The wing of the Republican Party pushing to defund Obamacare really just wants to shut down the government, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says.
"The anti-government ideology is making a mess of what goes on in Congress now," Pelosi
said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
Asked by host Candy Crowley whether Republicans weren't just using the bill,
passed Friday, as a device to defund the Affordable Care Act, the California Democrat disagreed.
Unions, who had supported Obamacare,
now are openly criticizing it. But Pelosi said she is "optimistic because we will find a path."
"Overwhelmingly for the American people, this is liberation," she said. "This is life, liberty, freedom to pursue your happiness."
When Crowley pointed out that the Affordable Care Act is not reducing the deficit so far, Pelosi argued that it is.
"Well, it is because by any measure you see that the cost of healthcare in our country, the rate of increase, has greatly reduced," Pelosi said.
"But it's still increasing," Crowley countered.
"But we're on the right path," Pelosi said. "And the bill isn't implemented yet." She predicted in January, when the bill is fully in force, people will see "even more of that, publicly, privately, individually to people."
Pelosi was also asked why President Barack Obama refuses to negotiate over the debt ceiling when he has done so before, as have other presidents.
"Because the cupboard is bare," Pelosi said. "There's no more cuts to make.