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New York Times: House G.O.P. Again Votes to Repeal Health Care Law

February 3, 2015
News Stories

New York Times - Robert Pear

The House passed a bill on Tuesday to repeal the Affordable Care Act for the first time in the new Congress, but Democrats appeared to show more zeal in defending the law than Republicans did in trying to get rid of it.

The measure goes now to the Senate, where the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, has said that the chamber will vote on legislation repealing the health law but has not announced a schedule.

Republicans in both chambers are divided over how to replace the law and how to respond if the Supreme Court upholds a challenge to insurance subsidies now being provided to millions of people under the law.

The House vote, 239 to 186, generally followed party lines. No Democrats voted for repeal. Three Republicans — Representatives Robert Dold of Illinois, John Katko of upstate New York and Bruce Poliquin of Maine — voted against the bill.

Despite an explicit veto threat from President Obama, Republicans said the vote on Tuesday was necessary to give new House members a chance to take a stand on the health law, which most Republicans had campaigned against. Freshman Republicans like Representatives Jody Hice of Georgia and Mia Love of Utah were among the most outspoken critics of the law on Tuesday.

Democrats said it was the 56th time since 2011 that the House had voted to repeal or undermine some or all of the law, which was adopted in 2010 without any Republican votes.

This time the repeal vote was different because millions of Americans have gained coverage through provisions of the law that expanded eligibility for Medicaid and subsidized private insurance for low- and middle-income people.

The chief sponsor of the repeal bill, Representative Bradley Byrne, Republican of Alabama, said opinion polls showed that a majority of Americans had unfavorable views of the law.

“I don’t believe Obamacare can be fixed through piecemeal reforms,” Mr. Byrne said. “The only way to get rid of this harmful law is to repeal Obamacare in its entirety.”

Republicans said the law was driving up insurance premiums, burdening consumers with high out-of-pocket costs and leading some employers to cut back workers’ hours so that employers would not have to pay for their coverage.

Representative Frank Pallone Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, said the vote was “a complete waste of time” because Mr. Obama would reject the bill and Congress could not override his veto.

Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, called the bill frivolous.

“Republicans,” she said, “are baying at the moon. Instead of proposing any good suggestions they may have to improve the Affordable Care Act, they are baying at the moon.”

Just moments before the House began its debate, Mr. Obama met at the White House with 10 people who he said had benefited from the health care law.

“This is working not just as intended, but better than intended,” Mr. Obama said. Why, he asked, was it such a priority for Republicans in Congress to take insurance away from cancer patients and others who were benefiting from the law?

Representative Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, angrily disputed the suggestion that “somehow we are taking something from somebody.”

“It’s not the Republican Party that disapproves of the Affordable Care Act,” Mr. Kelly said. “It’s the American people.”

Democrats relished the fight, citing tangible evidence that the law was working.

“Today we’ve gone back to the Republicans’ old songbook — yet another vote to repeal Obamacare,” said Representative Jan Schakowsky, Democrat of Illinois. “But let me warn them. They do this at their peril. Tens of millions of Americans, many insured for the first time, and others who can finally afford insurance will not give it up without a fight. The war against Obamacare is over, and Obamacare has won.”

The bill directs four House committees to report legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act.

Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, acknowledged that “there has not been a unified Republican position” on how to replace the health care law or respond if the Supreme Court upholds the challenge to subsidies in states using the federal insurance exchange.

Until now, Mr. Cole said, House Republicans did not have to specify an alternative to the 2010 health law because “we knew it would not get through the Senate” when Democrats controlled that chamber.

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of plaintiffs challenging the subsidies — a decision is expected this year — “it will destroy health insurance exchanges in 30-odd states in the blink of an eye,” Mr. Cole said, adding that Republicans needed to be prepared for that possibility.

Republicans have dozens of proposals to change the health law, but in describing their plans on Tuesday, they stuck mostly to general principles.

“House Republicans are developing patient-centered solutions, which preserve personal freedom, expand choice and allow people to keep the doctor and health insurance plan they like and trust,” said Representative Tom Graves, Republican of Georgia.

Online: New York Times

Issues:Healthcare