Washington DC — Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced her intention to step down from House leadership and pass the torch to the next generation of Democratic lawmakers. Nancy Pelosi made history in 2007 when she became the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House. In the years since, she has worked tirelessly to fight for affordable health care for every American.
“This is the end of an era. Speaker Pelosi is a fearless health care champion. We were privileged to work with a legislative giant who made such an incredible difference in the lives of so many. She has dedicated decades of service to making health care more affordable, accessible, and equitable,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “In her time as Speaker, she has passed the Affordable Care Act, the American Rescue Plan, and the Inflation Reduction Act, she has taken on Big Pharma to give Medicare the power to negotiate, and she has fought Republican efforts to repeal the ACA and its protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. These policies have touched the lives of nearly every person in the nation, providing patients with lifesaving care while ensuring their families can afford to make ends meet. We look forward to watching her continue in Congress and help usher in a new generation of leadership.”
“Nancy Pelosi is the greatest Speaker in American history, and she has done more to deliver affordable health care to Americans than any elected official,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “She started her work in public service to fight for better health care during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and she led the Democratic effort to protect and expand affordable health care for the American people. She kept her caucus together at a perilous time to pass The Affordable Care Act in 2010 and, in just the last few years, she defied all odds and stopped the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, taking back the House in 2018 and building on the ACA to deliver lower health care and prescription drug costs for families across the nation. Every day Nancy Pelosi was speaker, the nation had a champion for working people. As Pelosi transitions to her new role, Democrats will continue to thrive thanks to her dedication, and the party could not be better equipped to continue the fight for affordable health care.”
Nancy Pelosi’s health care record by the numbers:
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- 35 million Americans have coverage now because of the Affordable Care Act.
- 7.1 million people are covered under CHIP.
- 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions are protected from discrimination.
- 49 million Medicare beneficiaries will benefit from lower drug prices thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.
- 3.3 million Medicare beneficiaries using insulin will have copays capped at $35 each month.
- Millions of lives saved in the United States and all over the world by efforts to contain the HIV/AIDS epidemic.