Wasserman Schultz: GOP Holding "Cancer Patients Hostage"
Posted on October 3, 2013
Wasserman Schultz: GOP Holding "Cancer Patients Hostage"
WOLF BLITZER: So a lot of people wonder, why not accept these piecemeal House bills that are passed in the House, they go to the Senate, they die in the Senate? Why not fund, for example, children who need clinical trials, clinical work at NIH, they have cancer, why not at least allow this to go forward? REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): Well, Wolf, as you know, I am a cancer survivor. BLITZER: That's why I asked you the question. SCHULTZ: So it would be hard for me to care more about cancer survivors. The reason that we are not going to do this in piecemeal approach is that in 15 minutes we have vote on the House floor. The Republicans could call up the clean CR and we could - we have the votes. We know 20 or so of their members are willing to vote for a clean CR. We could reopen the government for all cancer patients and we could stop - they should stop allowing their Tea Party extremist members to hold the economy hostage and to hold cancer patients hostage. And this is all over - if they really care about cancer patients - BLITZER: As a cancer survivor yourself, how difficult was it for you to vote against funding of NIH so children could get cancer treatment? SCHULTZ: Because I care about cancer survivors, because the Affordable Care Act is so critical for cancer survivors, as of January 1st, insurance companies can't drop us or deny us coverage because of our preexisting condition. I have a small business owner who posted on my FaceBook page today that she was able to finally get insurance coverage. Before she paid $1,240 a month. When she signed up for Obamacare on Tuesday, her insurance premiums per month were cut in half. So if the Republicans really care about cancer patients and cancer survivors, they'll reopen the government, allow those trials to continue. They'll work with us on implementing the Affordable Care Act so we can make sure that peace of mind is there for all cancer patients.