1/ There's one night I will remember most when thinking about Nancy Pelosi - the night I watched her single handedly save health care for 20 million Americans.
It was at the first Democratic caucus meeting after Scott Brown won the special Senate election in Massachusetts.
2/ Many rank-and-file Democrats were in a panic, and they lined up at the microphone to tell Pelosi that it was time for us to give up on the Affordable Care Act. Or chop it up into little pieces - as some in the White House were suggesting.
3/ I remember it like it was yesterday. Pelosi sat at the front of the room in the basement of the Capitol, and she listened politely to the calls for retreat. Even some of her most loyal progressive allies were begging her to ditch the ACA in the name of political expediency.
4/ And then, when everyone had spoken, she picked up a handheld microphone. I expected her to give into the calls to give up.
But she didn't.
She did exactly the opposite.
5/ She told the room that there come times when leaders have a choice to make - stand up to the powerful status quo and change the world or give into to short term political expediency.
This was our moment, she told us, to save lives and lift millions out of health care poverty.
6/ She told us that it was time for us to stiffen our spines and march forward. She told us the country was counting on us. I watched her single handedly WILL the caucus to act. I watched her mettle change the entire mood of the room.
When she was done, no one challenged her.
7/ 2 months later, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. And today, it's so popular the new Republican Congress won't dare touch it.
I had never seen any person do what Pelosi did that night. I've never seen it since.
There hasn't been, and will not be, anyone like her.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1593316596482772992.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
