Thanks to the continued onslaught against the legislation from President Donald Trump and his associates, the Affordable Care Act and the national health coverage it provides remain at the front of the national conversation. This week, while accepting the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spoke out in support of the legislation and what it stands for, offering a dramatic and substantive contrast between the two major political parties of American politics.
Although at present, the Trump administration is actively seeking to have the Affordable Care Act overturned without a replacement plan on the table to provide for the millions of Americans it covers, Pelosi shared in part:
‘In my public life, I have seen leaders who understood that their duty was not to do what was easy but what was right, especially when my colleagues had the courage to support the Affordable Care Act.’
The fight to ensure Americans’ access to affordable health care wasn’t easy – but it was successful thanks to the heroic efforts of Americans all across the country. #ProfileInCourage pic.twitter.com/NUdtjrrjYG
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) May 21, 2019
She told the ceremony attendees the story of the press questioning whether the legislation could get anywhere following the death of its proponent, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). She recounted how she and her colleagues proved the naysayers wrong, having been always intent on doing whatever it took to get the health coverage passed, refusing to let any obstacle stand in their way. The rally the Democratic Party launched behind the effort stands in stark contrast to the GOP, who hasn’t even been able to overturn the legislation despite years of trying to and despite being the majority in both houses of Congress for two years under a Republican president and more under a Democrat.
If the law is removed from the books, key programs like national Medicaid expansion that have become crucial for people’s lives would be erased. Trump has promised a legislative replacement effort for after a potential re-election victory in 2020, making the health care and very lives of millions of Americans squarely a campaign issue.
Many Democratic presidential contenders have supported not just protecting the Affordable Care Act but expanding national health coverage even further to the point of “Medicare for all.”
Check out Twitter’s response to Pelosi supporting the push for health coverage below…
Featured Image via screenshot
