Full Transcript of Pelosi Press Conference on Health C...(ition that we must have health care refo...),Health

It's pretty exciting, and we'll be meeting with the President -- Mr. Hoyer and I -- later in the day, to talk about some of the other issues. But this -- I mentioned this in a previous presentation. We're trying to squeeze all the savings that we can out of this system first. And, rightfully so, many Members in our Caucus, including Blue Dogs, wants us to do that, and we share that view.

There are other provisions that they want to address, that we have in common. So this is not anything that is different from where we're going. It's just more so.

Q: (Inaudible) some Senate Democrats have said they're taking a different approach. Is there some flexibility from House (inaudible) in paying for this bill? (inaudible) some flexibility from the President...

Speaker Pelosi. Well, Mr. Rangel put forth and Mr. Larson can probably speak to this because he's the one in that committee, but let me just say -- and bring him on -- that, that was the work -- the committee worked all day Friday; met in the morning with some of the Members. And then met about how to have a surcharge -- a surcharge at the high end so that middle-income people in our country are not touched by the pay-fors for this. I said, this is about the middle class in our country. Lower their cost; improve their quality; expand their coverage, and do so in a way that gives them peace of mind. So a middle-income family that has a pre-existing condition in the family, or is changing jobs -- needs portability, or loses a job and does not lose health care. This is about them.

And in terms of the pay-fors, to the extent that we can squeeze more out of the system for savings reduces the need for the
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