Nancy Pelosi: “I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for the leadership role he played in making America healthier in the…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for the leadership role he played in making America healthier in the original passage of the Affordable Care Act and protecting it from the constant sabotage that the Republicans in the Congress and in the White House have exacted on the Affordable Care Act. I want to pay special tribute to the outside groups, the patient advocacy groups, the Little Lobbyists, the children, so many people who spoke and told their stories at 10,000 events across the country to oppose the Republicans' constant assault on the Affordable Care Act for the first 2 years of the Trump administration, a time when the President had the White House, the House, and the Senate and could very well have passed legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act, as they said they would do. {time} 1430 They didn't replace it because they don't believe in a government role. Much about the Affordable Care Act has to do with Medicare and how we prolonged the life of Medicare and adjusted funding so that we could reduce the cost of prescription drugs for our seniors. The Republican approach to Medicare is that it should wither on the vine, that there is no place in a free society, in a free economy, for Medicare. Let's understand this. This is not just about the issue or the legislation of the Affordable Care Act. This is about a value system in our country, about understanding that healthcare is a right for all Americans, not just a privilege.…”