[background sounds] [inaudible conversations] okay. Lets hold up the signs, everybody. Great. All right. Well, i want to thank our great, great speaker, nancy pelosi, and all of our friends from the house for joining we Senate Democrats here on the steps. And when i gather because this is a critical day for the future of health care in america. Today in new orleans, republican attorneys general supported by President Trump and his department of justice, will argue in court that millions of americans should lose their health care and all of the protections included in the aca. The stakes cannot be higher. Imagine, you are a parent and her child has cancer, a deadly form here theres a treatment available, but the Insurance Company says no, you cant have that treatment, or were cutting you off. What if donald trump, what are our republican friends telling that family . That you cant get health care and we have nothing to put and its place. Shame on them. Shame on them. The stakes cant be higher. The faces you see behind us our faces of americans. Millions of americans who will suffer if republicans succeed in dismantling our health care law. Millions of peoples lives, nothing less, or on the line. If the right wing wins the lawsuit, families one end of america to the other will lose. Lose their health care. Lose important preexisting condition protections, and lose their peace of mind that there might be something there to make them well. It will hurt families in new york, like little emily here, a healthy, active sevenyearold, when her life dramatically changed after she sustained a severe traumatic brain injury from falling off a horse in 2015. Amylase recovery has been long. It has been daunting pitches had to relearn how to walk, how to eat, how to talk, how to engage with the world around her at age seven. But her biggest challenge from her biggest challenge was her families struggle, because private insurance would only cover 60 days of rehab. Thankfully, her family was given one emilys mother calls a lifeline. She received her care through medicaid, as millions of other americans have in these types of situations. Because of aca, and only because of aca, she knows that she doesnt have to worry, that she will be denied health care or charge prices so high that her family cant afford them because of her preexisting condition. She is going to live with this preexisting condition the rest of her life. I am, and we all are, are fighting to keep emilys protections and those that millions and millions of americans, not mr. Trump, the very wealthy who can afford it, but average families, working families, middleclass families, struggling families the desperately depend on this health care that you, President Trump, and you, republicans, are trying to take from them. We cannot allow it to happen. Mistakes can be higher. The bottom line is very simple. If republicans prevail, these protections are obliterated overnight. And our republican friends in the house and senate, they go home and decide they want to protect preexisting conditions, and then the act to take them away and do nothing to preserve them. How hypocrisy, blatant hypocrisy. So when President Trump declared the Republican Party will be the party of health care, have you windows hes full of it. Dont let President Trump for you, america. Donald trump and the republicans want to take away your health care. We democrats will keep fighting tooth and nail to protect Americans Health care for as long as it takes, and we will not stop until we succeed. Speaker pelosi. [applause] all right, mr. Schumer. Thank you, mr. Leader. Thank you, mr. Leader. That was a good clap. [laughing] that was a real clap. Thank you, leader schumer, bring us together here on the steps of the United States senate to speak out on behalf of all of the American People. Im pleased to be with you and distinguish center, former house member, senator jacky rosen was a champion for health care in the house and out in the senate, and colin allred, a freshman member whom i will introduce enomoto, talk about and a moment, in his role in all this from day one as a member of congress. Today, houses the democrats are here to show the human stakes of the gops Relentless Assault on health care. As oral arguments in her today, gops texas first u. S. Lawsuit can we gather to give voice to the hardworking americans through health and Economic Security are in jeopardy. Today the Trump Administration is demanding that the court strike down every last provision of the aca. Protecting protections for the over 130 million americans with preexisting conditions. And their families. Bands on lifetime and annual limits that as a leader mentioned, that can be a very, very, have a devastating impact financially as well as healthwise for a family. The Medicaid Expansion, again as the leader mentioned, Medicaid Expansion in the aca, very important to people born with, babies born with preexisting conditions and families, otherwise. Savings are seniors Prescription Drug costs. The premium assistance that makes Health Coverage affordable for millions of americans families. As you all know, that Affordable Care act extended benefits to 20 Million People who did not have health care before, and that was very, very important. A major achievement in itself, but that was not the full extent of the bill. 130 million americans have preexisting conditions, and they are affected by this law case. Whats interesting about it is during the Campaign Across the country the republicans were saying we are for preserving the preexisting medical conditions. And yet they vote over and over again to prevent it, and now they are taking it to court. And the reason they think they have a chance in court is because what they did on the horrible gop tax scam bill with it undermined the Affordable Care act there. So everyplace every chance they get they try to undermine the health and Economic Security, Financial Security of americas working families. The aca is a pillar of health and Economic Security, standing alongside medicare, medicaid, and social security. But the gop is showing they want to destroy the Affordable Care act for americas families. With the leadership of colin allred as i i mentioned earlier and our outstanding freshman class, our majority voted on day one to show the full, legal weight of the house against this disastrous gop lawsuit. But more than 190 republicans that day voted to be fully complicit in the administrations attempt to tear away health protections. Families across the nation have called on congress to protect our care, and House Democrats are fighting for them. And may i retrieve to the mobilization on the outside. Our inside maneuvering is very important to pass legislation, but we cannot succeed without the outside mobilizations of so many Patient Advocacy groups, little obvious come so many groups, united collaborating to protect our care. I thanked him. I thank them for their leadership and their success. Democrats will continue to fight for the people to Lower Health Care costs and the cost of Prescription Drugs and to protect people with preexisting conditions. I want to call to attention, and im so proud that so many colleagues in the house and senate are here with their examples. We all have so many to choose from because theyre so many examples in our constituencies. Im here with jonah cohen, hes my constituent in san francisco. Jonah is 11 years old and will be interested to the sixth grade this fall. On april 11, 2017, his life dramatically changed when he was diagnosed with type i diabetes if its been a hard adjustment, special as he has a phobia of shots, but he is trying to live a normal life. He is a round belt in taekwondo, and plays piano. Hes a lovely young man. Imagine that this dissent upon their family on april of last year. Every family in america is one phone call, one diagnoses, one accident away from being slaves to preexisting conditions, the costs that they incur. And more importantly, the toll they take on the health of family members. It is really important that the court on its precedence when it rules in favor of the Affordable Care act in a a previous occas. Now it is my privilege to yield to the distinguished senator from nevada, as i mentioned, a former member of the house whom were very proud, senator jacky rosen. [applause] thank you, madam chair speaker, leader schumer. Thank you all for being here today. I want to point out to you my picture. This is lc. Shes eight years old she loves to read. She loves to play outside and right after she was born she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a a lifethreatening genetic disease that affects thousands of people across the United States. This debilitating disease makes it incredibly difficult for elsie and thousands of other americans to do something just as simple as briefing. And whats even more tragic is that more than half the patients with Cystic Fibrosis dont live to see the age of 30. It takes a lot to treat cf. Elsie takes over 100, 100 pills the week to treat her disease, a digestion, maintain her nutrition levels. And that doesnt even take into account medication and medical equipment she needs to keep breathing. This is elsies routine when shes healthy. When shes sick with another illness or infection, the treatments are more difficult, more painful, more expensive. However, elsie is fortunate that she has a loving and dedicated family that continue to fight for elsies health. And thats why we are here today. Thats what we all must do for elsie and for countless others. Millions of People Living with preexisting conditions like elsie are at risk of losing affordable called the care if the aca struck down. And no child, no adult for that matter, should be deprived of basic Health Coverage they depend on to stay alive. Elsie and her family, they refuse to give up, and they are the reason that we are not giving up either. We must fight together elsie at a family that breath of fresh air she struggles to take every moment of every day. We must fight for the 20 Million People at risk of losing their coverage if this aca is repealed. Millions of people depend on us. They sent us here to protect their health care. Thats what im doing. Thats what we are doing. Thank you. [applause] good afternoon. Thank you, speaker pelosi, leader schumer, and senator rosen for leading the charge in this fight. Its an honor to be here fighting alongside you for Americas Health care. We are here today because of a cynical, partisan attack on our health care. Health care of hardworking americans and our federal courts. The reality is this administrations careless lawsuit will rip away care for millions. Thats why in my first day in congress i i introduced a resolution to put the United States house of representatives on the site of the people to protect our health care. I was honored to be joined i many of my colleagues who were here today. My home state of texas as ice uninsured rate in the country, and amount of dallas county, one in five people dont have health insurance. If this attack succeeds, this lawsuit will send us spiraling backwards and harm hundreds of thousands of texans. The fight to protect preexisting conditions is personal to me. My mother is a Breast Cancer survivor. My wife and i just celebrate the birth of her son who is five months old. As a both preexisting conditions. Ive told this story many times, but two years ago on the day the house voted to repeal the Affordable Care act, i met natalie, a young mother who was spending her final weeks fighting cancer to advocate, to protect the Affordable Care act. And with it the vital protection for people with preexisting conditions like hers. Now for future mode selector who will be able to know their children so they wouldnt have to worry about getting the coverage and the care that they need. Sadly, we lost natalie last year, but stories like hers are all too common. Stories like the rose family. I met rob rose at the Veterans Resource Center opening when you wrote in to my office to share story after the prez decided to attack the Affordable Care act in federal court. Rob used to work in sales but when his company downsized a let him go. Rob boldly decided to retire early but he wasnt yet eligible for medicare. Because of the Affordable Care act he was able to find a plan that worked for him during this transition in his life. He is now on medicare but his wife debbie is still on the individual market plan. The lower premiums are too high, rob told us this plan gives them peace of mind that if wh until shes eligible for medicare may connect you. Its important to provide Older Americans that are not yet medicare eligible with a way to buy insurance that actually works. This is an example of why we cant go backwards. We must Work Together to lower the cost of health care for American Families like the roses. I urge this administration, my colleagues in the house and the senate to end this partisan attack on our health care and to work with us to protect protection for people with preexisting conditions and to make sure that every American Family gets the care that they need. The American People are counting on us to get things done and thats why they sent us here. We have to stop this sabotage, this infighting. Its hurting the American People. Its hurting families like the roses. We are so much better than this thank you so much. [applause] and for everyone youve heard about, the four families, there are millions in america. We will also up our site so you can see them. Hold up our signs so you can see them. Thank you. Well done. Thanks, everyone, for coming. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] the senate expected to be back later this afternoon. Lawmakers are expected to hold a confirmation vote for a circuit judge with the ninth circuit. If confirmed he would be the 42nd Circuit Court judge in the 126 judge over all to be approved i the senate during the Trump Administration. Also later today lawmakers plan to work on more u. S. District court judge nomination. When the senate returns, live coverage on cspan2. Twotime president ial candidate and texas billionaire ross perot has died. He founded the Computer ServicesCompany ElectronicData Systems Corporation in 1992, he launched his president ial campaign as an independent candidate challenging president george h. W. George h. W. Bush and Democrat Bill clinton. He drew nearly 19 of the vote, the biggest percentage for thirdparty hopeful in 80 years. Some republicans lincoln for george bush is defeat. Ross perot was 89. Theres been discussion about an appearance before congress, any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report. It contains our findings and analysis and the reasons for the decisions we made. We chose those words carefully and the work speaks for itself. And the report is my testimony. I would not provide information beyond that which is already public and in the appearance before congress. Former special Counsel Robert Mueller is set to appear before to committees of congress on wednesday, july 17. And 98 eastern he kissed testimony to the House Judiciary Committee and later in the day he will take questions on the house intelligence committee. Both compensation for our coverage will be live on cspan3, online at cspan. Org or listen with the free cspan radio app. All right, if i can ask you to take a seat,please. The moment weve all been waiting for. Webe