By a count of 245 to 189, every single House Republican voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. A successful repeal would take away current and future health benefits for millions of Americans, add $230 billion to the deficit over 10 years, and once again allow insurance companies to discriminate against those already sick. This vote draws a clear picture of Republicans’ priorities.
Immediately following the vote, Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine released the following statement:
Less than a month into the 112th Congress, House Republicans have made it clear who they represent. They have turned their back on the call from the American people for bipartisan efforts to achieve solutions to America’s most pressing challenges, and they have dedicated themselves to pursuing the pet projects of special interests and hard-core members of their political base.Today, less than a month after Congress convened and without the benefit of any hearings or debate, they passed the first item on their ideological agenda: a bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act. Far from a symbolic political gesture, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act would be a harsh blow to millions of hard-working Americans, to America’s fiscal stability, and to our nation as a whole.
Republicans voted to take away protections for children with asthma, women with breast cancer, and other Americans with pre-existing conditions, enabling insurance companies to once again deny them coverage, take away their coverage when they get sick, or cap the amount of care they can receive. They voted to take away Americans’ health care security, enabling insurance companies to raise rates suddenly and without justification. And they voted to stick America’s children with an extra $1 trillion in debt, increasing America’s deficit to pad insurance company profits. In short, Republicans’ vote to repeal health care reform is great news for insurance companies and satisfies an ideology that puts slogans ahead of people, but it’s a raw deal for the rest of us – and it’s indefensible.
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