House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi insists that Democrats are not fleeing Obamacare, despite the rollout’s subpar showing and regardless of the 39 lawmakers who crossed party lines last week to vote with Republicans to overturn a key complaint about the new law — that it shuttered existing policies.
Mrs. Pelosi’s claim of Democratic Party ownership of the health care reform comes, too, as millions across America have received letters from insurance companies advising of the looming cancellation of their policies, due directly to Obamacare regulations.
She said on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” on NBC: “I don’t think you can tell what will happen next year [during elections], but I will tell you this: Democrats stand tall in support of the Affordable Care Act.”
Mrs. Pelosi also said thta “this is an issue that has to be dealt with,” in reference to all the cancellation notices sent to policyholders around the nation, The Hill reported. But, she said, next year’s elections will be decided by the economy and jobs, “as it always” is, rather than Obamacare.
“But it doesn’t mean, oh, it’s a political issue, so we’re going to run away from it,” she said, The Hill reported. “No. It’s too valuable for the American people. What is important about it is that the American people are well served, not who gets reelected.”
She made the statements despite that fact that 39 Democrats on Friday voted for a Republican-backed bill to let insurers continue to provide policies for those who wanted it — even if those policies don’t meet the new Obamacare mandates.
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“When the Republicans put forth a political initiative, people respond to it politically,” she said, The Hill reported.
At the same time, Mrs. Pelosi admitted the health care website is “terrible” but soon would be fixed.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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