Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi denied there was any chance of the Obamacare employer mandate being scrapped on Sunday, dismissing former White House spokesman Robert Gibb’s suggestion to the contrary and calling the mandate an “integral part” of the law.
Pelosi spoke Sunday with CNN’s Candy Crowley about the healthcare law, which made headlines this week for hitting 7.1 million (sort of) enrollments before the March 31 (suggested) deadline. The host asked the California congresswoman about a less-discussed story: Gibb’s prediction that the law’s employer mandate will be delayed indefinitely due to its potential to inflict economic pain and job losses. (RELATED: Former Obama spokesman Gibbs predicts employer mandate will be scrapped)
PELOSI: Well, of all the things that I want to say about the Affordable Care Act, Robert Gibbs’ opinion — I don’t know who his clients are or what his perspective is — but we are celebrating the fact that we have over seven million that have signed up, not counting the 3.1 million who are on the policies of their parents until they are 26 years old, not including over three million, and probably closer to five million on Medicaid, could bring us close to 15 million people who now have quality, affordable health care. It’s really pretty exciting for those of us who made this fight, the employer mandate, individual mandate, all an integral part of giving people, uh…
CROWLEY: So you think it is integral. You think the employer mandate is integral, and will — and has to — stay.
PELOSI: You — you know. This is an initiative that has strong pillars in it that relate to each other.
CROWLEY: To put a period on it, you cannot see supporting anything that would remove the business mandate.
PELOSI: No. No, no. I mean — I don’t know why we’re focusing on that. One person says one thing. Seven million people signed up!
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