Top 13 healthcare quotes from the 2016 DNC

Healthcare has played a very underwhelming role throughout the 2016 presidential election cycle thus far.

But what about the heated battle over the Affordable Care Act? Republicans consider it one of the worst laws in American history, a disaster that is derailing the economy, eliminating jobs and making patients unhealthy. During the four-day Republican National Convention last week, however, healthcare was either ignored all together or only mentioned in passing.

Read more of our coverage from the 2016 RNC and DNC here

The only direct mention of healthcare came during Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump’s 75-minute acceptance speech in which he devoted two sentences to the issue:

“We will repeal and replace disastrous Obamacare,” Trump said. “You will be able to choose your own doctor again.”

This week, it has been the other side of the aisle’s turn to finally discuss healthcare.

Read on to find out the top quotes on healthcare from the 2016 Democrat National Convention in Philadelphia.

“This campaign is about moving the United States toward universal healthcare and reducing the number of people who are uninsured or under-insured. Hillary Clinton wants to see that all Americans have the right to choose a public option in their healthcare exchange.

She believes that anyone 55 years or older should be able to opt in to Medicare and she wants to see millions more Americans gain access to primary healthcare, dental care, mental health counseling and low-cost prescription drugs through a major expansion of community health centers.”

-Vermont Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders

“What is Donald Trump’s position on healthcare? No surprise there. Same old, same old Republican contempt for working families. He wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act, throw 20 million people off of the health insurance they currently have and cut Medicaid for lower-income Americans.”

-Bernie Sanders

“…As a person with a rare form of dwarfism, my family knew that my life was going to be filled with surgeries and hospital visits.  For me, quality, affordable healthcare was more than a privilege, and even more than a right.  It was an absolute necessity. I’m thankful that she’s kept up the fight over the years.”

-Nebraska resident Ryan Moore, who has spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia dwarfism and has known Hillary Clinton since 1994 when his family came to Washington, DC for an event to advocate for healthcare reform.

“We have expanded insurance to 20 million more people. Today, 90% of Americans are covered. We’ve made so much progress and now we need to elect the person who will finish the job. Hillary has a plan to drive down healthcare costs. Hillary has a plan to stand up to the drug companies and lower prescription drug prices and Hillary has a plan to take us that last mile and finally achieve healthcare for all.”

-Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean

“She worked with republicans and democrats to help create the Children’s Health Insurance Program – which now covers 8 million kids. As secretary of state, she was a champion for women and girls around the globe.  And she will always stand up for roe v. Wade and the right of every woman to access a full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion – no matter her economic status.”

-Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards

"When I became president with a commitment to reform healthcare, Hillary was a natural to head the healthcare task force. You all know we failed because we couldn't break a Senate filibuster. Hillary immediately went to work on solving the problems the bill sought to address one by one. The most important goal was to get more children with health insurance.

-Former President Bill Clinton

"In 2003, partly spurred on by (the aftermath of 9/11), she became the first senator in the history of New York ever to serve on the Armed Services Committee. So she tried to make sure people on the battlefield had proper equipment. She tried to expand and did expand healthcare coverage to Reservists and members of the National Guard. She got longer family leave, working with Senator Dodd, for people caring for wounded service members."

-Bill Clinton

"After a century of trying, we declared that healthcare in America is not a privilege for a few, but a right for everybody."

-President Barack Obama

"My time in this office hasn’t fixed everything; as much as we’ve done, there’s still so much I want to do.  But for all the tough lessons I’ve had to learn; for all the places I’ve fallen short; I’ve told Hillary, and I’ll tell you what’s picked me back up, every single time.

"It’s been you.  The American people.

"It’s the letter I keep on my wall from a survivor in Ohio who twice almost lost everything to cancer, but urged me to keep fighting for healthcare reform, even when the battle seemed lost.  Do not quit."

-President Obama

"...For a century, we have led the fight for Social Security and Medicare, for Pell Grants and the GI Bill, for universal healthcare, for inclusion, and for quality and opportunity for all.

"We are proud of our accomplishments."

-New Mexico Representative Ben Ray Luján

"As a team, we’ve fought for the belief that affordable healthcare is a right, not a privilege…

"Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to put insurance companies back in charge of your health… And Donald Trump and Mike Pence want to gamble with your retirement benefits in the stock market. Republicans want to tear down the pillars of middle-class security. We won’t let that happen!"

-Nevada Senator and Minority Leader Harry Reid

"Our economy is so much stronger than when they (President Obama and Vice President Biden) took office. Nearly 15 million new private-sector jobs. Twenty million more Americans with health insurance."

-Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton

"If you believe that every man, woman, and child in America has the right to affordable healthcare...join me.

"...If you believe we should expand Social Security and protect a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions...join us."

-Hillary Clinton