House Republicans began 2016 with a heartless and politically clueless vote to take health care away from 22 million Americans.
The final vote was 240-181. One Democrat voted with Republicans to take health care away from millions and 3 Republicans voted with Democrats against the bill.
Before the vote, Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) said, “This bill is reckless and has zero chance of becoming law. But most significantly, it’s heartless. What it says from Republicans here to millions: an unhappy New Year. It could take health insurance away from 22 million people.”
House Republicans offered up the same untrue talking points that they have been using against the ACA for years.
There was nothing new said by Republicans that hasn’t been said before, but conservatives are so out of touch that they are celebrating sending a bill to the desk of the President that he is certain to veto. In a statement, Heritage Action said, “Today’s vote and forthcoming and forthcoming presidential veto will provide momentum to help make the full repeal of Obamacare a reality in 2017.”
The key takeaway from today’s vote is that Republicans are showing every American what they plan to do if they win the White House and keep control of Congress.
What House Republicans accomplished with this vote was shrink their support even more ahead of the presidential election. Millions of people would be negatively impacted if Obamacare repeal and Planned Parenthood defunding became law.
In his veto threat before the Senate voted on the reconciliation bill, Obama said:
Repealing key elements of the Affordable Care Act would result in millions of individuals remaining uninsured or losing the insurance they have today. An estimated 17.6 million Americans gained coverage as several of the Affordable Care Act’s coverage provisions have taken effect – 15.3 million since the beginning of the first open enrollment in October 2013. The Senate amendment to H.R. 3762 would roll back coverage gains and would cost millions of hard-working middle-class families the security of affordable health coverage they deserve.
Repealing the health care law would have implications far beyond these Americans who have or will gain insurance. More than 150 million Americans with employer-based insurance would be at risk of higher premiums and lower wages, or losing their coverage altogether. It would raise taxes on certain middle-class families. The Senate amendment to H.R. 3762 also would defund the Prevention and Public Health Fund, limit women’s health care choices, and disproportionately impact low-income individuals.
Instead of making their tent bigger, Republicans are dooming themselves to defeat. House Republicans continue to pander to the gerrymandered districts that got them elected instead of doing what is right for the rest of the country.
House Republicans are running on a platform of taking away health care from tens of millions of Americans. It is a losing argument that is bound to be rejected by voters on Election Day 2016.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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