Pelosi Testimony to the House Rules Committee on Voting No on TrumpCare
Contact: Ashley Etienne/Caroline Behringer, 202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi testified before the House Rules Committee on the necessity of protecting the Affordable Care Act for the health and economic security of hard-working Americans. Below are Leader Pelosi's opening remarks.
Leader Pelosi's Opening Remarks:
"I appreciate the opportunity to testify before the Rules Committee to join the AARP; the American Medical Association; hospitals; nurses and physicians; patient and consumer groups in condemning TrumpCare's assault on hard-hardworking Americans. It's worth noting: this Rules Committee meeting is the first and only time that House Republicans have allowed anything resembling direct testimony about TrumpCare's consequences for the American people.
"You said that you've been sitting here for hours, but I do know that our Republican colleagues who have been sitting here for hours as well, as witnesses were not able to speak for the last two hours of that so I'm going to take advantage of the time that I have.
"The lives of millions of families – mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren and the rest – depend on the affordable health coverage this bill would destroy, but Republicans refused to listen. So we're happy to have this little bit of time to say some things.
"This is about pay more and get less. Higher costs. TrumpCare forces families to pay higher premiums and deductibles, increasing out-of-pocket costs.
"It's with less coverage that TrumpCare will take away health care from 24 million hard-working Americans.
"A crushing age tax, TrumpCare forces Americans aged 50-64 – Mr. Chairman, I hear that is now referred to as the new elderly, just so you know, it seems young to me – but to pay premiums five times higher than what others pay for health coverage, no matter how healthy they are.
"It steals from Medicare. TrumpCare shortens the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by 3 years and ransacks funds that seniors depend on to get the long-term care they need.
"Speaker Ryan called this bill an ‘act of mercy.' I don't know what faith tradition it is that it is an act of mercy to take away health care from millions of people, and to have the biggest transfer of wealth in our country's history from America's working class, middle class and those to aspire to it to the richest people in our country.
"This is no act of mercy, there is no mercy here. TrumpCare is a moral monstrosity that will devastate seniors and hard-working Americans.
"If Republicans have their way, families, seniors, vulnerable children, Americans with disabilities, people struggling to overcome addiction and the sick will lose their health care. Rural hospitals will be closed and nearly 2 million jobs, yes 2 million jobs, will be destroyed across America. Why? So that Republicans can hand billionaires another massive new tax giveaway.
"TrumpCare is Robin Hood in reverse – one of the largest transfers of wealth, as I said before, from working families to the rich in our history. The manager's amendment before the committee only confirms that TrumpCare is broken beyond fixing – because this bill was never about expanding coverage or lowering costs.
"House Republicans all but admitted they can't fix the crushing costs that TrumpCare's Age Tax dumps on middle-aged and older Americans. If anything, Republicans have made TrumpCare even more destructive to the Americans who depend on Medicaid.
"I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to testify before you, Mr. Chairman, the Members of the Committee. And I'm very grateful to Ms. Slaughter, our Ranking Member and Mr. McGovern, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Polis for their leadership. We are grateful to them in our caucus as I'm sure those in your caucus are grateful to you for the time you put in on the Rules Committee, because this is an important service to [not only] our Caucuses but to the Congress and our country.
"A former speaker, Mr. Chairman, my colleague said ‘all politics is local.' When it comes to healthcare, it's not just about local – all politics is personal, it's very personal. Everyone understands what it means to them.
"So while we talk about the fact that 24 million people will lose their health care and they will pay more to get less – and that's a big transfer of wealth – people are most interested in what it means to them personally. And this is really a very sad thing because we believe that health care is a right for all Americans, not a privilege for a few.
"We believe it follows the values of our Founding Fathers to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – a healthier life to the have liberty to pursue their happiness.
"No matter how you dress it up, TrumpCare is a plan to push 24 million people off their health coverage and force Americans to pay more for less health care. Affordable health care must be the right of every American – not the privilege of the few. But don't take it from me. As Pope Francis said: ‘Health is not a consumer good but a universal right, so access to health services cannot be a privilege.'
"For the sake of the American people, Republicans should pull the bill.
"I'm honored to be here with our Assistant Leader, Mr. Clyburn, who has been a champion on the issue of health care for all Americans as a right not just a privilege for a few. His contribution to passing the Affordable Care Act was a great one and he brings a perspective from rural America, down south, his community. His wisdom is very valuable, and is valued by all of us, and I'm honored to call him a colleague.
"I yield back."
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