House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Friday morning called out Republicans for moving forward on a House bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act without first seeing an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.
“They are afraid of that,” Pelosi said during a breakfast in Washington, DC, for reporters hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, referring to a CBO score that would project how much the bill would cost and how many people would lose their health insurance.
The minority leader said that Democrats did not move forward with the Affordable Care Act in 2009 without the CBO report, and she noted that Republicans at the time called for the CBO to weigh in on the bill before lawmakers began to assess the legislation. She said that Republicans’ views on the CBO report have been “inconsistent.”
Pelosi also criticized Republicans’ focus on “access” to coverage.
“It’s a ridiculous argument for them to make,” she said, adding that Republicans are either “ill-informed” or they are talking about “access for people with resources.”
As Republicans struggle to gain widespread support in their caucus for the bill, Pelosi reiterated that Democrats will not help pass the plan.
“I don’t see any Democratic votes for what they’re doing,” she told reporters.
Asked if she would be willing to talk to President Donald Trump as he works to gain support for the Republican repeal bill, Pelosi indicated that “bowling at the White House” would not earn him any support.
“I find the charm offensive offensive, I really do,” she said. “I think he’s making fools of his own people, quite frankly.”
She said that inviting people who disagree with aspects of the legislation to the White House will not on its own help Trump gain support. She indicated she would be willing to meet with Trump only if he were ready to talk about the particulars of the legislation.
Pelosi also dismissed Trump’s reported back-up plan to repeal — letting Obamacare fail on its own and blaming Democrats. She said the plan is “indicative of his lack of knowledge of the Affordable Care Act.”
Republicans are not afraid of the CBO score. While I think it should be a point of criticism, it will be easily dismissed by the rubes. I think the better focus would be the 5:1 premium hike over 65’ers are going to get hit with right off the bat. Make them explain that and how it’s going to end up giving lower cost care to everyone.
Republicans Are ‘Afraid’ Of CBO Score On Obamacare Repeal Bill
– Rep. Nancy Pelosi
An observation obvious to even the most casual observer.
Majority Whip Scalise is allowing his staffers to leak stories of members losing confidence in the bill. In other words, he’s trying to get it through Ryan’s thick skull that this horse is dead and smelling worse by the hour.
They’ll dismiss it as whining from a “special interest” group.
yeah, but the people that interest group represents are also the folks who show up for stuff and the republican base to boot. They get enough hate mail from their own districts and even the most safely ensconced gerrymandered one of them will start thinking twice. Plus, you don’t even have to say the AARP says. Just lead with, this bill raises the rates on all seniors from 3:1 to 5:1. How is that better?