very very much. the breaking news, we are following here in washington. i want to go to new york right now. turn it over to jake tapper for a cnn townhall special, with the house democartic leader, noon seep pelosi. -- nancy pelosi. good evening. we are live for a special cnn townhall with house minority leader, democrat, noon seancy p. i'm jake tapper. want to welcome viewers in the united states and around the world. we heard president trump make the case for his supreme court pick. with fewer than two weeks, president trump made any bold moves, provoking forceful rebukes from critics many now turn a desperate eye to opposition party in congress. what is the democratic party strategy for dealing with the trump administration?

leader pelosi is one of the two highest ranking democrats in washington. she will face questions this evening from men and women in our audience. we have reviewed the questions to ensure we cover a variety of important issues and perspectives. no please join me in welcoming the house minority leader, nancy pelosi. great to see you. thank you so much. please have a seat. so you just heard -- president donald trump nominate neil gorsuch to the supreme court. you put out a tweet saying he is an opponent of women's rights. what do you mean? >> what do i mean? first of all let me say how happy i am to be here this evening. i thought we would talking how we go into the future. president trump found out about our townhall meeting and thought he would upstage us. >> we are not only going to be

talking supreme court. but it did just happen. >> i do want to say about this. elects have ramifications. here is a living, breathing example of it. the president and his first appointment to the court. and his only appointment to the court, appointed some one -- class action suits. on security fraud, come down against employee rights. clean air, clean water. food safety. safety in medicine and the rest. if you care about that for your children. he is not your guy. gabby gifford's group. said that he comes down on the side of felons, over gun safety. hostile to women's reproductive rights. hobby lobby case for example. the list goes on and on. krilt si krilt -- criticize progressives. taking the kays to the court.

what saddens me as a mom and grandmother, his hostility towards children in school. children with autism. he ruled that they don't have the same rights under the yoid that children, that, that, they could reach their intellectual and social advancement under the law. he has said that doesn't apply to them. it is a hostile appointment. lovely family, i'm sure. as far as your family is concerned. if you breathe air, drink water, eat food, take medicine or in any other way, interact with the courts, this is a very bad decision. not committed to supreme court precedence.

there is a big division in the democratic party whether or not judge gorsuch should be treated the way supreme court nominees normally are. or, turn about is fair play. given the fact that republicans would not hold a hearing for president obama's pick after the supreme court vacancy, roughly a year ago. where do you come down? should democrats allow hearings? should they allow judge gorsuch a vote on the senate floor? >> i come down where -- the democrats in the senate do. it's their prerogative to confirm a justice of the supreme court. and we'll take our lead from them in the house. our members are a diverse group. we represent america. and they have their opinions. they have been over there to -- to, testify against the candidate for ateern general, sessions. sure they will be over there to express their views on this subject. where the senate leadership comes down, of course is up to them. where we would look them to come down is to make sure that this

confirmation subjects the candidate to this strongest scrutiny when it comes to honoring the constitution of the united states that is our litmus test, the constitution of the united states. >> and of course, so many decisions, so many issues that are important to the american people do come before the u.s. supreme court. and with that in mind, i would look to bring in allison dunham, democart from midway, utah. allison. >> leader pelosi, my question goes along the lines of what you have been discussing. i'm a woman that made and lives through the very difficult decision of having a late term abortion. i had to make that decision when there were medicalopardized lmy. the thing that made it the worst above and beyond the situation itself was that the state where i live had made it illegal to have a late term abortion and

any circumstance unless it could be demonstrated the mother's life was in danger. the guilt and the overwhelming intrusion i felt the violation of being, regulated by the state. in a decision that was my husband's and mine to make. the worst thing i ever had to go through. was difficult to deal with. i watched president trump. nominate some one hos pill to human rights. congress voted to get rid of protections for women and civil liberty as as far as autonomy with their own bodies. birth control. correct sexual education are getting harder to get which makes it, we will even have more unwanded pregnancy and more abortions, not less. i am wondering what you as the highest ranking woman in

congress i believe. if you have any ideas or what, the democrats, and in particular intend to do to combat this trend with the republican whose gut the rights of women in their lives. thank you so much for your generosity and spirit to share your very personal decision and situation with all of us. and it's clear from, from the way you speak, that, you know that was a decision between you, your husband, your doctor, your god, it was not a decision that should be made by politicians in washington, d.c. ing ko in congress or any other pliets. the issue of late term abortion has been one used by the far right to fight a woman's right to choose. because it sounds like something that shouldn't happen. when it is about a woman's health. it is a very personal individual decision.

you accurately portrayed what we are up against. because i have been saying to my friends for over 25 years, that have been in the congress. they don't support birth control. contraception. family planning. one of the first bills that passed was a harsher, arer hyde bill. made it difficult for a woman to exercise her personal decisions. a reflection of the lack of respect for women, that we saw in the campaign. on the part of the candidate for president, saying things that you would not allow a person in your house if he ever said such a thing. the same lack of respect is demonstrated in the appointment that we made to the court. you have again, gently, beautifully, almost prayerfully, spiritually shared your story

with us. what president lincoln said is the best for what is challenging us. public sentiment is everything. the more the public knows about the choices that are made, the more families know how those decisions affect them. the more they may weigh in and hold elected officials accountable. i don't mean to be partisan. accountable for your beliefs. this is a big issue. and my oldest of five turned six that week. step up any body who knows anything about this. nancy pelosi thinks she knows

more about having babies than the pope. yes, i do. yes, i do. yes i do. and i respect what -- wonderful for our family. but each family has to make its own decision. if you are concerned about some of these issues, and in terms of -- termination of a pregnancy. you should love -- family planning, birth control. contraception. what is their plan? to defund planned parenthood which just provides so much of that. so, thank you for your sharing your story. i am sorry that you had to go through that. and so our fight is always to be concerned about the health of the mother. her ability to continue her family if she and her family decide that is the case. that's part of the decision that you had to make. thank you for sharing your story. and by the way when jake said the question had been reviewed, not by me. >> she has no idea what is

coming. as evidence, bring in brianna, christa roberts, a college student. brianna. >> thank you so much for being here. thank you for sharing your story with us. such an incredible story. and situation that you had to go through. i am part of the pro-life generation. i believe that abortion is not the answer for unplanned pregnancy. my birth mother was faced with the decision that, many will tine day are facing. with, with, without the means of properly raising a child, she chose the most ethical decision and chose adoption. with her -- courageous and unselfish decision to make such a -- awesome decision. i have ability to thrive and succeed in life. don't you think that -- that everyone has the option, need the ability to thrive and succeed in life? >> i certainly do. i love the word you used. you said my mother chose. my mother chose.

and we want other people to have, have that -- have that opportunity. to choose as well. and when we do, my whole thing, when people ask me, what are the three most important issues facing congress. i say the same thing. our children. our children. our children. their health, their education, the economic security of their families, clean environment in which they can thrive. or world peacen which they can succeed and reach their aspirations. but, many of our frnds who are so intent on when life begins in their view do note subscribe to that after the child is born to meet the needs of the children. so i hope you will join us in our quest to say that -- that all of the children in our country, but one in five children in america lives in poverty. goes to sleep hungry at night. in the greatest country that ever existed in the history of the world. why. we haven't made the right decisions.

to lift all of those children up. that's why i say to my colleagues, show me your values. show me your budget. what are you doing to lift these children up? so i hope that, respecting your mother to make her, ability to make her choice. i hope you will help us, help all of these children to be able to thrive. when their mothers make that choice to have them as well. thank you for your question. the supreme court will be asked to weigh in. one aspect of, of the order that came down friday evening, president trump's immigration executive order. is the suspension of the u.s. refugee admissions program for 120 days. i want you to meet, bushra, a yemenee refugee, specially affected by the executive order. bushra. >> hello, my name is bushra, i

am an activist, artist and a refugee. recently my mom, she wasn't able to come to the u.s. because of the standards that donald trump signed recently. my dad passed away because we didn't have any medicine back in yemen because of the siege. >> i'm sorry. >> my mom is now recently living in a destroyed house because of the air strikes. she wasn't able to come to the united states. because of this decision that donald trump did. my question is, what can -- -- what is the democratic leadership sorry -- >> it's okay. >> could help us -- sorry. what could you help us and our people to ensure that to ensure more families are not torn apart? >> again, thank you.

thank you for your courage in sharing your story. i'm sorry about the loss of your dad. and the situation that your mother is in. when i received the invitation to come here this evening. i thought i would be talking about the affordable care act, what that means to the american people, how we can address income inequality, how we protect god's creation this planet from degradation and the rest. in the meantime we had this ban, ban, ban, ban. on -- on people coming from syria into the country largely muslim. and, and prohibition on other people coming in as well. they don't want to call it a ban. the press reported on them calling it a ban. that's what this is, if you have impatience in my voice it is because -- your family is suffering.

our president is reckless, reckless, and his administration is incompa tent. incompetent. how they did this -- how and why they did this is because their grand illusionists. any time they have a problem with something. they create another problem. they see the immigration problem looming and so they decide they're going to early, on an earlier schedule appoint a justice of the supreme court. always to change the subject. a decoy, decoy, decoy. decoy. i was very proud because scores of my members were at the airports all weekend. some of them are there still now because this ban has, ban has not been rescinded. we follow the lead of the spiritual leaders. to turn away refugees. when some of our cardinals say, it is unamerican to not accept strangers as the bible says,

strangers, into our country. the statue of leber tee as we said is in teeshz becauars becat they have done. this comes back to abraham lincoln, who probably has tears in his eyes as well. this is about public sentiment. some of the polling looks like oh, the president is doing, because they don't understand. the president has made us less safe. 900 diplomats sent a letter sag you are making us less safe. this isn't the right thing to do. it its red meat to some of the people he wants to continue to support him. again he had to change the subject appointing a justice of the sproom court because the opposition was mounting. and the education of the american people was increasing on this subject. i would look to take responsibility for an individual

case. that's what members are doing at airports around the country. i think we should be grateful to the women for marching on the day after the inauguration. that was spontaneous. that was not organized by politicians or establishment. it was spontaneous. organic. women said, i'm going. i'm showing up. all over the country all over the world. every continent. all over the world. when this started at the airports. they showed their power. knew they had power. they showed their power. that was very helpful in trying to, at least, even open the door, physically, open the door, to the customs offices to get the cases made for individuals. i'd lack to work with you.

and your story, and addresses our country. >> thank you, bushra, appreciate it. >> i want you to meet, obviously not everybody shares that view. i want you to meet a lebanese american muslim from michigan, a different take on president trump's refugee policy. please. >> congresswoman pelosi, you opposed president trump plan to stop refugees from coming to the u.s. >> sorry, refugees. >> yes, yes, i did. >> countries like, syria. i am lebanese, american muslim. there are countries that harbor radical islamic groups. and teaches teenagers to hate any one who is not muslim. >> yes. all it takes is some one to come as a refugee and create problem here. how can you -- guarantee the safety for all americans.

thank you. are you finished? >> uh-huh. keep us safe for all americans. if we let these refugees to come. okay. well thanks to our comb bree hen sieve immigration reform which we have had before. our country is blessed with many newcomers including your self to reinvigorate america with your hopes, dreams, aspirations, courage, determination, to make the future better. that optimism -- is all american. every refugee, person, newcomer, comes with all that determination, makes that more american in my view. the reason i oppose the specific thing that president trump did was the following. refugees had the most stringent vetting of all newcomers to our country. the most stringent vetting. when heap cuts off syria,

largely those are refugees coming. most interest in gent vetting. we take an oath to support and defend the american people and the constitution of the united states. it's our first responsibility. we are not vashable. about our reasons, our need to protect the american people. we have to be strong. we have to be smart. we don't have to be reckless and rash. and we don't have to discriminate against people because of their religion. and so that's why i oppose what he has done. he has no case in my view with the refugees, i identify with what pope francis has said about that. make no mistake. we, i thank you for your question. i thank you for your courage. coming to america. been to lebanon a number of times. seen the situation there. and, it's wonderful country. i hope that we -- the way things go, people can enjoy staying home.

enjoy their lives there as well as exercising the right to come to america. what the president he did and manner in which he did it has not made it us more safe. and that's why i oppose it. you oppose president trump's executive order. are there additional screening that you support separate from what president trump did? >> president obama instituted stringent vetting when we thought, there was a threat. you know, to prevent a threat from happening. and so, president trump now said i just did the same thing, president obama did. no, he did not. that was about vetting. wasn't about banning. of course we have to vet people coming into our country. as i said for the refugees that's the most interest in gent vetting process of all. you don't think anything more. women and children.

yeah, we have to make -- we have to make sure that the, system that is there, is -- is thoroughly adhered to so it didn't, not, we are not indifferent to it. but it, whatever is there has to be executed meticulously to protect the american people. what we have a problem with home grown threats of terrorism. what the president did with this ban. is something that doesn't lessen the threat. it exacerbates the threat. >> we'll take a quick break. president trump said he will build a wall. mexico is going to pay for it. next, we will meet some body in the audience who lives where the wall would be built. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me.

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>>well cup back. let's talk about the border wall president trump wants to build. i want you to meet dr. mike vickers, veterinarian from texas owns 1,000 acre ranch on the mexico/u.s. border. dr. vickers. >> congressman -- congresswoman pelosi, pleasure to meet you. >> a pleasure, dr. vickers. >> brooks, i live in brooks county, texas. a little bit off the border but

very close. there in brooks county, texas my closest neighbor is a border patrol checkpoint, 4 1/2 miles away. it is one of the most active check points in the nation for, for human and drug smuggling. controlled by the mexican drug cartels. and imagine this situation. you go to the grocery store, you come home, you live out on a ranch, you pull up into your front of the house, and in the yard your dogs are playing with something that looks like a ball. but upon further investigation you find out it is actually a human head, a skull, with still brain matter in it. a woman's skull. we found her body 150 yards from our back door, a short time later the next day. she had a broken ankle. we found hundreds of bodies in brooks county over the past decade. 56 the last count, last year. and it may be over 60.

a few years ago, there was 129 most of these are within 15, 20 minutes of my front door. the body count is staggering. congresswoman, pelosi, we witness the depravity of man in brooks county, texas. we find -- children -- as young as 2 years of age that are left behind. one child -- 11 t. 12 years old, was left behind by the cartel smugglers. and was so weak trying to keep up. couldn't climb over a gate. he died. i have pictures of it. we encounter pregnant women that are left behind. one, one incident -- one claollapsed from heat strok. able to revive her and get her to the hospital. we find a lot of women that are left behind. a lot of women leave the group.

to avoid sexual assault. we have a lot of women who say they have been sexually assaulted. it's incredible. on that subject, one of the most disturbing events for my wife was to find a tree within yard of our front door. border patrol and our citizens are at risk whenever they -- encounter these smugglers. i have had border patrol men assaulted on my ranch. and these guys are our heroes. they really are. my wife has had encounters with gang members at the back door. she has had encounters with gang members at the front door. >> sir, i don't mean to be rude, you can get to the question. there are a lot of people to

ask. our property damage is staggering. my question to you is this -- will you, and your democrat colleagues, support president trump, trump, in building the wall or fence, shutting down the sanctuary cities, and giving more manpower to the border patrol, give us more border patrol agents. we need at least another 1,000 in the rio grande valley sector and at least another 100 in the lare laredo section. >> thank you, dr. vickers. thank you for the sensitive presentation that you made about the experience that you have there. the question is, not about do we need to protect our borders. of course we do. is it effective to build a wall to the tune of tens, could be $40 billion? and you know, and i know, that the mexican government is not going to pay for that. so where does that come from? but even if it cost 10 cents, is

it an answer? does it produce the results that you need to see and that we as americans need how to do to protect our borders. a lot of the thinking is we need more technology, we need more manpower. some fencing, perhaps we have some. not overwhelmingly effective. with technology and manpower. i think we have a better result than thinking mexico will pay tens of billions of dollars to build a wall. there is no -- they're not staying where the money comes from in terms of our budget. so to come out of, more border patrol. where does this money come from? but i will then go to your next question. again, i am, i appreciate your sensitivity to the loss of life that you have seen, the threat, to security, that you are experiencing. your experience is important.

our city of san francisco is a sanctuary city. we see it as the a place where it makes us safer. it makes us safer because people can -- can, go to school. they can get driver a licenses, be witnesses against other violence they see in the community. whereas if they came forward to, to profess that, they have to be taken up by -- by us, and we don't think that we should make our police officers -- immigration officers. and we think the sanctuary city makes us saferen our experience. in fact i heard today. i don't know if it is true. the whole state of california is thinking about becoming a sanctuary state. i know that brings a smile to your face. but -- >> we are a border state too, with mexico. we are a brder state too. our people near the border have the, express their concerns. but let me say this -- you have

one experience. man of our colleagues and i have visited the border patrol in different locations whether it is in laredo, where we are at entry or whether it is in mcallen, brownsville, you name it, i have visited. and praised the work of our border patrol and all of those places. but in a place like el paso for example it is a community with a brder running through it. it is a safer place because there is this -- this respect for law and order and the rest there. >> i just want to bring in. on the subject of sanctuary cities. laura wilkerson a republican and has a" of border security. an issue prompted her to appear in a presidential campaign ad for president trump. >> thank you for having me. please excuse my voice tonight. there are over 300 citiesen this country that are sanctuary cities. like san francisco. and you're not only choosing to

disavow a law, but you are adding sanctuary to people who come there and disavow the law. in 2010, one of the illegals slaughtered my son. he tortured him, he beat him, he tide him up like an animal. and he set him on fire. and i am not a one story mother. this happens every day. because there are no laws enforcing the border. we have to start giving american families first. this is not -- bad to not put americans first. we have family that fought and died for this country. how do you reconcile in your head about allowing people to disavow the law? the second part of my question is this -- if you need to go home tonight and line up your babies as you say, and your grandbabies, which one of them could you look in their eyes

today, and tell them that they're expendable? for another foreign person to have an a nicer life. which one would you look to say, you, my child, are expendable for some one else to come over here and not follow the law. and have a nicer life. >> well, again, i commend you for sharing your story. i can't even imagine. >> you can't. >> the pain. i can't even image. there is, there is nothing, i'm sure that can compare to the grief that you have. and so i pray for you. i pray for you. again, we all pray that none of us has to experience what you have experienced. so thank you for channelling your energy to help prevent something like that from happening. but i do want to say to you, that in our sanctuary cities, our people are not disobeying the law. these are, law-abiding citizens, it enables them to, to be there without being reported to ice in case of another crime that they

might bear witness to. >> my son's killer gets sanctuary in your city once he is let out of jail. >> i'm sorry, dear. >> will my son's killer get sanctuary from the law in your city? >> of course not. of course not. >> was your son, in a sanctuary city when this happens? >> houston is, just outside. >> is that where your son was a victim of some body in a sanctuary city. >> it was a spoken policy at that time. not written. most of the suburbs all of the big cities. >> it doesn't matter, you lost your son, that's the important thing. i just do think that we have to stipulate to a set of facts, and the fact is is that no, no your son would not, that's not what the point is. the point is is that you do not turn law enforcement officers into immigration officers. that is really what the point is. in the sanctuary city. so, it is not a question of getting sanctuary, some one who has -- who has -- is guilty of a

crime. they should be deported. or isn't to jail nor what they do. >> so many stories. >> if you can catch them in time. but thank you, i am so sorry for your story. thank you for your courage. >> thank you, laura for being here. >> so many stories on so any sides of the issue of illegal immigration. i want you to meet victor aribes, jr. lives in el paso a question for you about immigration. >> el paso been there many times. >> yes, yes, a great city. just want to thank you, and everybody else here. it's a great privilege to be here. i am on the opposite side of the pick from. my name is victor. i was brought to the u.s. as a one-year-old baby. the decision had no jurisdiction over. my sister was born on u.s. soil. she recently was able to petition for beth my parents and they are currently on the path to u.s. citizenship. if daca is removed, pro fissivi

am under. i will lose my education which i am paying for, i will lose my occupation as a sign language interpreter, mainly because my parents are deaf, and ultimately sent back to mexico, a place i don't know. >> no. >> and i will be separated from my entire family. what can you do for dreamers as myself, and families who are distraught on the idea of being separated? [ applause ] >> the dreamers are so spectacular and so inspirational to all of us. and that is why when we had the majority in the congress, the house of representatives, led by our congressional hispanic caucus, past the dreamers act. it didn't pass the senate. because the you needed 60 votes. we didn't have 60 votes there. but the president in the absence of congressional action, issued the executive order to protect the dreamers.

when a zreem dreamer comes forw they out their parents. so the parents are in jeopardy. so he did an executikpek ed ex. in your case, your sister, can intercede for your parents, but not for you. i'm hoping that with public opinion, again, coming back to our old friend, the people, that this administration will not be so harsh in lifting the, the dreamers executive action. of the president. i spoke to the secretary, yesterday. monday. i was in -- in kissemee at valencia college, listening to students there, many dreamers. when i went to speak to him about the ban, i also spoke to him about the dreamers. that's a conversation that i hope we can continue to have.

so we won't jeopardize this beautiful advantage we have which is the dreamers in our country. but i think it is really important to note this. and this is, some of my impatience, some of my impatience with president trump. president obama acted because congress refused to act in terms of -- of the dreamers and their parents and some other issues relating to immigration. when president reagan was president of the united states, the congress did act, the immigration act of 1986. very strong piece of legislation, immigration legislation. and after he signed the bill, the president said -- congress didn't do enough. so, i by executive office am going to issue family fairness. and family fairness as a percentage protected more people than president obama is protecting in these, in the -- executive actions he has taken

to protect immigrants in our country. president reagan. and president george herbert walker bush, vice president, continued that. the two of them together. a higher percentage of protection than even president obama. president clinton of course continued that. president george w. bush one of our best interests on immigration. speaks so respectfully of people, new comes to our country. tried to pass a bill, connecticut vince his party. to go along with passing an immigration bill. this is really the first republican president -- first president, certainly first republican president of the throw that we have had of the past five president whose was goingen a different direction on understand who we are, a nation of immigrants, and the value that our dreamers bring to our country. so, i am hopeful and prayerful, working with people of faith and the rest, that, that we can convince them to protect the dreamers. >> thank you so much, vector.

appreciate. can eye ai ask you a quick ques. while we are on the subject of illegal immigration, i want to ask you about a somewhat related topic. you were in a meeting recently with president trump and other congressional leaders. and it has been widely reported, so you are not telling me any tales out of school, it has been widely reported in this meeting the president claimed that he only lost the popular vote because three to five million illegal votes were also cast. obviously there is no evidence for three to five million illegal votes. and part of the allegation is among these, three to five mill yen illegal votes is that a lot of them were undocumented immigrants. what did do an of you say if anything when he made this wild claim? he didn't say they were illegal. the inference, he said 3 million to 5 million voted illegally. i have attended meetings with presidents for the last 15 years as a leader.

i would never say what a president says in a meeting. i would say, what i say in a meeting. i wouldn't say what, one of my colleagues says in a meeting. that's up to them to say. but of the republicans want out and said, president trump said that he won the popular vote by 3 million to 5 million votes. so that made it in the public domain. chuck schumer went out and said, nancy said that's not true, mr. president. there is no evidence to support that. so that's in the public domain. and that i said that to him. because the i was -- when i said that, it's not true. there is no evidence to support that. i'm not even counting california. so, my reaction to it was -- i feel sorry for you, you are the president of the united states, you are so insecure. this is isn't even true. it is like the size of your inauguration. and i pray for you, mr. president. i pray for you. but more importantly, i pray for

the united states of america. because this is, really sad. there is no evidence to support that. but you know what it is, it is a predicate for the president to go out there and say, there its voter fraud rampant through out the country. which is not true. and we have asked every attorney general in the country to come forth with the names of any body they think that has the voted illegally in our country. can we talk on a positive ve nichlt. vein. we didn't go through the in competence and recklessness of the paban, we didn't go through the, doesn't support supreme court precedence, the united states. i thought you were going to ask me would we work with the president. where we can engaj. we will. we have that responsibility. to the american people. to find our common ground. where we can't find it, we must stand our ground. we must resist. and, if we can build infrastructure, not necessarily, the wall, if we can build

infrastructure, roads, bridges, broadband, water systems, et cetera, high speed rail, mass transit, let's find a way to do that how to getogether. we can find ways to work family, work balance, as he said in the campaign, the priority. >> you still think you can work with him? >> i certainly hope so. he is the president of the united states. bay the w by the way i told him at the meeting, i will tell you. mr. president, i worked when i had the majority, i was the speaker, i had the gavel, and president george w. bush was president, we worked with him even though we disagreed on the war in iraq. what could be worse than that? and privatizing social security. we disagreed on those. but we passed some of the most progressive legislation to help poor children, the biggest energy bill in the history of our country. he wanted nook leer. we wanted renewables. we had a big bill. the list goes on.

drugs for hiv/aids, all of those kinds of things. so we -- we disagreed on certain, use. we respect that he is the president of the united states. we want to work together. but where we will draw the line, is if he wants to repeal the affordable care act. >> we'll talk about that in, i have to cut you off. we have to pay some bills. we will talk about that in the next block. promise you. massive marches across the country last week. was the white house listening? that's ahead when we come back. stay with us. the future of business in new york state is already in motion. companies across the state are growing the economy, with the help of the lowest taxes in decades, a talented workforce, and world-class innovations. like in plattsburgh, where the most advanced transportation is already en route. and in corning, where the future is materializing. let us help grow your company's tomorrow -

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welcome back. we're at town hall meeting with house minority leader nancy pelosi. you wanted to talk about more positive things, women's march, you brought up. introduce you to madison mccormick, graduate student at nyu. >> thank you for the opportunity. i marched in solidarity with women across the world and u.s., and then watched trump's first interview on abc when he denied hearing the million people outside his front door. found it troublesome because so many people showed up not just in the u.s. but across the world. do you find the rhetoric that trump is saying about denying hearing us more damaging to your cause? do we need to be louder? if he didn't hear us, who did?

>> thank you very much madison, thank you for marching. my daughter was there with her two boys in d.c. and i marched in san francisco in the driving rain. didn't dampen anyone's spirits, pun intended. here's the thing, we don't agonize, we organize. no use saying who heard what. point is women and families and many men marching and children. they got their message across. whether somebody wants to admit to hearing it or not is another thing. so i've said to the women, you marched for progress, now run for office. we need many more women to run for office. and nothing is more wholesome to the political system or government than the increased participation in leader shship

women. i say that to you, some of what has to happen is organic as the march. in local communities where people rally around education or environmental issue or women's right to choose, whatever it might be. as i said earlier, reason that thousands of people were at airport was because millions marched day after inauguration and gave us all a boost of morale. >> leader pelosi bring in rabbi from westfield, you wanted to talk about obamacare. >> i'm a religious leader and spent most of my life working with religious groups to help provide health care to all americans. before obamacare i saw horrors every day so tragic could rip the heart out of a stone.

now see the president and republican politicians sitting on fat health insurance provided by toipz. declari declare willingness to return americans to it that. i believe if deny health care we're failing as nation. what will you and democrats do to make sure it doesn't happen. will you fight for us? really fight for us? and hold the trump administration accountable for their health care policies? if so, how? >> thank you very much rabbi. i rest our case. you've made a wonderful presentation. but let me just say this, you spoke from a values place and why this is important to families, to people, to individuals.

to your values. we could make the case from accounting standpoint as well. if people are not moved by values discussion, these are the facts. first of all, if there was no reason to pass the affordable care act, if people loved insurance and insurer and health care, we would still have to do it because the rising cost of health care in our country were unsustainable to individuals, families, small business, corporate america paying a big part of the bill and federal, state and local government. prices were going through the roof. when we passed the bill it was a fight. we call it affordable care act with the emphasis on affordable. republicans named it as obamacare as derogatory term which we embraced and love but name was affordable care act.

purpose was to be affordable. thirty-two purposes were to increase coverage, expand those who got health care and improve benefits and lower costs and succeeded in every way. some of the costs are going up because of prescription drugs but lower rate of increase than anytime in the over 50 years they've been measuring this. so the -- now it's also important to note that affordable care act and medicare and medicaid are wed. what we did in the affordable care act to prolong the life of medicare, make free examinations available to seniors to get in sooner at no cost and stay healthier, lower the cost of the prescription drugs called doughnut hole. that's the prescription drug

benefit. makes it even more important than -- additionally important. medicaid where many middle income families have spent down their assets and seniors in nursing home, 50% of the care is paid for by medicaid, want mom and dad in the guest room, attic, basement, wherever because they can't afford to stay in nursery homes then you support overturning the affordable care act. opioids, governor of ohio john kasich said thank god for medicaid to help us address the opioid epidemic. if you overturn it lose three to four million jobs but not just about economics and lowering of costs and 20 million people but

it's 155 million people who get insurance through the workplace whose benefits have greatly expanded. no more discrimination for preexisting condition. no more lifetime limits on the care your insurer can provide. if you have a child, can stay on your policy until 26 years old and no longer is being a woman a preexisting medical condition. >> thank you. >> one more thing. insurers, the companies, must spend 80% of the money they take in on your health care. not on advertising, ceo pay and all of the rest of that. so to overturn it is -- i mean my colleague jim chi burn, third ranking democrat in the house has said it's civil rights bill of the century because enables

foam have healthier life, liberty and pursuit of happiness because no longer chained to job because they get health benefits there. >> thank you rabbi. >> could spend entire program on obamacare. >> we should. >> and one week from tonight cnn will air debate night, sanders versus cruz, future of obamacare. facing off about health care in america, moderated by dana bash and myself. but we still have a lot to talk about. william marsh. >> leader pelosi, our steel rolling mill in the operation is in the industrial wid west. our workers and my neighbors are steelmen, train men, and oil men. the coveted reagan democrats.

if you ask a reagan democrat today about the democratic party, might get the answer limousine liberal. feel that the core interest groups don't represent values. abortion rights, environmental a activists, wall street, wall street lawyers. >> they don't support me. i don't know what side of the ledger that was going on. >> i can assure you, speak with a lot of industrial people in the midwest. >> impression they have. okay. >> if the democrat party wants to recapture the reagan democrats need to begin speak to these issues. question is how can a democrat party separated by political philosophy and economic reality represent the constituents of the manufacturing midwest? >> i thank you for that question because it's the