CHRIS WALLACE (HOST): Here’s my point, Republicans -- compromise means both sides give, not one side gives and the other side takes. Republicans want to cut back on Obamacare’s mandates, on Obamacare’s taxes, on some of Obamacare’s regulations. What are you willing to give? What are you willing to agree to as part of that that would allow a true bipartisan compromise?
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Well, here’s the thing. First of all you will remember that the Affordable Care Act, as we passed it and as we call it, the Affordable Care Act is something that was very modeled after Romneycare. And that said no free riders. Everyone has to have insurance so that if your neighbor is not buying insurance and you are, you’re paying more because he or she is not. So this is about enlarging the pool, making it healthier, younger, and having more benefits.
[CROSSTALK]
WALLACE: I understanding the reasoning and I understand the history, but it doesn’t sound like you’re willing to give anything.
PELOSI: It’s not a question of that. What do they have to offer, in other words. You have to have a big pool, and in order to do that you have to have the employer and the –
[CROSSTALK]
WALLACE: But how about, for instance, you talk about a free market, instead of mandating that people have it -- what the Republicans were saying, forgive me, was if you don't have it and now want to buy insurance, you got to wait for a while, or you got to pay a premium to get it. In other words, instead of saying, “I’m the government, you have to buy insurance,” why not say “there’s going to be a penalty if you don't buy it?”
PELOSI: Well here’s the thing. When the president went into office, there really was an opportunity to say, “you don't like this, how would you do this?” But instead they said “we’re repealing the whole thing.” Twenty-two million people off, costs will go up, benefits will go down. That’s not a way to go down a path. So what I say in the letter is as a first step, let us accept what Senator McConnell has in his bill, let us accept that and talk about --
WALLACE: Yeah, but you wanted other changes too. Let me switch --
PELOSI: And then let's talk about what other there changes are. But you cannot say that we’re going to have -- I do believe as I saw one of your [guests say] this morning, that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. And the more people who are involved in it, the lower the costs are for everyone. There are some things we can do right away, lower the cost of prescription drugs. Something I think would have bipartisan support.
