The Context Behind Nancy Pelosi's Famous 'We Have to Pass the Bill' Quote

[Tx4obama]

The Context Behind Nancy Pelosi's Famous 'We Have to Pass the Bill' Quote

On NBC News’ Meet the Press Sunday morning, host David Gregory resurrected a favorite right-wing attack on the Affordable Care Act, asking House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to defend her 2010 comment that “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.”

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...Here’s how Pelosi’s quote was covered by Politico on the day she made it:

Pelosi: People won’t appreciate reform until it passes
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that people won’t appreciate how great the Democrat’s health plan is until after it passes.

“You’ve heard about the controversies, the process about the bill…but I don’t know if you’ve heard that it is legislation for the future – not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America,” she told the National Association of Counties annual legislative conference, which has drawn about 2,000 local officials to Washington. “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it – away from the fog of the controversy.”

During a 20-minute speech, she touted benefits she thinks will be tangible to the audience’s employers. She said there’s support for public health infrastructure and investments in community health centers that will reduce uncompensated care that hospitals now need to deliver.

“You know as well as anyone that our current system is unsustainable,” said Pelosi (D-Calif.). “The final health care legislation, which will soon be passed by the Congress, will deliver successful reforms at the local level.”

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Article with a copy of the full speech transcript here: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/the-context-behind-nancy-pelosis-famous-we-have-to-pass-the-bill-quote/

[seveneyes]

1. The One Percenters always know what is best for us

Who are we to cross examine their edicts? They are the makers of the work we do to stay alive.

[DireStrike]

2. Yeah it's another stupid republican lie

Takes much more to debunk than it does to say.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. Many of us raised …

This exact point when the snippet of her statement came out … all to the deaf ears of those wanting to believe that quote to be the sum of what she said.

It is, generally, good practice for any rightwing attack on a quote, to get the transcript and read the immediately preceding and immediately following sentence … it’ll, generally, cast the quote in a completely different light.

But our media is far to “lazy” to do its job.

[uppityperson]

5. Uh huh. Tell us more, please.