Relieved Republicans have pushed their prized health care bill through the House. The mostly party-line 217-213 vote advances a bill that addresses their longtime pledge to erase the 2010 Obama health care law.
“Today, I voted to keep the promise I made to the voters of my district to rescue Americans from the collapsing health care law that has raised premiums and deductibles and replace it with a better health care system,” says Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland.
Democrats said the bill would kick millions off coverage.
“Trumpcare … forces families to pay higher costs for worse health care,” says Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint. “It is absolutely heartless that 24 million people will lose their insurance.”
Thursday's vote sends the measure to the Senate. Many senators consider the House bill too harsh and it's expected to undergo substantial changes.
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow expects the proposed Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act will face a challenge to pass the United States Senate.
Michigan’s senior U.S. senator calls the AHCA a “disaster."
Stabenow says Republicans and Democrats should work together to fix problems with Obamacare.
“There are legitimate things that need to be fixed. Bringing down the cost of prescription drugs. We also have too many policies where co-pays and premiums are too high,” says Stabenow.
Stabenow expects public pressure will make it hard for Republicans to get the 51 votes needed to pass the GOP health care bill through the U.S. Senate.
