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Transcript of Affordable Care Act Anniversary Event

March 23, 2022

Austin – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Congressman Lloyd Doggett for a press event on the 12th anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act, at the Clinical Education Center at Brackenridge. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you – thank you very much, Lloyd Doggett, for your very generous words of introduction, for the invitation to be here. Geronimo Rodriguez, thank you for your leadership in so many ways and for welcoming us here today. Ciaura Brown, thank you for the challenge – you rose, as well as Dr. Emily Dewar for your service and leadership for those in need. And that's what is so important in the Affordable Care Act.

Well, let me just begin by thanking all of you for, for all of what you do. I've met with some of the leadership now and saw the enthusiasm that they had, and every single one of them talked about helping people in most need. So to all of you, I come here today in regard to the Affordable Care Act – our twelfth anniversary – to say the ACA is Here to Stay. The ACA is Here to Stay.

[Applause]

As Mr. Doggett said, it has withstood the courts – the this, the that, the challenges in the Congress. And I want to thank so many of you, because with our inside maneuvering, we were able to, to advance it, we were able to try to save it. But we could not have passed it or saved it without the outside mobilization – without people who care about health care for all Americans as a pillar of health, but also as financial health, helping us there.

We had 10,000 – 10,000 events in the course of the time that those in Congress were trying to repeal the Affordable [Care] Act. Ten thousand events across the country where people, doctors and doctors to be – people were telling their stories. It wasn't about provisions or statistics. It was people telling their stories. And their stories are our mission. As was said, that being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition, that's a good thing of the ACA – that pre-existing conditions, which affect millions and millions of families in our country, it's no longer a barrier to – but you know all of that.

But I do want to say, and Mr. Doggett, Mr. Chairman referenced it, is – in the Rescue Package. As you know, some states, for example – one of the ones we're in right now, Texas – did not expand Medicaid. It's hard to understand why, but without going into that – Mr. Rodriguez and I were discussing that earlier. Why? I don't know why. But nonetheless, when we did the Rescue Package – we saw if they won't expand Medicaid, we will expand the ACA to include those who are eligible for Medicaid. And that really made a tremendous difference. Now we have to renew – make it longer. That was for the life of that legislation.

But this is something else the legislation did – it has – the Rescue Plan: health care is more affordable and – made it more affordable and accessible than ever. Families have saved an average of $2,400, a record of 14.5 million Americans have enrolled, including 1.8 million Texans. And now the Rescue Plan also did this – invested one billion dollars – with a 'b' – one billion dollars to grow and diversify our health workforce. These funds are supporting the next generation of physicians, quadrupling scholarships offered by the National Health Service Corps and bringing the talents of new graduates into underserved communities.

And this week – this is part of what President Biden has been about, about equity and everything we do: whether it's environmental justice, which is a health issue, or justice in terms of education, opportunity and in our economy. So this is very much a part of his agenda. But it is something that we always have to – as with our democracy – to protect and strengthen. And that's what this anniversary – we do to call attention to the opportunity that was presented with the ACA.

Now let me just mention about Lloyd Doggett, Chairman of the Health Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee, which is a primary Committee of jurisdiction for all issues health related. Ways and Means – it doesn't sound like health does – but it is.

[Laughter]

It's very central to the issue. Even long before he was in Congress, this has been a priority for him. Access to health care for everyone, especially underserved communities, safety-net communities and the rest. So he brought great experience to the Congress – and great determination and leadership – to the formation of the ACA, the passage of the ACA and now the improvement of the ACA. So when we say, ‘ACA is Here To Stay, ACA is Here to Stay,' we have Congressman – Mr. Chairman Lloyd Doggett – as the one who brought it here in the first place but also making sure that it is Here to Stay.

I'm very eager to hear the questions that you may, some of you may have. It is an honor to be here. I thank you for the good work that you do. You have no idea – maybe you do have some idea – of how strengthening it is to the effort to see the determination that you have, the sacrifices that you make, the priority that you give to having universal health care for all, for all Americans, especially addressing those in communities of need.

So, thank you again for the opportunity to be here and thank you for what you do, and I look forward to your questions. Thank you.

[Applause]

Congressman Doggett. Thank you. Great. So we promised at least a few minutes of discussion, your questions, your comments. We certainly want to be responsive to the press, but I think let's open it up here to – Doctor?

Q. Good morning. Thank you so much, Madam Speaker, Congressman, for being here today. So, while we know that the establishment –

Speaker Pelosi. Name? Name? Name?

Q. Lundyn Davis, first year medical student.

[Laughter]

So, while we know that the establishment of the ACA led to the reduction in coverage gaps that exists for racial and ethnic minorities, further research has shown that that reduction was greatest in states that chose to expand Medicaid. So given that Texas did not expand Medicaid – Representative Doggett – what efforts would you say are being made to address the fact that Texas now has the biggest coverage gap in the country and in what ways are these efforts aiding disadvantaged communities specifically? And then, Madam Speaker, while it was a state-by-state decision, what efforts would you say are being made on the federal level in order to support those racial and ethnic minorities that are still being disadvantaged here in Texas by the health care system? I thank you in advance for your responses.

Congressman Doggett. Want to lead?

Speaker Pelosi. Okay, as you say. Thank you so much for your question. And this is the heart of the matter. And it has been exacerbated with COVID, because COVID just pulled back that shade and showed how deep the disparities had been in communities of color. So it is – it is a justice issue. Martin Luther King said of all the inequalities, the injustice in health care, in health is the most serious because people could die.

And one of the fights that we've had, in the whole COVID fight was to – well, well – it was a fight that we had, so it was to make sure that we could document – that we could document – we could obtain the data, so that we would know in terms of what we wanted to do in terms of testing, tracing and treating COVID in various communities.

But in order to be able to take a measure of it, you had to collect the data, and I was told by some people on the other side of the aisle and the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, ‘Do you know how hard that is?'I said, 'Do you know how hard it is to pass a bill without it?' We have to do that, and if you cannot face the reality of it, you cannot fully address the challenge.

So, COVID has – it's most unfortunate how it has affected communities of color, but it is a signal. It is an indication of further disparity in that community. And it – and so in terms of the legislation – it is, as I've said in part of my remarks – what we did in the bill was to increase the funding for education, for communities of color, so, so that primary care docs and all the rest, or even beyond that, but culturally appropriate, linguistically appropriate and the rest of – health care professionals were reaching into communities.

If we don't do this right, we're just skimming the surface of the challenge that we have in universal health care in our country, because when we – hopefully we will be successful with putting everybody who is on Medicaid under the ACA – but we have to improve the quality of care and we have to improve the timing of care. The sooner people are in the loop, the sooner we can diagnose and understand what the challenges are. And again, collect the data that tells us: whether it's environmentally, whether it's genetically, whether it's, whatever it is. Or if it's just a challenge that we have because of economic disparity, because of lack of access to health care early enough to get the job done.

But the most important thing – as I said earlier – is to listen to all of you and that's why we kept saying to the other – to certain people – we need the data, that – because the data will set us free because it will lead us to where we need to be in a different way. It's not just about people's survival. We want them to be successful in their health care, but you have to be transformative in the public policy that makes that so. And in order for that policy to be on the right track when you go down a different path, you have to have the information from those who are on the frontlines treating that. That's why it's such an honor to be here with all of you.

I was saying to somebody the other day that I – somebody was reading a poem that said, ‘Our children are our harvest and we are their harvest. We teach them; they teach us.' We're telling you what we're trying to do. You teach us how to do it right. So, know that you're part of our harvest. But if you want us to be part of yours – you have to, you have to be vocal and, and that is the most invigorating part of getting the – being on the right path.

Relentless, persistent, dissatisfied, a messenger of his constituents – Lloyd Doggett.

***

Q. Good morning. I'm Jessica, I'm a third year medical student. Thank you guys, for being with us. So my question, Representative Doggett and Speaker Pelosi, is about – I love that you are expanding for people who are eligible for Medicaid, but the gap of those in the middle class – low-income – I know the Rescue bill expanded some subsidies, but just thinking long-term are we going to talk more about tax credits or subsidies for those people, especially young people, who maybe aren't on their parents' health plan and are looking at the marketplace, but decide the marketplace is still too expensive. So how are we kind of reaching those people who are in that – they are not on Medicaid, but they are still not making enough necessarily for marketplace plans to be affordable to them?

Speaker Pelosi. You're absolutely right. When we did the Affordable Care Act, the threshold for getting the pre – the subsidies were too low. But we had to pay for the bill. And that was a requirement and one that we support. In order to be able to – we would have gone higher in the House. But anyway, in order to –

[Laughter]

But nonetheless, we're pleased that we had a bill and went forward but – with the recognition that we had to lift that limit, so that more people could have that. Now, everything in our bill – in the Affordable Care Act tended – if we had never – if everybody loved their health care and loved their insurer and could afford it all, we would have still had to pass the Affordable Care Act, because it was unsustainable cost-wise. It was unsustainable to individuals, to families, to small businesses, to corporate America. And it was unsustainable to the taxpayer, because it was just too expensive.

So we had to weigh in to reduce the cost of health care. And we did in every category, the cost of health care because the Affordable Care – that increase was leveling off, except for what Congress – Mr. Chairman said about prescription drugs. That continued to be the acceleration of increase in costs and it still is. And that's why in the BBB, we have something that we have been working on forever – since both us were in Congress, a long time, to have the Secretary of HHS be able to negotiate for lower prices.

And we have a compromise in the BBB – I'd rather do more, because the fact is, is that the U.S. taxpayer, U.S. taxpayer is subsidizing the research, which is a priority for us. There's probably no better dollar spent than investment in biomedical research and all that that implies and the education that goes with it. But that research has led to private sector success, and we salute that. But why should people overseas be paying one-fifth, one-fourth or one-third the cost that we pay in the United States? It's a rip. It's a rip.

And so that's – that's one of the things that we can do. And you know what, I've seen grown men cry on the campaign trail or just the – just being out there, not necessarily campaigning, but listening to people. They just don't know how they're going to pay those bills. And the – that's a kitchen table issue for people. Are they going to be able to buy food, to the extent that they should pay the rent, pay for these prescription drugs? And that has to stop.

Again. Again, we understand, we want – we support research. We've all been big supporters of NIH research and understand that that's a gift – that's like the biblical power to cure. But why are we paying three, four, five times as much as people overseas for the exact same – for the exact same drug?

So that is a kitchen table, middle income, family issue as well, and there's some others, but that would make the most drastic difference in terms of costs – all around costs and being able to afford and pay for it.

Congressman Doggett. Final question or comment? Any others?

Speaker Pelosi. I want you to know that the patients are diverse.

[Laughter]

Congressman Doggett. Well, hopefully we get a chance to visit here in just a few minutes before departing. Are there any questions from the press?

Q. I have one about Ukraine, if that's okay?

Speaker Pelosi. If we could just – unless there's – we'll do that. But if we could stay on subject for the moment. Anybody else wants to talk about ACA being here to stay? You're good with that already?

Q. I have a question. Did you say you are working on getting that passed through the Senate? I mean what's the likelihood of that going through appropriations?

Speaker Pelosi. I don't think we'll get the whole bill. There are certain things we have to have. And that's what we are negotiating. I mean – as I've said, the President's approach has always been about justice. So whether it's justice in how that applies to how you have access to health care – but it's also about child care. So affordable child care – not only what that means for families, but it means for child care providers – that they be adequately paid.

It's about universal pre-K, so that ‘children learning, parents earning' – and that enables many more moms, and dads, across our sociological landscape to participate. It's about home health care. This is a new one. The others we are increasing or – this is new. Home health care. $150 billion for home health care. If you have a sibling, a parent, a child even, but – different from child care – child health care, respecting those needs, but also respecting those workers who provide the health care. Many of them women of color.

And then, the piece about Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. You know, we've talked about that. And then the third part of it really goes into – this is real, this is a health issue for all of us, it is a climate issue, the environmental justice issue, clean air, clean water. Half a trillion dollars in the bill for saving the planet. That is, again, a very important health issue.

I don't know that we get all of that. But those are some of the elements that are transformative in the communities and the homes and the lives of the American people. So we'll see what we get, but we're not giving up until we get much more and we passed it in the Senate. We reduced it in the Senate. We compromised in the – I mean in the House – and we'll just see what we can get in the Senate.

Congressman Doggett. Before we go to Ukraine, I think there was one more ACA question? Doctor?

Q. Student doctor. Hi.

Congressman Doggett. Yes. I'll take doctor – student. We got a lot of student doctors here.

[Laughter]

Speaker Pelosi. We're in awe. Doctor, student, doctor.

Q. Well, my name is Lana Schommer and I'm a third-year medical student and I was just kind of wondering, in light of the recent residency match that we had for all the physicians in this country. We have a lot – a really large national physician shortage, specifically in primary care, that you can't really fund. You could fund the ACA, but if you don't have doctors to provide the care to these underserved communities, it's not really doing that much.

What – plans if any of you guys know on the federal or state level, for expanding residency programs or funding for more physician training spots in these underserved rural and urban areas throughout the country?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, one thing I mentioned was the billion dollars in the bill that we have, and hopefully that will do, but what suggestions would you have?

[Laughter]

Q. Well, putting me on the spot.

[Laughter]

Speaker Pelosi. I came to listen.

Q. I noticed that we've had a lot of new medical schools pop up throughout the country, and I think that it could be interesting to start relating how many medical school positions that we have and trying to link them to the number of residency spots so that there isn't a huge surplus of medical students graduating, like 11,000 this year, and then only so many residency spots. So maybe trying to put a regulation on that, to line the numbers up a little better.

Speaker Pelosi. Or expand the residency spots.

Q. Or expand the spots, which is the money part but – It provides a huge service.

***

Speaker Pelosi. Let me just say, because we focused on the underserved in minority communities. We also have a big issue of underserved and rural communities in our country. And when we did the Affordable Care Act, we were trying to have a design that not only helped us – underserved communities in terms of minorities, but also in rural areas. And what we tried to do on the House – and did better than the other side – was to say we need to invest in primary care docs. Because they come out with these big debts maybe from, from their education, and we want them to be able to afford to go out into the community.

Another thing we did there, though, and Mr. Doggett was very instrumental in this, was with the – in terms of technology and having access technologically to health care, to try to make it healthier for people who are out there. But the docs – the primary care – I mean, again, we want everybody to specialize and do what they do and and make their contribution to science and good health and the rest. But the – is an easy path. It just takes the money to have many more primary docs go out there into the community and have debt forgiveness as it relates to public service. And that is – that exists, but it doesn't exist enough. We have to do – we have to do more in that regard.

But it is, again, this is an issue that is health, it's personal. It's a health issue. It's a financial issue for families. It's a budget issue for the government. For the taxpayer, let's just put it right out, to the taxpayer. So that's why when we come here and see an organization, a faith-based organization, who's safe – address safety-net institutions that help people who need help, this is – this is the Lord's work and it's a joy to be home. I thank you for what you are doing, and welcome any suggestions you may have about how public policy might affect the delivery of service to these people. Sometimes we're just involved in a big money fight. And that's important, because we have to pay for it. But it's also a values debate, and we want to make sure that the values are well-served, and the money should be there if they aren't. Mr. Doggett?

Congressman Doggett. Well, I just will close that by saying I know there's some people who have another question or some advice – please go to our website and offer your continuing comments on this. Solutions are welcome, but we'll take questions as well. And if you're interested in advocating more, I'll plug for Lisa who formed the first chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility in the southwest. That's a good way to have your voice heard to on all these issues.

So I think there was a Ukraine question?

Q. I got a health care question. Really quickly.

Congressman Doggett. Okay, sure.

Q. So in Texas obviously, even if you are insured, we have a major health care problem in the lack of access to abortion. The Senate failed to advance legislation this month that would have been protective. I am wondering what kind of sacrifices might need to be made to pass legislation that will protect Texans who are seeking abortion, but that conservatives in the Senate could consider realistically.

Congressman Doggett. Well, I think the Speaker should address the Senate. I can say that as someone who has a lifetime 100 percent pro-choice record myself, I view this as a critical issue that we can never give up on. And our Speaker hasn't and has legislation that's specifically focused on this. Madam Speaker?

Speaker Pelosi. Yeah, we – the last time we were here, actually, you referenced it, when we were in the fall. No, it was August, I think.

Congressman Doggett. Yes.

Speaker Pelosi. It was right when –

Congressman Doggett. The decision came down.

Speaker Pelosi. We had a planned visit to talk about health care and the rest. And that night before, late in the day before – the Court made its most unfair decision that – that you all know about. And when we – by the time we got here the next morning it was – we had already been up all night, another night, talking about how we would pass the Roe v. Wade codification. And that is something that we have done in the House, and we consider that very important.

I don't see, I mean, public sentiment, perhaps, weighing in – but the Senate might get a few votes. I don't see how it gets up to ten. But again, public sentiment – Lincoln said, ‘Public sentiment is everything. With it, you can accomplish almost anything, without it, practically nothing.'

And with families, not just women, but women and families, weigh in about the injustice of it all. You know, it is, again, a justice issue. People of means have access to whatever they need. But it has an unjust impact. And I've had – Catholic, five children, six years and a day. Six years and a day, five children. So I say to my colleagues, when you have five children in six years and a day, let's talk about you telling other people what they should do. This was perfect for us. But why should we be deciding for somebody else the size and timing of their family? It's just – and I understand them. I come from a – sort of pro – I don't say pro-life – I think we're all pro-life, but whatever they want to call themselves – family. So I know that basis, but it has no place. It has no place. Why should we be telling people the size and timing of their family? Something so personal. And – and if they even want to have a family. None of our business, okay? To the Court, to the Congress and the rest. But this will be an important decision coming down from the Court.

One thing I will say about the Court: how they could have ever allowed the Texas law to proceed with the vigilante aspects of it, really tells you something about how low they will go to disrespect women.

But we just – we don't agonize, we organize. That's our motto. So we just have to make sure that we protect a woman's right to choose.

Q. So you're not seeing a chance of codifying Roe?

Speaker Pelosi. I don't – right now, frankly – see that in the United States Senate. There might be a couple of votes now. And it's – it's, you know, we have the Democratic vote. It's a matter of election. Myself, I think that that should be a 51 vote decision. I think that's a Constitutional decision – it's about the Constitution.

So why, if we can send Justices to the Supreme Court for life, three of them, now a fourth, for life, on 51 votes — why can't we just vote for women to choose? A Constitutional choice for them. But – what the Constitution has already, by precedent. established, for them. But no, I wish I could be more optimistic. I have no reason to be, but we never give up.

Ukraine?

Q. Yeah, apologies for off-topic, this, you know – this is one of the highest stakes visits for a President in recent memory. So I want to hear your hopes and expectations for the President, as he is about to meet with European leaders.

Speaker Pelosi. First, let me just say, and I should have said before you asked the question when I knew the nature of it, we should all be very, very grateful to Lloyd Doggett. He has been a leader in the Congress on the assistance to Ukraine, whether it's about military, whether it's humanitarian, whether its economic, whether it's tightening sanctions and the rest, he has been a champion and a leader. Lloyd, do you want to take that question?

***

Speaker Pelosi. Yes, I would associate myself with Mr. Doggett's remarks, but just to emphasize a few points. One is, our President has been really a champion on this issue. You have to understand that as he came into office, he was inheriting a situation of a former Administration that was wanting to be dismissive of NATO, did not respect the Transatlantic Alliance and was not a unifier in terms of how we would – actually even a President withheld the $400 million for aid that the President of Ukraine was asking for in the famous telephone call.

So – so Obama – excuse me, Biden, comes into the situation and commands tremendous respect. Says to NATO, we respect Article Five, we are there for you – which the previous President was being dismissive of. And that's the mutual defense provision of the NATO alliance. So when we – we were there, two or three – two and a half weeks ago, in Munich, for the Munich Security Conference. Everybody's there. You know, the EU, the NATO, the Chancellor of Germany, of course, the Munich, the Prime Minister of the UK, heads of state, from all over, defense ministers, foreign ministers, speakers, all that stuff. And they were all very praiseworthy of President Biden.

Let me just – this is how I explain it – that makes sense to me. See if it does to you. We just had Saint Patrick's Day the other day. I see some people in green here. Oh, that's your colors? Oh, okay. They're your scrubs. Okay.

We had – and what I said to him that day was – thank you – I had them bring me my rosary. I have this from the Ukrainian Church, Saint Michael's in – in New York. It's – it's amber, which is a product of Eastern Europe. But it is something that we all have to do, is to pray for the people of Ukraine, in addition to everything else we have to do.

Okay, so last week was Saint Patrick's Day. On Saint Patrick's Day, I had the occasion to introduce the President at a number of events. And I told – I said this: when I was young, I was a student and I attended the inauguration of President Kennedy. Everybody in the world – now you all weren't born yet. Nor were your parents. But I was a student and I was there that day. But you know from the history books that what the President said, the citizens of America, ask not what your country can do. You all know that, right? I won't even finish it. The very next sentence, and I said this to the President, I said, that was a sentence that everybody knows, but the very next sentence, Mr. President, was his sentence for you. He said, ‘The citizens of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what we can do working together for the freedom of mankind.'

That's exactly what Joe Biden is doing. Working together. He didn't go in there and say ‘we're back and now here's what we're all going to do.' He listened. He – they work together. And that is the strength. They – a united NATO. More united than they've ever been. And certainly, more welcoming to our participation. They were really afraid for four years that we would be abandoning NATO. The President was very unifying, in a respectful way. Putin was very unifying, in a horrible way.

And so we will – I have some fair communication with the Speaker of the Parliament there. And we had the speech from the President, and I've had conversations with him. What they want – they want the sky. Well, we can't do that. We cannot do – that is World War III. And Putin would like nothing better than for us to take the bait, unfortunately.

So how can we help Ukraine — protect their skies with the most sophisticated equipment, lethal – that means deadly — equipment, to protect their country, their democracy. And that is – that is the technology that is being transferred. What they've asked for is the skies. Okay, we can't do that. The equipment, yes, we can. The humanitarian assistance, yes, we will, thanks to Mr. Doggett's legislation. And the reconstruction that they're asking for us. We have to know that you'll be there to help us to reconstruct, in a sort of – a Marshall Plan kind of way. Again, go to the history books, and – we all have to go the history books for that.

But it is – it's a remarkable thing to see – to see. And we had the privilege last week of hearing from the President to a joint session of Congress. And what was wonderful about it was that it was Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate. Many of them in tears listening and seeing the film which you probably – many of you probably did see. So we are there for them. We won't take Putin's bait.

Just so you know, I asked some of these heads of state when we were in Munich. I said is he all, you know – ? We had one of those. And they said ‘you know, what? Doesn't matter.' He's a very evil person, a very evil person. Who else would bomb a maternity hospital? I mean, who else would devalue life in such a way?

So in any event, again, and just one last point on intelligence, which is my arena, you know, the President made the wise decision to share, in an unclassified way, much of the intelligence. To show exactly what Putin was going to do. So that people knew and he knew that we knew what he was going to do. And the NATO countries – not only NATO countries, other countries, who are our allies around the world, were very appreciative of that. Because that's a source of strength, as we go in. Intelligence helps save lives, helps withstand aggression and the rest and that was helpful to the Ukrainians as well.

So this is, it's a challenge. Putin can't stand the fact that there's a thriving democracy on his – on the border of Russia. And he just had to try to snuff it out. And unfortunately, he's not being – dealing honestly with the people of Russia and telling them one thing and another about why he's there. But – even if he is there. And the other heads of state were telling me, in the surrounding areas, that he has a massive disinformation program going on in their countries and has some level of success. So we have to have an even stronger level of making sure people see the truth, and that this ends at some point.

What gets me is people say, ‘Well, why don't they both stop?' Well, wait a minute, wait a minute, why doesn't Putin stop?

But thank you for your question. And we always want to do more. And the strength of our doing it together, is just so much – the cumulative effect of that is more than any one of us stepping out – beyond that is consensus. And so we're very proud of the President is going there. We're eager to see what the result will be of that meeting.

You had a question.

Q. Madam Speaker, I have to ask about Congressman Cueller. You supported him in the past, are you supporting him in his current runoff for office?

Speaker Pelosi. Yes I am. Yes I am.

Q. And what does that mean, given the FBI raid on his house?

Speaker Pelosi. Excuse me?

Q. The FBI raid on his house.

Speaker Pelosi.I don't know what it is.I haven't seen anything – have you? Do you know what it's about?

Q. No, I would assume you would know before I would know.

Speaker Pelosi. No, I haven't seen it, and I haven't known, and I have never really known. You know, it's a primary. And God bless everyone. And it will be, hopefully, will be a Democratic District. I'm all about winning the Congress – for the American people.

Well – I think democracy is on the ballot, and that we all have our different – differences and disagreements. But the fact is, we should all agree that democracy should prevail. Right now, we're in a situation where it's a continuation of January 6th. Across the country, there is legislation that will do what they tried to do that day, which is to undermine our democracy, suppress the vote, especially for people of color. That's their thing, because they know they – that's how they can win elections, by suppressing the vote of people of color. Not that anybody should take anybody for granted. But nonetheless, and worse of all, nullifying elections. So my – I don't – I support my incumbents. I support every one of them. From right to left. That is what I do. But I also have my eye on November, because we have no intention of losing. Now I don't mean to get into politics but that is what the question is.