House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has ripped into Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer for his attack on Obamacare, saying there are “14 million reasons” why it’s been a success,
CNN reports.
Earlier this week, the New York senator and the third-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate said it was a mistake for Democrats to concentrate on passing healthcare reform in 2010 instead of focusing more directly on helping the middle class.
Schumer said: "After passing the stimulus, Democrats should have continued to propose middle class-oriented programs and built on the partial success of the stimulus, but unfortunately Democrats
blew the opportunity the American people gave them.”
In remarks he made at the National Press Club, Schumer added: "We took their mandate and put all our focus on the wrong problem — healthcare reform."
When asked by CNN whether she agreed with Schumer’s statement, Pelosi appeared to say that the senator’s comments were self-serving and aimed at keeping his job at the next election.
"We come here to do a job, not keep a job,” the Californian congresswoman said in a written statement, adding, “there are more than 14 million reasons why that's wrong."
Pelosi was referring to the 14 million Americans who she says now have healthcare coverage since the law was passed, according to CNN.
The number in Pelosi's claim includes people who have signed up through federal and state healthcare exchanges as well as those allowed to remain on their parents' healthcare plans until 26, plus people who receive coverage through Medicaid expansion.