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Remarks: Joe Biden Holds a Conference Call With Campaign Supporters - March 23, 2024
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Joe Biden Person
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Barack Obama Person
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Nancy Pelosi Person
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Ashleigh Ewald Person
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Tyra Bryant-Stephens Person
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:00:00-00:00:30 (30 sec)
"Thank you, Julie, for leading our campaign. And thanks to everyone for joining this special call to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. As you all know, I thought it was a big deal at the time. Well, it's even a bigger deal today. Most consequential health care law since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. While the Affordable Care Act has been called a lot of things, especially by Republican friends, Obamacare is the most fitting description because Barack did it."
1
Joe Biden
Very Negative
00:00:30-00:00:47 (17 sec)
"Barack did it. It wouldn't have happened without him. No matter how many times he was told to give up, he never gave up. It was always about the millions of Americans lying in bed, staring at the ceiling at night, wondering what will happen if my spouse gets cancer or my child gets very sick or I have enough insurance?"
2
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:00:47-00:01:08 (22 sec)
"Can I afford the medical bills? Well, I have to sell the house. Barack never gave up. That's character. That's leadership. Without the courage of Barack Obama, we'd never have gotten the Affordable Care Act done. Period. I called it a historic day. No one knows that better than the greatest speaker in the history of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi."
3
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:01:08-00:01:38 (29 sec)
"The Affordable Care Act would not be law without her. That's a fact. We would not still have the law without so many Democrats defending it against Republican attempts to get rid of it. That includes my partner making the ACA even stronger. Kamala Harris, who defended it as Affordable Care Act as attorney general of California, as a US senator and now as a great vice president on our watch, we are proud of the 21 million more Americans have insurance today through the ACA than they did when we started."
4
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:01:38-00:01:57 (19 sec)
"What we know the ACA would not be law without so many of you. And this is a call to thank you for improving the savings and saving lives of millions of Americans. But we also can take and we can't take anything for granted. Republicans have voted. It's hard to believe 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act 50 times."
5
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:01:57-00:02:15 (18 sec)
"And now Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists are determined to try again. Trump says he's running to terminate the ACA. That would help health care coverage take health care coverage away from tens of millions of Americans, and 100 million Americans would lose protections for preexisting for preexisting conditions."
6
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:02:15-00:02:35 (20 sec)
"Folks is simply can't let that happen. We won't let that happen. We're determined. We're determined as ever to defend and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and to make health care right, not a privilege in America. I know we can do it. And it matters when you have the help of your friends. And with that, I'm honored to welcome to the call, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama."
7
Joe Biden
Neutral
00:02:35-00:02:37 (2 sec)
"Nancy, over to you."
8
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:02:37-00:02:55 (19 sec)
"Thank you very much, President Biden, for bringing us together to celebrate 14 years of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This monumental achievement could not have been possible without the visionary leadership of President Obama. As you said, the commitment to our great champion of the people, Harry Reid, and the Democrats in the Senate."
9
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:02:55-00:03:24 (29 sec)
"And I'm very proud of extraordinary courage of our House Democrats. President Biden, you not only helped pass and save the ACA then, but now and helped strengthen and expand it now in your presidency for 14 years, the ACA has been a life saver for millions of families, ensuring that more than 100 million Americans with preexisting conditions can receive care, as you mentioned, and that being a woman is no longer a preexisting medical condition."
10
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:03:24-00:03:42 (18 sec)
"The law has expanded access to affordable health care, and free preventive care helped millions of young people stay on their parents plans, banned lifetime limits on care, and so much more. None of this historic progress would have been possible without you, our grassroots activists participating in outside mobilization."
11
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:03:42-00:04:08 (26 sec)
"I joined the president in saying thank you. That's why today's call is so important, because the fate of the ACA is on the ballot this year. This isn't the first time we've had to fight for our health care. During his first term, Trump was just one vote away from repeal. But because we held 10,000 grassroots events across the country where people and families told their powerful stories, how ACA saved their lives, we prevailed."
12
Nancy Pelosi
Neutral
00:04:08-00:04:39 (30 sec)
"And the ACA still stands strong. Obamacare. Now Trump is trying again to terminate the ACA and he won't stop there. He wants to roll back our new law under President Biden's leadership that lowers prescription prescription drug prices for seniors. Meanwhile, House Republicans have unveiled a new budget proposal that remove many of the ACA protections for existing conditions and lower ACA and the lower ACA premiums that we delivered under the president's leadership."
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Nancy Pelosi
Leans Positive
00:04:39-00:04:48 (9 sec)
"They want to remove that and reverse our lower drug prices for seniors. We have no choice. We must win this election."
14
Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:04:48-00:05:08 (20 sec)
"Well, it's great to be here to talk with you about the Affordable Care Act and the stakes of this election. As you know, Joe is an extraordinary friend and partner. He was by my side for eight years. Nancy and I agree with Joe. Best speaker. Maybe in our history. He was an incredible ally to both of us in the House."
15
Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:05:08-00:05:31 (23 sec)
"We wouldn't have gotten most of what we got done without her, but together we accomplished a lot. And there's nothing I'm more proud of than the ACA. It can be easy to forget these days, but passing the ACA was hard. Health insurance companies were resistant to change. Most Republicans didn't want to work with Democrats on anything."
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Barack Obama
Neutral
00:05:31-00:05:57 (26 sec)
"But for the three of us, giving up wasn't an option. Because we had met too many people who needed help. People like Ashley. Well, and Doctor Tyra Bryant Stevens, who were on the call with us today. Americans who told us stories about being denied care or charged more because of a preexisting condition, or who worried about losing their house if they got sick."
17
Barack Obama
Positive
00:05:57-00:06:22 (25 sec)
"The ACA was for them. And while it's never been perfect, it's worked a lot better than even many supporters thought it would. As Nancy just laid out, the ACA has made a real difference in the lives of millions of people. It's provided health coverage to millions of Americans. It's prevented insurance companies from denying coverage based on a preexisting condition."
18
Barack Obama
Neutral
00:06:22-00:06:47 (24 sec)
"Lowered prescription drug costs for millions of seniors, allowed young people to stay on their parents plan until they're 26, eliminated lifetime limits on benefits that often put people in a jam. So I couldn't be prouder. Of the ACA. It's why we do the work. It's why we run for office, to make a difference in the lives of people who we were elected to serve."
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Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:06:47-00:07:10 (23 sec)
"And nobody knows that better than Joe. That's why he made it a priority to strengthen and build on the ACA. And because he has more Americans are covered than under any other president, including when I was in office. Now we have a chance to do even more. But that only happens if we send Joe and Kamala back to the white House in November."
20
Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:07:10-00:07:27 (17 sec)
"So we got to keep working and let's remember who we're fighting for. So with that, what I want to do is turn it over to two leaders who are working every day to make a huge difference in their communities. Because it's one thing for someone like me to get up here and talk about the importance of protecting the Affordable Care Act."
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Barack Obama
Leans Positive
00:07:27-00:07:37 (10 sec)
"It's another thing to hear directly from the people who it's actually helped. So I want to introduce Ashley, who's on the screen. Hey, Ashley."
22
Ashleigh Ewald
Very Positive
00:07:37-00:07:59 (22 sec)
"Hey, hello, President Obama and President Biden and Speaker Pelosi. Thank you so much, President Obama. It's such an honor to join you, President Biden and Speaker Pelosi today to talk about an issue that is so important to my generation. The Affordable Care Act has quite literally been life saving for young people across the country."
23
Ashleigh Ewald
Very Positive
00:07:59-00:08:24 (24 sec)
"It has protected our health care as we navigate all the scary parts of growing up. It means we can go to college, pursue careers, try new things all without having to worry about being kicked off our parents coverage, needing to find a job that provides health insurance, or facing sky high premiums when we try to enroll in our own path plan."
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Ashleigh Ewald
Very Positive
00:08:24-00:08:49 (25 sec)
"But I also want to talk about an important part of President Biden's work strengthening the ACA that I don't think gets enough attention. And that is how he has expanded access to mental health care. As a young adult who has experienced my own mental health struggles, I know firsthand how important health care is mental health care specifically."
25
Ashleigh Ewald
Very Positive
00:08:49-00:09:12 (24 sec)
"That's why I'm so grateful for President Biden and Vice President Harris fighting for our health care and fighting to make more progress and move this country forward. President Obama and Speaker Pelosi. This law has been so critical in making sure millions of Americans have more affordable, accessible health care."
26
Ashleigh Ewald
Very Positive
00:09:12-00:09:32 (20 sec)
"A lot of people my generation probably don't even know this, but the ACA is a reason they can stay on their parents plans until they turn 26. Can you tell the people on this call more about why that's the case, and how the law benefits young people overall?"
27
Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:09:32-00:09:56 (24 sec)
"Well. Thanks, Ashley. You know, before the ACA, young adults could be kicked off their parents health care plan. Often right when they were getting ready to head out on their own. And if you had a preexisting condition, the same companies could deny you coverage. They could charge you more. So the ACA changed all that."
28
Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:09:56-00:10:27 (30 sec)
"Now, health care plans are required to let young adults stay on their parents plan until they're 26. Insurance companies, they can't deny somebody coverage or change them simply because they have a preexisting condition, like diabetes or asthma. So all that stuff's important because while young people are generally pretty healthy, all it takes is one diagnosis or one injury, one accident to throw off your plans if you don't have insurance."
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Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:10:27-00:11:01 (34 sec)
"And thanks to the ACA, young people everywhere have some security. They have some freedom to choose how they live their lives. And that's really what the ACA is all about. Now, like any freedom, we can't take this one for granted. Right now, the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party for president says he wants to repeal the entirety of the ACA, and that would mean kicking millions of young people off their parents health insurance, raising costs at a time when a lot of folks are just starting out."
30
Barack Obama
Slightly Negative
00:11:01-00:11:20 (20 sec)
"We can't let that happen. We've got to keep building on the ACA, expanding coverage, lowering costs for more people. We've gone too far to come back. And that's what Joe and Kamala believe. That's what they've done while they've been in office. And that's why this election is so important. Young people cannot sit on the sidelines."
31
Barack Obama
Very Positive
00:11:20-00:11:41 (21 sec)
"What you don't want is. After the election, young people were opting out, didn't vote, and then suddenly you find out you lost your insurance or you're being charged more and you're wondering what's happening. Well, now's the time to pay attention so that you're voting makes sure that these benefits are continuing to benefit you. Nancy."
32
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:11:41-00:12:08 (27 sec)
"Thank you, Mr. President. President Obama fought for this in the ACA, in Obamacare, and now has laid out very clearly just how revolutionary the ACA has been for our young people. Letting young people stay on their families plans has been game changing, empowering young people to take charge of their lives, knowing that they had the stability of health coverage, professional it professionally, it supports their entrepreneurship."
33
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:12:08-00:12:30 (21 sec)
"If they want to start a business or take an internship or a job that may not provide health benefits, but will put them on a path to success in their careers personally, it enables them to take advantage of free preventive care and access to reproductive care, which is an important health issue. The ACA is an investment in the next generation."
34
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:12:30-00:12:52 (22 sec)
"That's one of the reasons I'm so proud of our work to pass it, but we have to let people know what's in it for them. In this election. Young people also tell us that it's such a relief that their parents, uh, uh, had them covered in according to ACA and not some separate plan. But we don't agonize, we organize."
35
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:12:52-00:13:16 (24 sec)
"And all of this is at stake. In November, Trump tried to rip it away. Affordable care for millions of Americans, including millions of young adults. And now he's doing it again and again. We have to make sure people know. But I always said again, we don't agonize. We organize. In 2018, when we won the house, people would tell us, you're lucky that health care became a major issue in the campaign."
36
Nancy Pelosi
Very Positive
00:13:16-00:13:39 (24 sec)
"I said, no, we didn't. We weren't lucky. We made our own luck. It was all of you. The grassroots volunteers at the 10,000 events that were held where families showed up, told their stories and made the difference. And again, it's going to take all of us rolling up our sleeves and coming together to protect the Affordable Care Act for everyone, and certainly for the children."
37
Nancy Pelosi
Positive
00:13:39-00:13:50 (11 sec)
"Next. We are lucky to have Doctor Tyler. Byron Stevens, a pediatrician from Philadelphia, joined this special call. Doctor Bryant Stevens, you're live on the line."
38
Tyra Bryant-Stephens
Very Positive
00:13:50-00:14:16 (25 sec)
"Thank you for the introduction. My name is Doctor Brian Stevens, as Speaker Pelosi mentioned, and I'm a pediatrician in Philadelphia for many years. It's an honor to be here today with President Biden, President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Ashley. I've spent my career researching asthma and environmental asthma triggers and implementing interventions in underserved, poorly resourced communities."
39
Tyra Bryant-Stephens
Slightly Positive
00:14:16-00:14:36 (20 sec)
"And let me tell you, I've seen firsthand just how transformational the Affordable Care Act has been. When I first started in pediatrics, health insurance companies were able to deny coverage for children with asthma, which would often put life saving preventive treatments simply out of reach for far too many families."
40
Tyra Bryant-Stephens
Slightly Positive
00:14:36-00:15:01 (25 sec)
"But thanks to the work of all the leaders here today, no insurance plan can reject individuals, charge more, or refuse to pay for essential health benefits for individuals with preexisting conditions. And this means that hundreds of millions of Americans can access affordable health care they deserve, which makes people's day to day lives so much easier and closes health disparities."
41
Tyra Bryant-Stephens
Negative
00:15:01-00:15:31 (30 sec)
"I do worry when I hear Donald Trump promising to terminate this life saving law. I worry about what it means for the families that I see and serve in my clinic, and the children who have asthma simply because of the environment they grow up in. I worry about what it means for their futures. So my question for President Biden is, can you talk a little bit about what is at stake in this election, especially when it comes to health care doctor?"
42
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:15:31-00:15:52 (22 sec)
"First, I want to thank you. You always are there for your patients. You see first hand what's at stake. This election is about two different visions of America. Basic is that my vision, our vision about the future where folks have the freedom and security of affordable health care, low prescription drug costs, and just a little more breathing room, as my dad would say."
43
Joe Biden
Leans Negative
00:15:52-00:16:13 (21 sec)
"And because you organize, you mobilize and you vote. In 2020, we save millions of Americans who are on ACA $800 a year in premiums. We have the lowest uninsured rate ever in America. Today, for the first time, we gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices when we were seniors. When you and I were in the Senate, we started trying to get that done."
44
Joe Biden
Negative
00:16:13-00:16:39 (26 sec)
"Well, finally. And we are what enabled us to do is cap insulin at $35 a month. It only cost them ten bucks to make it. By the way, instead of $400 a month, we're putting $2,000 a year cap on total out of pocket expenses for seniors for all prescriptions, including expensive cancer drugs that cost ten, 12, $15,000. But not only saved seniors money, it saves taxpayers significant amount of money."
45
Joe Biden
Negative
00:16:39-00:17:02 (23 sec)
"These actions we've taken so far have reduced the federal deficit by $160 billion, because Medicare is no longer paying the exorbitant prices for prescription drugs. I want to keep moving. So all Americans, not just seniors, pay $35 a month, have a $2,000 cap for prescription drugs. I want to make those $800 ACA perm savings permanent."
46
Joe Biden
Neutral
00:17:02-00:17:21 (19 sec)
"Meanwhile, Donald Trump is about the past and serving himself. This is the guy who doesn't care about science and reason. Remember, during the pandemic, Donald Trump told us to inject ourselves with bleach. He said there's nothing to worry about if you do that. Now Trump keeps telling us he's going to terminate the ACA."
47
Joe Biden
Neutral
00:17:21-00:17:45 (24 sec)
"Think about what that means. It would mean 100 million Americans with preexisting conditions would lose their health care coverage. It would mean young people would be kicked off their parents coverage. Tens of millions of Americans will lose health care coverage as a consequence of all that, he wants to get rid of the power of Medicare, to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, driving up cost of insulin back to $400 instead of $35 for seniors."
48
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:17:45-00:18:03 (18 sec)
"And Trump recently said Social Security and Medicare, quote, there's a lot you can do in terms of cutting and the quote. Right on cue, 180 House Republicans just proposed a budget that would raise Social Security age, retirement age, and slash Medicare. I have a better idea. I'll protect Social Security."
49
Joe Biden
Positive
00:18:03-00:18:23 (20 sec)
"Medicare. Trump also brags about getting rid of Roe v Wade, getting it overturned. He even went on TV to make that point. Let's be clear Trump's responsible for the chaos that followed, but we can turn that around. Send me a Democratic Congress in common, and I will make sure Roe v Wade becomes the law of the land again."
50
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:18:23-00:18:41 (18 sec)
"I can go on. But the bottom line health care is at stake in this election. And I'm confident when we make the case, we will win. Thank you, doctor, for your questions and thank you all for your good work. Thanks again for joining us today. This is really important for the American people. You're the heart of this campaign."
51
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:18:41-00:18:59 (18 sec)
"There's so much at stake in this election. Literally our freedoms, our economy, our health care, our very democracy. Trump is taking us backwards. We are going to move you forward. And with your help, we're going to win. Every time we've tried to rip away health care, you've stopped them. We've stopped them again."
52
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:18:59-00:19:19 (20 sec)
"We're going to stop them again and again as often as they try. You're the reason I've never been more optimistic about our future. You just remember who we are. We're the United States of America. There is nothing. Nothing beyond our capacity of the United States when we do it together. But God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. I'm going to turn it back to Julie now. "
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