Pelosi Remarks at Press Availability on Health Insurance Reform

Pelosi Remarks at Press Availability on Health Insurance Reform

Monday, July 27, 2009

Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Caucus Chairman John Larson, Caucus Vice Chairman Xavier Becerra, and Assistant to the Speaker Chris Van Hollen held a press availability this afternoon in the Capitol on health insurance reform. Below is a transcript of the Speaker's opening remarks, closing statement, and question and answer session.

Speaker Pelosi Opening Remarks: 

ʉہ"Good afternoon. We're on our way to our Caucus meeting to continue our discussions with our colleagues.

ʉہ"I'm very pleased to report that we are moving closer to a place where we will lower costs, we will improve the quality of care, we will expand choices, and we will give peace of mind to the American people. We are moving closer to a point where we will hold the insurance companies accountable.

ʉہ"This afternoon you will hear from my colleagues about how the CBO has reported and disputed claims by the Republicans about what our legislation will do. You will hear from our Chairman of our Caucus as to what positive things will happen in each district of our Members, in terms of expanding opportunities for health insurance. And our distinguished Whip will talk about the cost of doing nothing. The cost of doing nothing - huge to America's families, to our federal budget, and to our economy. We'll hear from Mr. Becerra about a wonderful agreement that we've reached on Friday that reforms delivery, health care delivery, and reforms insurance as we go forward to make it all fair.

 â€Å"I'm very pleased that our Chair of our Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and member of the leadership will be talking too about the immoral profits being made by the insurance industry and how those profits have increased in the Bush years. We all believe in the profit motive; we all want to reward success.  But having that success come at the expense of America's working families - have that success come by withholding care, when a person becomes ill, is just not right and we're going to take this issue in a new direction.

ʉہ"Were going to take it in a new direction, again, to lower cost, to improve the quality of care, to expand choices, to give peace of mind, and to again, make our economy more dynamic by having people not be locked into their jobs, not to be deprived of health care because they have earned poor insurance because they have a pre-existing medical condition. If they lose their job, if they change their job, if they start a new business, they will continue to have health care. There will be a cap on what they spend, and no cap on what their benefits are.

ʉہ"So our committee process is proceeding along. We are about to leave to go to our Caucus meeting. I am very pleased about that progress that is being made. And all of our leadership has been a part of a team to advance this important issue down the field. And we are working with President Obama. This is his top priority, and when we bring this bill to the floor, it will win.

 â€Å"With that, I want to yield to the distinguished - very, very distinguished Majority Leader, Democratic Leader of the House Steny Hoyer.”

 * * *

 Speaker Pelosi Closing Statement:

â€Å"Thank you very much, my colleagues. I hope that you hear the confidence that we have in how we go forward.

 â€Å"You hear Mr. Hoyer talk, using the Congressional Budget Office letter to refute the charges made by the Republicans - the misrepresentations that they're putting out there.  And Mr. Clyburn talked about the costs of doing nothing- $1,800 a year for families, every year for 10 years, $18,000 by the time we get to 2020. Mr. Larson didn't tell you, but as he talked about what's happening in different districts in terms of numbers of people being insured, number of small business that will get credits to provide health insurance to their employees, the funds that will be available to the hospitals in each district - that will be all online for you to see for every district in the country.

ʉہ"I congratulate Mr. Becerra for the work that he has done over a long period of time both as a member of the leadership as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, to bring the agreement together, to reform the delivery of medical services in our country and reform health insurance to make more fair the reimbursements of core Medicare and, again, to make our health care better for our entire country. And Mr. Van Hollen, I thank you for pointing out, as you say, the obscene profits of the insurance companies and what that means in the lives of individuals.

ʉہ"This is about the American people. This is about the American people. It's about making them healthier, more economically secure, and have more choices in their lives. It's about our economy. The President has said it over and over again: health care reform is entitlement reform. So whether it means in cost of health to an individual, to a small business to be competitive, to our economy to have the vitality of people not locked in their jobs, or to our federal budget. We must proceed. The cost of doing nothing is huge in every respect and that is not what we intend to do. We intend to take action and that provides what the President has called for: quality, affordable, accessible health care for all Americans.

 â€Å"And with that, I'd be pleased to take any questions.”

 Q: [Inaudible. Question about Energy and Commerce Committee roundup.]

 Speaker Pelosi.  That is what we're waiting for. We're very pleased that the communication is intact and that Members will be going forth on the Energy and Commerce Committee. I'm very proud that we already have two Committees that have reported out: the Ways and Means Committee and the Education and Labor Committee. And in the Senate, the HELP Committee - HELP.

 Three of the five Committees that have to report out a bill in both Houses have reported out. We're waiting to see now when Energy and Commerce Committees will report out. But that is the route we are going and we're waiting for those results.

 Q: And just to follow up on that. The Majority Leader said that the House would work until something has passed. Does that mean it would work in this work period until something has passed? Will you keep that House here until it has passed the bill?

 Speaker Pelosi.  The Majority Leader does the schedule for the floor. I listened attentively when he said that.

 I have said that I wanted a bill to pass before we left for the August recess. In fact, I honored the request of the President to make that commitment. But I've also said that our Members need the time that they need, not only to get the bill written, but to have plenty of time to review it. And I've also said that we need to see the direction that the Senate is going, so that we can do as much work in advance of September, so that when we come back, when we go to conference, we're a good way down the road. So we're on schedule. We're good to do it now or to do it whenever, but a lot depends on when the Energy and Commerce Committee finishes its work. And then we can make a decision about when we will take that vote.

 Q: [Inaudible. Question about Energy and Commerce Committee markup.]

 Speaker Pelosi. They are marking up. That is what they are doing. That's exactly what the Energy and Commerce Committee is doing and that is the job that they will match to work with the other Committees and then we'll be able to merge the three bills, put out a document that will then be available for amendment.

 So it's not a question of what we hear, it is what they will be doing, that they will be marking up their bill.