DPCC Co-Chair Jeffries on the Affordable Care Act: Mend it, Don't End it

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WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy & Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on MSNBC to discuss the Senate health care bill and its impact on the American people. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video.

"ACA repeal only would be incredibly irresponsible. When you think of the foundation on which health care has improved based on Affordable Care Act: 20 million individuals have health care who previously didn't have it; young people can stay on their parents' health insurance through the age of 26…people are protected from pre-existing conditions - at least 50 million Americans would lose that protections in terms of individuals would now be vulnerable to being thrown off; and lifetime caps have disappeared under Affordable Care Act – they'd get rid of that. Repeal only would be a complete disaster and it would not be a foundation for coming to any bipartisan resolution."

"It appears to be more of a diversion intended to distract from some of the mess that President Trump has gotten himself into in terms of his wild and out of control tweets this past weekend. There's nothing to suggest that this White House would pursue a policy of raising taxes on the wealthy or well off - that would go against entire doctrine of Republican orthodoxy for the last 50 years. They have done everything possible to jam tax cuts down throats of every day Americans to benefit the lifestyles of the rich and shameless."

"If there's one thing his twitter behavior made clear it's that there's a reasonable basis to conclude that he's not mentally fit for office. It's clear to a lot of Americans, not just Democrats in Congress, but people of goodwill all across the country that this is the type of behavior and temperament consistent with someone who is leader of the free world."

"As it relates to the health care debacle, what we are seeing in Washington is that Republicans have an unhealthy obsession with Affordable Care Act - some of these folks need clinical intervention. The Affordable Care Act is successful. We should mend it not end it in terms of areas we can improve upon it - but there's absolutely no basis for the conclusion it has collapsed. The President's rhetoric both as it relates to other aspects of his twitter obsession and whenever he decides to go at the health care reform efforts in the country are totally irresponsible."