It could take away protections for more than 100 and people with preexisting conditions. And hurt the millions of americans who have come to rely on the Affordable Care act, getting rid of the Affordable Care act will take us backwards. To a time when people could charge a woman more for her health care than they could charge a man simply because she is a woman. To a time when pregnancy could be considered a preexisting condition. It will take away free Birth Control and contraceptive coverage for women. This is all happening at a moment when our country is suffering to a pandemic that has claimed more than 238,000 lives. And we all know that if the Affordable Care act is struck down, communities of color would be hit particularly hard. Asians, hispanics, native americans. They are at a greater risk of preexisting conditions. They are three times as likely to contract covid19 and twice as likely to die as others. I know we all know that we had election whered health care was very much on the ballot. Our country had a clear choice in this election. Each and every vote for joe biden was a statement that health care in america should be a right and not a privilege. Each and every vote for joe biden was a vote to protect and expand the Affordable Care act, not to tear it away in the midst of a global pandemic. Joe biden won the election decisively with more votes than have ever been cast in american history. Voicesnts to 75 million and counting, calling on the Supreme Court to see this case for what it is a blatant attempt to overturn the will of the people. And the president elect and i cannot let that happen. And now it is my honor to introduce president elect joe biden. President elect biden thank you good afternoon. This morning, as was stated, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case of great importance to the American People. The case represents the latest attempt to do what they have been repeating late failing to do for a long time repeatedly failing to do for a long time. Over the last decade, to eliminate the entirety of the Affordable Care act. Twice already, the Supreme Court has upheld the landmark law. In 2012 and again in 2015. Congress, expressing the popular will of the American People, has rejected numerous attempts, numerous efforts by President Trump to erase the law. In the middle of a deadly pandemic, that has infected more than 10 million americans, nearly one in every 30 to withcans 32 americans devastating consequences to their health, these ideologues are trying to strip Health Care Coverage away from the American People. The goal of the upcoming and administration is clear. Aca must fall,. I am not naive about the fact that health care is an issue that has divided americans in the past. The truth is, the American People are more united on this issue today than they are divided. Survey foundeading the American People want to keep the Affordable Care act in place by an overwhelming margin of 58 to 36 . 79 of American People, including nine out of 10 democrats, eight at 10 and dependence, and two thirds republicans want to keep the aca protections for people with preexisting conditions. Which would be eliminated if this would succeed. This does not need to be a partisan issue. It is a human issue that affects every single american family. We cannot subvert the growing consensus of the American People based on argument put forward seeking to invalidate the law that even many conservative consider it to be ridiculous. The consequence of the trump administrations argument are not academic. For Many Americans, they are a matter of life and death. This argument will determine whether Health Care Coverage of 20 million americans will be ripped away in the middle of the nations worst pandemic in a century. People withlion preexisting conditions, like asthma, diabetes, cancer, could be denied coverage. Complications from covid19, like long scarring and heart damage will be the next flood of preexisting conditions that could be used as an excuse to pump up premiums or deny coverage altogether. For millions of survivors who have struggled and fought the coronavirus, fought against the loss of their life. This argument will determine whether women will once again be charged higher premiums. Or seniors will see the Prescription Drug cost go up. Not they can or stay on their parents plans until age 26. Whether annual lifetime benefits. Ill be reimposed someone could walk in and say, die in peace, you have run out of coverage. This is not hyperbole. It is real as it gets. When a family is facing the awful news of a childs momnosis of leukemia or a having to battle against breast heart. It stops your it stops your heart. Worldnches your entire off its axis when that happens. I know the feeling. Too Many American families do as well. Mindery last thing on your should be is whether you can afford the treatment, afford the Affordable Care act was created to put a stop to that inhumanity. It was crated to ensure that families thrust into the Worst Nightmare of their lives could focus not on money but on the fight that really matters. Obamacare is the law that every american should be proud of. Withis why people preexisting conditions are protected in this country. It delivered vital coverage for 20 million americans who did not have coverage. All of the reduced Prescription Drug price costs for nearly 12 million seniors. Instead, this effort to bypass the will of the American People, the verdict of the courts in the past is simply cruel and needlessly divisive. Regardless of the outcome of this case, i promise you this, beginning on january 20, the Vice President elect harris and i, we will do everything in our power to ease the burden of health care on you and your families. I promise you that. I will protect your Health Care Like i like it is my own family. That starts by building on the Affordable Care act. A dramatic expansion of Health Care Coverage and bold steps to Lower Health Care costs. My Transition Team will be starting its work to flush out the details so we can hit the ground running, tackling costs, increasing access, lowering the price of scription drugs. Families are reeling right now. You interviewed a lot of these people and you have gone all over the world, all over the country. Choices, over 10 Million People of already lost their employer plans. They need a lifeline and they need it now. They should have they should not be in opposition, waiting to see if the Supreme Court will wrench away peace of mind. That they have come to now rely on. We will get right to work, i promise you, addressing the issues that families are talking about around the kitchen tables, making sure they get to bed tonight with the peace of mind they deserve. Fulfilling a moral obligation to ensure that here in america is a right health care is a for all, not the privilege of the few. We will ramp up health care perfections, Lower Health Care costs as soon as humanly possible. That is the promise i make to you. We will fight for your Families Health coverage the same weight we fight for our own familys Health Care Coverage. If you are sick, if you are struggling, if you are worried about how you will get going to get through the day, we will not abandoned you. That is a promise. We will not leave you to face these challenges alone. We will get through this and we will get through it together. We will build Health Care System that puts you in your Families First and that every american can be proud of. I want to thank you all for listening and god bless you. May god keep you safe in this covert environment and may god protect our troops in this covid environment and may god protect our troops. I am told we will take five questions. [inaudible] president elect biden ok. You. Ank you said you were not naive about how difficult it would be to unite the country. Three days after you were projected as the president elect, the president himself says he has won this election. His administration has not moved forward to give you access to what you need to begin the work of your transition. The secretary of state, when asked if he would cooperate with a smooth transition, he said there will be a smooth transition to a Second Trump Administration paired i wonder if you have a message the president , who may well be watching right now and how do you expect to be able to work with republicans when so many have refused to acknowledge a victory . President elect biden first of all, we are already beginning the transition. We are well underway. Theability for administration in any way by failure to recognize us does not change the dynamic of what we are able to do. We announced yesterday the health group we put together, we will be moving along in a consistent manner, putting together our administration and reviewing who we will pick for the cabinet positions. Nothing will stop that. Factconfident that the they are not willing to acknowledge we won is not of much consequence and are planning and what we are able to do between now and january 20. Your response to secretary pompeo . You want during the campaign that has the walls closing on the president , he would behave more erratically. Yesterday, he fired his defense secretary on twitter. What are you saying to the World Leaders who are calling you at this point . President elect biden first of all, i am letting them know that america is back. We will be back in the game. Ive had the opportunity to leaders. H six world fulsome,nse has been energetic. They are all looking forward to being able to from Great Britain to france, germany, canada, etc. , ireland. I feel good about the ability i said when we announced that the next president would inherit a divided country and the world in disarray. The reception we have gotten around the world from our allies and friends has been real. Confident that we will be able to put the put america back in the place of respect that it had before. [inaudible] Mitch Mcconnell has suggested today that he may not recognize the outcome of this election until the Electoral College meets next month paired have you spoken month paired have you spoken to your long term friend longtime friend in the senate . What do you make of his specific comments over the last 24 hours . President elect biden i have not had a chance to speak to mitch. My expectation is i will do that in a nottoodistant future. I think that the whole Republican Party has been put in a position with few little being mildly intimidated by the sitting president. We will have the Electoral College they will be making their judgment in december. In the meantime, i hope i get a chance to speak to mitch. Without transition funding, will you be able to go through the proper transition that is needed . Do like access to the pdb, you authorize legal action or will that be too divisive . President elect biden we can get through without any funding. We are in a position that we feel very good about there is nothing that slows up our efforts to put things together. The pdb would be useful but it is not necessary. We do not see anything slowing us down, quite frankly. Thank you. [inaudible] you congratulations. Have you tried to reach out to the president . What would you say to him if he is watching right now customer president elect biden mr. President , i look forward to speaking with the. You say you are able to move ahead without interruption. But you will need access to more classified information. What options are you considering . How will you move ahead if the president continues to refuse to concede . President elect biden access to classified information is useful. I am not in a position to make any decisions on those issues anyway. One president at a time. He will be president until january 20. It would be nice to have it but it is not critical. We are just going to proceed the way we have. We will do exactly what we would be doing if he had conceded and havewe have won, which we there is nothing really changing. I think legal action is we have seen it play town play out in the actions he has taking. There is no evidence in many of the assertions made by the president or secretary of state pompeo. [laughter] secretary of state pompeo. You. Ank democrats are on track to lose a handful of seeds in the house. Seats in the house. That could just how does that impact your plans for what priorities you can get through this congress, especially if the Senate Remains in gop control . Do big cordon aiding on speaker would you be coordinating with Speaker Pelosi . Ive spoken to the minority leader in the house. One of the urgent things that need to be done is people need relief right now. Right now. Small businesses, people who are about to be evicted from their homes because they cannot pay their mortgage. Unemployment insurance. What is going to happen is, you will see what people dont realize is a failure to provide state and local assistance, you will see police officers, firefighters, First Responders laidoff. The pressure is going to build. Thatact is, i would hope thepresident at least has sensitivity and knowledge to know a lot of people are in real put trouble in real trouble right now. It is my hope and expectation, i am sure the speaker of the house as well as the minority leader are working through the priorities they have laid out. Do you plan to be active in those negotiations . President elect biden we have been talking and they know my views. I support what they are doing. Do you plan to campaign in georgia before your inauguration to help democrats in the two runoff races . How important is a democratic run senate to your agenda . President elect biden it would be much better if we had a tie in the senate. That means the Vice President becomes incredibly important beyond what she already is. Does a Democratic Senate help your cabinet chances . Does that change how you consider who nominate . President elect biden i dont think so. I take mcconnell at his word. I understand he will make it clear at who is a who he is prepared to support and not to support. One of the things i would do as president elect and when i ome president s layout president is to lay out who we will name for each cabinet position. Position will be in a to let people know a couple of those we want before thanksgiving. I am not a pessimist, as you know. I think there are enough republicans who have already spoken out. I think there will be many more not many more but a larger number once the election is declared and i am sworn in to be able to get things done. Imagineple, i cannot there not being a willingness on the part of republicans, there will be significant pressure to deal with health care. Think we can get a lot done. [inaudible] what do you say to the americans who are anxious over the fact that President Trump has yet to concede and what that might mean for the country . President elect biden i think it is an embarrassment, quite frankly. How can i say this tactfully . Think it will not help the president s legacy. I know from my discussions with foreign leaders that they are hopeful the United StatesDemocratic Institutions are viewed once again as being strong. At the end of the day, it is all going to come to fruition on january 20. Between now and then, i hope my hope and expectation is the American People understand there has been a transition. Republicans who are people who voted for the president , i understand the sense of loss. I think the majority of the people who voted for the , i think they understand we have to come together. I think they are ready to unite and i believe we can pull the bitter out of this politics we have seen for the last five or six or seven years. How do you expect to work with republicans if they will not even acknowledge you as president elect . President elect biden they will. They will. Thank you very much. President elect joe biden. You can watch the Supreme Court oral argument from today. We will have that for you tonight starting at 8 00. We will take you live to a Senate BankingCommittee Hearing with financial regulators. I support the agencys important mission. Thank you. Fbi see chair. Dic chair. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I hope you and your families are staying healthy and safe. When i testified before the Committee Six month a