mccarthy said it would be very difficult to change the medicaid provision specifically. >> covering all of that debate is joe williams. health care reporter with cq roll call. you can follow his reporting on twitter. thank you for joining us. >> look for live coverage of wednesday's health committee markup on c-span networks. you can also watch online on c-span.org or listen on the trees -- on the free c-span radio app. his weekly address, the president talks about the proposed health care replacement legislation. cheri bustos of illinois delivers the democratic response giving her reaction to that legislation.

pres. trump: in march, we celebrate women's history month, honoring the contributions women leaders, scientists, and entrepreneurs have made throughout american history. we are a greater, stronger, and more just nation today because of women like clara barton, susan b anthony, harriet tubman, and so many others. we honor them and we recommit ourselves to a better future for every woman in america today. on my 50th day in office, i want to talk about an issue of paramount importance to families. health care. seven years ago this month, obamacare was signed into law over the profound objections of the american people. our citizens were told they would have to pass obamacare to find out what it was and how bad it was. now we know that the hundreds of pages were full of broken

promises. americans promised obamacare would bring premiums down $2500 for typical family. instead, they have gone up by more than $4000. americans were promised that obamacare would increase competition and provide them with more choices. instead, the number of plans to choose from has plummeted -- and i mean plummeted. americans in one-third of all counties have one insurer to choose from. no real choice at all. americans were promised that if they liked their health insurance and their doctors, they could keep them. instead, millions of americans lost insurance and lost the doctor they liked. they were thrust into a new cold reality of higher costs and less coverage.

seven long years of botched rollouts, soaring costs, and canceled plans, bureaucratic mandates, americans have called out for relief. relief is what we are determined to give them. action on obamacare is an urgent necessity. the law is collapsing around us and if we do not act to save americans from this wreckage, it will take our health care system all the way down with it. that is why we must repeal and replace obamacare. house republicans have put forward a plan that gets rid of this terrible law and replaces it with reforms that empower states. you will have the choice and the freedom to make the decisions that are right for your family.

the house plan follows the guidelines i laid out in my recent address to congress. expanding choice, lowering costs, and providing health care access for all. this plan is part of a three prong reform process in concert with the plan in front of congress, i have directed dr. tom price, our secretary of health and human services, to use his authority to reduce regulations that are driving up costs and care. we are working on reforms that lower the costs of care like allowing americans to purchase health insurance across state lines. you have heard me say that many, many times. i encourage democrats to work with us to approve the health-care system for the american people. also, we will be driving down the costs.

we will deliver relief to american workers, families, and small businesses who are being crushed by obamacare, by increasing freedom, choice, and opportunity for the american people. thank you very much. >> i am cheri bustos. i come from america's heartland. for 17 years as a journalist, i asked the tough questions. later i worked at a nonprofit health system where i helped families get the care they needed. today, i am proud to represent the more than 7000 square miles and 14 counties in illinois. i learned early on about the importance of looking people in the eye, hearing their stories, and telling them the truth, even if it is not easy. when it comes to the washington republicans health-care bill, it n