Bill Pascrell: “I have a great deal of respect for both you and the chairman, but there is a parting of the ways here. I want to urge my…”

“I have a great deal of respect for both you and the chairman, but there is a parting of the ways here. I want to urge my colleagues to stand against the administration's vicious assault on Medicaid. That is how I perceive it. The expansion of Medicaid by the ACA is one of the great success stories of government in action in the last 50 years. Despite the decade-long obstructionism, Medicaid expansion has saved 19,000 older, low-income adult lives--and I know they don't challenge those numbers-- and 825 lives just in our State of New Jersey. But many Republicans have rejected the attempts to destroy--they tried to destroy the ACA at the ballot box and at the courthouse. But like Captain Ahab after his white whale, they remain singularly dedicated to stealing healthcare away from as many Americans as possible. This administration knows their policy is pure poison. They gave it an innocuous name and, as we heard on Tuesday, are lying about the details to fool people. Americans will not be fooled by this Orwellian scheme. This policy would rip away healthcare for some of the most vulnerable of our neighbors. They want to obliterate the ACA no matter what the consequences. Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution to send a loud message: Those on the other side cannot be allowed to steal your healthcare. We will do everything in our power to stop their schemes. Now, the ``Joker'' movie may not prevail at Sunday's Oscars.…”