Pelosi: 'Today We Are Delivering on the Promise of Making Affordable, Quality Health Care Available for All Americans'

Pelosi: 'Today We Are Delivering on the Promise of Making Affordable, Quality
Health Care Available for All Americans'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House
Democratic Leaders, Committee Chairs, Members of Congress and Americans who
are struggling under the current health care system held a rally on the West
Front of the Capitol this morning to unveil H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health
Care for America Act. Below are the Speaker's opening remarks.

"Good morning. It is with great pride and with great humility that we come
before you to follow in the footsteps of those who gave our country Social
Security and then Medicare, and now universal, quality, affordable health care
for all Americans. [Applause.]

"We are brought to this historic moment for our nation and our families
because of the work of our three great chairmen of the committees in the House
-- Chairman Charlie Rangel of Ways and Means -- thank you Mr. Rangel --
Chairman Henry Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. I think that
George Miller has a hearing -- Chairman George Miller has a hearing -- as do
some of our other chairs and other Members are in hearings because the work of
Congress does not stop just because we have an important message to give to
you.

"I am very grateful for the cross-section of Members that we have --
generationally, geographically, philosophically -- in every way and from all
the committees of jurisdiction that worked on this legislation. And also
Members of the Caucus who participated over and over again under the
leadership of our Chairman John Larson and our Vice-Chair Xavier Becerra.

"So here we are. For nearly a century -- it's really over a century -- leaders
of all political parties, starting over a century ago with President Theodore
Roosevelt, have called and fought for health care and health insurance reform.
Today we are about to deliver on the promise of making affordable, quality
health care available for all Americans [Applause] -- laying the foundation
for a brighter future for generations to come.

"The Affordable Health Care for America Act is founded on key principles of
American success: opportunity, choice, competition, and innovation. We have
listened to the American people, we are putting forth a bill that reflects our
best values and addresses our greatest challenges. And we are putting it
online for all Americans to see.

"Here's what our health insurance reform legislation will mean to American
families, workers, and the economy. [To heckler:] Thank you, insurance
companies of America. [Laughter and applause.]

"This is why this legislation is important: affordability for our middle-class
that lowers costs for every patient, reins in premiums, co-pays, and
deductibles, limits out of pocket costs, and lifts the cap on what insurance
companies cover each year. Affordability for the middle-class and security for
our seniors. By strengthening Medicare, it secures the financial stability and
solvency of Medicare for years to come, provides seniors with better benefits
and guaranteed access to their doctors. And in this legislation, we will
immediately begin to close the donut hole.

"Affordability for the middle-class, security for our seniors, and
responsibility to our children. It reduces the deficit, meets President
Obama's call to keep the cost under $900 billion over 10 years, and it insures
36 million more Americans. [Applause.]

"That said, the bill is fiscally sound. It will not add one dime to the
deficit as it expands coverage, implements key insurance reforms, and promotes
prevention and wellness across the health system. The bill will expand
coverage, including a public option to boost choice and competition in the
health insurance reform. [Applause.]

"It covers 96 percent of all Americans and it puts affordable coverage in
reach for millions of uninsured and underinsured families -- lowering health
care costs for all of us.

"One other very important feature is that it ends discrimination for
pre-existing medical conditions. [Applause.] It opens doors to quality medical
care to those who were shut out of the system for far too long. And because of
the work of our Members and our meetings across the country, we know that
prevention and wellness are important part of this legislation and it puts a
major new emphasis on preventive care, expands access to screenings and other
treatments to keep Americans healthy, and promotes workplace wellness.

"The drive for health care reform is moving forward. The Affordable Health
Care Act will ensure, again, affordability for the middle-class, security for
our seniors, and responsibility to our children.

"As we continue to move through the legislative process, it is critical to
remember what this means to the American people. Today we will hear stories
that serve as our inspiration. We will listen to people whose hopes are our
motives for action. Our President has said: 'Our progress will be measured by
the success of America's families in making progress for themselves.' And so,
these stories are a place that need our attention, will have our action, and
we look forward to hearing them.

"We are very proud of the work of everyone in our Caucus and all the staff has
been extraordinary, the public's input has been absolutely necessary. But a
key player from the start, working with our three chairman, coordinating that
effort so that we would arrive at something historic, something that changes
the way business is done in Washington D.C. by having these three committees
work together and come together with a bill to make significant change for the
better for the American people -- it simply would not have been possible
without the extraordinary leadership of our great Majority Leader Steny
Hoyer."

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House

Brendan Daly or Nadeam Elshami or Drew Hammill, +1-202-226-7616, all of the
Office of the Speaker of the House