The House voted to repeal Obamacare Thursday afternoon. And by a slim vote — 217 to 213, the American Healthcare Act passed.
Prior to the final tally being read aloud, some legislatures began singing:
The bill now heads to the Senate where as Politico reports, “Republicans have expressed deep reservations about it.”
Senate Majority Leader McConnell responded to the bill’s passage saying:
“Obamacare has failed the American people and must be repealed and replaced. Today’s vote in the House was an important step. We are now closer to giving our constituents freedom from the increased costs, diminishing choices, and broken promises of Obamacare. I want to congratulate Speaker Ryan, his leadership team, the Republicans who supported this legislation, and President Trump and Vice President Pence for a job well done. “As Congress considers this legislation, the administration will continue working to deliver relief and stabilize health markets, and Congress will continue to act on legislation to provide more choices and freedom in health care decisions. “The status quo is unacceptable. The pain caused by Obamacare is real for millions of Americans. We must repeal and replace this failed law.”
The bill stripped most funding from Planned Parenthood.
Life News reports:
The pro-life bill would eliminate more than $390 million (over 86%) of over $450 million in annual federal funding to Planned Parenthood, from all mandatory spending programs. The measure also redirects funding to community health centers which outnumber Planned Parenthood facilities 20 to 1 and offer a wider array of health care services, but not abortion. AHCA also repeals Obamacare abortion subsidies, adds reforms to give states more flexibility and lower costs, and provides families more options.
It’s up to Congressional Republicans and the White House to undo the damage caused by the ACA.
Seeing as the vote immediately preceding the Obamacare repeal vote was to exempt Congress from their own health insurance legislation, I remain fairly skeptical of what lies ahead.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
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