The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday to repeal key tax and coverage aspects of the Affordable Care Act, as well as to defund Planned Parenthood, sending the bill to the White House where it is expected to be vetoed.
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The reconciliation bill, called the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act, passed 240-181, according to The Hill. In fact, it’s a repeal of health reform that goes even further than [what] the Republicans brought to the House Floor in October, this time also ending tax credits and subsidies that enable those with modest incomes to afford health insurance and repealing the expansion of Medicaid. So not only by repealing the Affordable Care Act will we deny health care to people but by doing what they’re doing to Planned Parenthood, millions of people will not have access to the health care they’re relying on.
While the measure is likely to die, employer groups hope it will lead to new congressional action to kill the excise tax, the employer mandate and other objectionable ACA provisions. Republicans intend to propose a replacement, but for it to become law, “ultimately, this is going to require a Republican president”, Ryan said. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) was the only Senate Republican to oppose the legislation, while U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R-Kenilworth) was one of three Republicans voting “no” in the House.
The bill would also take funds away from Planned Parenthood, another target of Republicans after undercover videos showed officials of the women’s health care provider discussing the sale of fetus parts for research.
“This is the first time we will finally put a bill on the president’s desk that defunds Obamacare”, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., with Scalise standing by his side, said at a televised news conference.
Previous efforts by House Republicans to dislodge the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, have failed to obtain the 60 votes usually needed in the Senate.
“This bill also significantly defunds Planned Parenthood”. It would increase the number of people without health insurance coverage by about 22 million people in most years after 2017, the CBO said in a December 11 letter. A so-called Cadillac tax on high-cost health insurance plans would be delayed from 2018 to 2020; a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices would be paused in 2016 and 2017; and a fee on health insurers would be paused for 2016.
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-With assistance from Zachary Tracer.
