The health care repeal bill passed Wednesday by the GOP-led House now awaits President Barack Obama’s veto.
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For the first time, a bill repealing the Affordable Care Act will hit President Obama’s desk, but members of both parties recognize that the law isn’t going away while he’s in office.
“House Republicans will immediately set a tone that represents a better path for our country by sending the President a bill that repeals Obamacare and defunds Planned Parenthood”, House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said in a press release on the bill.
Democrats called it pointless political theater that will have the same outcome as the 61 previous repeal votes that were blocked in the Senate, since Obama will veto the legislation. The reconciliation bill unravels major portions of Obamacare, and for the first time in history, a bill to repeal it will land on the President desk.
It would also remove the government’s subsidies for those who buy policies on newly created insurance marketplaces and would end taxes the law imposed to cover it costs. “Those Republicans who were saying the fight to repeal this disastrous law was over were proven wrong this afternoon”. Now, it is critical that Planned Parenthood does not receive a single cent of taxpayer funds.
The bill, which passed the House 240-181 Wednesday after clearing the Senate in early December, is undeniably headed toward a presidential veto. He defended his vote in an interview with MPR News’ Tom Crann on Thursday, and claims that provisions in the bill change Obamacare but don’t repeal it. Peterson says Congress should be working to change the legislation to improve it.
Ryan conceded that the bill wouldn’t move beyond Congress, but argued the vote was part of an effort this year to show a contrast with Democrats.
The vote largely came down along party lines, as Rep. Collin Peterson, D-N.D., was the only Democrat to vote in favor of the bill.
“Nothing’s been decided yet”, Ryan said. Obama said the Affordable Care Act includes fairer rules and stronger consumer protections “that have made health care coverage more affordable, more attainable and more patient-centered”.
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“It’s 2016 and House Republicans are still tightly bound to their old, failed playbook, which not only puts the health of millions of Americans at risk, but also threatens Republicans’ standing with women, Latinos and other important groups of voters this election year”. She accused Republicans of offering no alternative.
