House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted Republican moves to repeal President Obama's healthcare reform law as unrealistic and accused the party of being the “mouthpiece” for health insurers.
In an interview to air Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press, Pelosi charged Republicans with being in the pocket of insurance companies and says the only way forward on health reform is to build on the Affordable Care Act.
"It's being the mouthpiece of the health insurance industry," said Pelosi of GOP leaders plan for a repeal vote. "And we're saying let's not have them be in charge anymore. Let the people be in charge of how they receive coverage and healthcare."
Pelosi said Democrats were ready to debate Republicans on the merits of the healthcare reform bill and were confident voters would see benefits from the landmark legislation.
"They'll bring it up, and when they bring it up they will ask for repeal, repeal of all the things I said that help children, help young adults, help seniors, help men or women who may have prostate cancer, breast cancer, whatever it is, any precondition. And everybody will have lower rates, better quality care and better access. So that's what they want to repeal, we're happy to have that debate," she said.
Asked by Meet the Press host David Gregory if she believed "repeal is unrealistic," Pelosi replied "yes."
"I think that that part of it is over. Do we always want to fight for more and better? We want to continue to lower costs, and we built that in to the healthcare, Affordable Care Act," she said.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to Republicans by upholding the much of the healthcare reform act in a 5-4 ruling.
Congressional Republicans and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney have vowed though to continue efforts to undo the law.
The House is expected to hold a vote on July 11 to repeal the legislation, but the measure is unlikely to garner support in the Democratic-held Senate.
