bureaucrat said -- [inaudible] . my dad would be dead under obama care. he got cancer and got treatment before obama care came into effect because he's almost 70 years old. if in obama's eyes, he's a useless member of society.

>> they contracted cancer and they were allowed to die. >> big voice! really loud! just project. >> what are you doing here? >> i'm chairman of the health education labor intentions committee in the united states senate. the committee that was in charge of passing the affordable care act committee and through the senate. today's decision by the supreme court is say rigorous resounding confirmation of the constitutionality of the affordable care act. it is great news for america's families, businesses and our economy. the affordable care act moves us

forward for every person has affordable quality health care in america. >> louder! >> even though the law will not be implemented for several year t made a big difference in the lives of many americans. 100 million americans received free preventive care. 105 million americans no longer face time caps on benefits. more than 5 million seniors have saved more than $3.7 billion in prescription drug custs. nearly 17 million children can be denied coverage because of preexisting health conditions. today's decision keeps consumers rather than insurance companies in the driver's seat. today's decision protects more than $1 trillion in deficit reduction. today's decision allows us to continue our work replacing the current system with a true health care system. one focused on wellness and

prevention and public health and keeping people out of the hospital in the first place. the supreme court has made it clear what we have known all along. those trying to block health care reform are standing on the wrong side of history. for those of us who believe that quality health care is a right and not a privilege, this is a great day. it is time for speaker baner and the republicans to put politics behind us and join with us in ensuring every american has access to quality affordable care and no person is denied coverage due it a preexisting condition. no one has coverage cancelled when they get sick and to make sure that women are no longer brazenly discriminated against by insurance companies. i have said that the act is not krizled in stone. it's like a starter home. suitable for improvement.

i call on republicans to join us in making refinements as we continue to implement the law. i invite republicans to bring their tool kids and not sledge hammers. let's make the act work for every american. the choice is to go forward or to be dragged backwards. the great majority of americans and now the stream court said we want to go forward. the gistises have spoken and let's get back to work for those that work not just in the wealthy and healthy and for every american. i want to introduce a great partner who has been in the fight that wrote. >>s of this law. senator barbara mccull ski. >> good morning, america! good morning, the world! if you want to be what democracy

looks like, come to constitution avenue! this is what democracy looks like! the congress voted on health care and the supreme court has ruled on health care. we now know that health care is legal, constitutional, undeniable and irreversible! let's hear it for democracy. the system worked and it will work for the american people. we will now be able to go forward with making sure that 32 million people have universal access. we have broken the strangle hold of insurance companies where pin striped guys sitting in their board rooms decided who got health care. now we know that the people will get the health care they need. that their doctor said they need and they will be able to afford to be able to get it. the crowds are cheering us on.

for we women, it is an enormous victory because today what we have been able to affirm is that insurance companies will no longer be able to discriminate on the basis of gender where women pay 30% more for their health care with men of the same health care status. number two, women just simply being a woman will no longer be a preexisting condition. we cannot be denied health care because we are pregnant or had a c-section or because we have domestic violence. and we affirmed our preventive health care and will be able to get mammograms and be able to get maternity child care and as we fought for the women, we also fought for the men too. it's very noisy here. it's very exciting here.

but this is the voice of democracy. open, free, to all. god bless you. god bless america. thank god that the supreme court followed the constitution. >> wow, barbara. great! >> senator ben cardin. >> first, i'm ben cardin, senator from maryland and i had the honor of serving the people. i want to thank the senators and my colleagues that are here from the house of representatives for their incredible work on behalf of the american people. this is a good day for the american people. they won today. it's also a good day for the rule of law. the supreme court decision affirms prior precedent and the proper role for the congress of the united states. it allows us to move forward with quality, affordable health care for all americans. where health care is a right and not a privilege.

we will continue to move forward. it allowsitous move forward with the reforms to protect consumers against the practices of insurance companies that would deny them coverage, preexisting conditions and now allow families to keep their children on their insurance policies until age 26 and continue to expand medicare coverage that gap for prescription drugs and wellness exams for the seniors. it lets us move forward for quality health care for all americans. to do it in a more affordable, cost-effective way. this is good for the taxpayers. the important message from the supreme court is that it's now time for democrats and republicans to move forward with health care. it's not relitigate what is already done, but continue to make progress so that all americans can indeed have quality health care in america. this is the message from the supreme court and this is what

we need to continue to do. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, senator harkin. thank you, senator. i am senator chris coons of delaware. this is an important moment for the country. the people of delaware and my neighbors and friends like katherine and melanie had their lives changed for the better by the affordable care act and for me in has always been about the people whose lives are changed for the better rather than the politics being vouted by the opponents of this important bill. i am pleased that the supreme court today affirmed its role in our constitutional order by deciding on narrow and appropriate grounds to uphold the core elements of the affordable care act. let me tell you why this matters to real people in my state.

melanie first met my wife at an annual breast cancer walk and her story is heart breaking. like her mother and sister before her, she was diagnosed with near fatal breast cancer. her husband left her when he heard the news and she lost the health care provided to her husband's employer. having lost health care, she could not get health care through a new employer and lost the opportunity at getting life-saving treatment, but her home, facing bankruptcy and facing death, it was through the affordable care act that she was able to get health insurance despite her preexisting condition that made possible critical care in delaware's hospitals. another woman we met who contacted my office when her husband passed a way, her daughter, then 21, lost health care because she couldn't afford programs. it is only because of the affordable care act that health care was reinstated for her

daughter below 26 years old. dozens who fought so hard to pass this landmark bill can tell you dozens of similar stories from their states. it is time foritous work together. republican and democrat, senate and house, to focus on the issues that matter to the people of america. providing affordable health care and insisting on progress and moving forward rather than on those who would fight to take america backwards and i am grateful for the landmark decision by the supreme court today, upholding the constitutionality of the core provisions of the affordable care act. thank you. >> i'm going to turn it over to representative ethellison who will introduce the house members and families usa. >> thank you, keith. >> let's hear it for the

senators, everybody. >> we are also joined by the doctor from families usa. happy to have him. let me tell you this. back in the day, roosevelt wanted to see health care for all americans. truman wanted to see it. kennedy wanted to see it. you know what, we all remember how president clinton fought for it. today health care for all americans has been found to be constitutional and so this is a great day for celebration. i want you all to know that we are out here today marking the victory clear that the work we did to get us to this point was the right thing to do and clear that we will head forward and continue to make health care something that all americans can have and enjoy. i want to say that i'm so proud to be here with members of the progressive caucus and the progressive community who fought for health care who will

continue to fight for health care and so let me say to the numbers of the progressive caucus who fought so hard and so long, we got more miles to go, but let's take a minute to celebrate this moment. health care is constitutional and irreversible, forward ever, backward never. come on to up the mike. >> thank you very much and despite the sclilness next door, today is a significant day and a huge step by ruling the core of the affordable care act has provided us with a step towards the fundamental right that everybody in this country should have health care. today it is affirmed that a minimum level of coverage for every american is constitutional

and right. we should celebrate that. work to be done? yes. more to gain? yes. today we have broken the ice on a decades old inability to begin to do health care in this can country. the people next door should be happy. today the supreme court affirmed that romney care is constitutional and they should be happy with that and celebrate it with us. today is a victory not just for president obama, not for those of us who supported us, but for the american people on this long tough road to get us to this point to begin to create a climate in this country where health care is a fundamental right available and affordable for every american. thank you very much. >> i'm congresswoman caroline

malone fre new york. god bless america and the constitution and god bless all the presidents on both sides of the aisle that made health care their top priority. thank you, president obama. it is a great day for americans and not for one party or the other or for an ideology, but the 34 million americans who will have access to affordable and available health care. it is a great win for the senior who is will no longer fall through the holes and for women who will not be discriminated against by insurance policies that historically charge them more for their premiums than their male colleagues. women will no longer be treated as a preexisting condition. there by denying coverage for pregnancy, c-sections, and the very important preventive measures in the bill that will help prevent cancers and diseases. it is a great victory for our

country which is joining that family of economically advantaged countries that are providing health care to their people. all their people. now it's time to go back to work creating jobs for a healthy america. >> a lot of people. >> i will be quick. >> he is next. >> i'm congress jerry nadler of new york. today the supreme court did not disgrace itself. in upholding the act, the supreme court has shown even in a time when washington seems to reach the new level of dysfunction, there remains a respect for the rule of law and a respect for precedent and the ability of congress to -- there

remains a respect for the ability of congress to legislate on matters that affect the welfare of the american people. that's what was at stake today. by not caving in to the political calls, the supreme court stood by legal precedent to ensure that 32 million americans will now have access to health insurance to ensure that 42,000 americans will no longer die every year for lack of health insurance to ensure the many other benefits of the affordable health care act and assure that people can no longer

be denied insurance because of preexisting conditions. this is a good bill. it's a good start. we have more to do, but the supreme court today said despite the reactionary nature of the court, the affordable care act is so clearly constitutional that it upheld it and did not disgrace itself and can go on from here to legislate for the better welfare for the american people. >> we are going to have right now the doctor. thank you very much. >> good morning. i'm ron pollack, director of families usa. the national organization for health care consumers. today is a hallelujah moment for america's families. it means that families will have the peace of mind knowing that they will have the health

coverage and care they need when they need it. it means that tens of millions of people are going to get help so that insurance is affordable and companies can no longer deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions like children with asthma and diabetes. insurance companies can no longer set an artificial cap in what they are willing to pay out when somebody has a catastrophic illness or an accident. women will no longer be discriminated against and have to pay higher premiums. it means that small businesses will get tax credits so they can afford to provide health coverage for workers and bottom line is tens of millions of people will get health coverage for the first time. this is an extraordinary moment and the effort to defeat the affordable care act is stopped

in its tracks and now we get on with the task of implementing reform in every state all across the country. this is truly a hallelujah moment for america's families. health reform is moving forward. >> thank you, ron! >> the congresswoman. >> i'm from the ninth congressional district. imagine today the burden of worry that is now lifted from the shoulders of millions and millions of americans. no longer under obama care will families have to worry that someone will have a catastrophic illness and not only will they have to deal with the illness, but the family may go bankrupt because of it. that won't happen because of obama care. no longer will the woman with breast cancer or the man with prostate cancer have to worry

that he will not or she will not have access to the health care that they need. a person with mental illness will have full access to health care. this is such a great decision. we congratulate the chief justice roberts and the majority of the court for deciding that the law of the land is that health care is a right and not just a privilege for those who can afford it. thank you. >> now ann from the women's caucus. >> brothers and sister, ladies and gentlemen. boys and girls. today is the day we have been waiting on for over a century in this country. the supreme court's decision to uphold obama care and i say it

proudly today is especially important for women and children, the most vulnerable among americans. women are twice as likely as men to be dependent on health insurance. children who are going to be covered until they are 26 are dependent on the health care. as the cochair and essentially celebrating the decision for women and children in the united states. i hope that women appreciate the work and the sacrifice that democrats have made to bring this bill forward to the supreme court. thank you.

>> i would just like to focus two points. in 1968 at six years old, laura richardson from california, i wanted to be a member of congress. i thought that there were laws in the civil rights movement that were unfair. i first of all, my comments, i want to say to the chief justice roberts for showing for the first time in a long time that government can work if we focus on the facts. we do what's right. in my district, we have people who cannot get a job and don't have coverage. today the chief justice roberts and the other members of this court said we will get back to doing things right. my second point to president obama, i remember many of my colleagues here just over a year

ago we want to cross the street. we were spat on and cussed at for standing up for people. today now we are able to say that the right thing was done and let's stop the politics and help the american people. thank you. >> also of california. and former chair of the progressive caucus. >> thank you, thank you. well today, the supreme court affirmed the will of the american people. but, you know, the struggle is not over. you can hear that the republicans are going to try to dismantle step by step by step everything that is in this legislation and everything that the american people stand for. but instead, we can strengthen the act and add health care for

all. we can start working to make sure there is competition to make sure that we have medicare for everybody. when we do that, nobody will worry ever again about whether they have health care in the united states of america. thank you, supreme court. thank you, progressive caucus. thank you, progressive community. thank you, democrats. we all made this happen. thank you very much. >> so we have rush and donna and peter welsh, shelly, sheila jackson lee and nancy clark. >> thank you for coming out. i'm rush holt and i represent the people of new jersey. the history has been a history of extending human rights to every person. to provide access to excellent

health care for every woman, every child, every man is part of that progress. today the supreme court has allowed that progress to continue. we have work to do. we should not be continuing this circus that we see around us. we should be getting to work to make sure that we extend affordable, excellent health care to every person in america. the supreme court decision today makes that possible. >> thank you, rush! >> donna and a physician. >> and chair of the congressional black caucus. the supreme court of the land upheld the affordable care act. we took a lot of hits on behalf of the american people, but that's over and no amount of noise coming from our right will change that. it is the law of the land. the people of the united states have won.

we have better access to health care and the in addition's unsustainable health care cost will be control and with the stronger and more competitive country. i want to say that i'm proud of the work that the tricaucus has done to expand not only access, but to take our nation closer to help equity and thank our partners who work to support to make this day possible and applaud the administration and secretary for their diligence and commitment to implementing this law. we look forward to working with them to make sure that the provisions still remain are fully implement and to make sure that no state denies any of their citizens the right to the medicate expansion that we provided in this bill. now it's time for those republican colleagues to begin to do the work of the people.

to pass jobs legislation. to pass out transportation in our appropriations bills and take care of the people we were elected to serve. >> shelly? >> go, shelly! >> thank you very much. i represent the first congressional district of maine and i am proud to stand with my colleagues celebrating this great victory. the conservatives might be trying to drown us out, but they couldn't drown out the supreme court. the court decided with the american people and against the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies in the industries that wanted to deny all of us access to healing care insurance. this decision means that for all those people who have been having sleepless nights wonder figure their child up to 26 can stay on their coverage or whether their preexisting condition will be covered or for

senior who is wonder if they will have preventive care and drug coverage under medicare. they don't have to worry anymore thanks to the leadership of our president. nancy pe lossy is speaker of the house and progressives in the congress and democrats across the country. this law is standing and we can continue to fight for improvement. i am proud to stand with my colleagues and for once, i am proud of the u.s. supreme court. >> sheila jackson lee. great progressive leader. sheila jackson lee, everybody. >> oh, my god. i am brought to tears today and i want to thank everyone who is standing here. many of us come from the poorest districts in the land and happen to come from one of the poorest districts in america. i stand here today in the name of the sick, laying