they've listened, I don't think that they've heard and I don't know if they want to listen or to hear or to learn.
Our seniors are relying on this from nursing care, as well as, the children of seniors who are working families, who are trying to use the
Leader Pelosi. Thank you
Leader Pelosi. Thank you,
Q: Hi, good morning. How are you doing" I had a question maybe to
Leader Pelosi. Well, let me just say that earlier on rural hospitals from 11 states came together to make sure people were aware of the impact it would have on rural hospitals, and they have been venues for our members to visit and to tell their story to our members about it. I'm not, was your question frustration" No, not at all. This is hard to go up against the President and a Republican, a majority, you know, his party in the
You know, the one example I gave you before of this
Leader Pelosi. Can I just say, in a pragmatic way just in terms of green eyeshades, that's the perspective of the
This also has an economic impact, because as talk about wanting to have new opportunities for everyone in America's families, not just in cities but in rural America, if we're going to try to encourage business and opportunity to flourish there, it has to have hospitals. I mean, you can't ask people to move their families to a place, to start a business, or to invest and live there with their talents, whether they're engineers or whatever, to engage in the new technologies of the future or just even to, new technologies for agriculture and the rest, if you're not going to be able to have access to health care for their families. So it has an economic impact.
Leader Pelosi. I just want to say, I just came back before this call from speaking to a conference, a large conference in D.C. here to
So they have to understand what insurance is about. Bigger, healthier pool is, lowers cost, and again makes the country healthier, and that's what we're about. Not just the health care of America but the good health of all Americans. And we oppose what the
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