Care vote postponed:
House Speaker Paul Ryan postpones a planned vote Thursday on the GOP plan to repeal and replace “Obamacare” as it appears the majority party still lacks enough votes.
Most of Arizona’s congressional delegation appears to oppose the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which is expected to face a key vote today. Democrats oppose the GOP’s American Health Care Act outright, and most of the state’s Republicans saw the plan as insufficiently conservative.
A House vote scheduled for Thursday was postponed but President Donald Trump said White House negotiations had ended and that a vote to repeal former President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law should take place Friday.
As the wrangling continued in Washington, D.C., Planned Parenthood supporters gathered in Phoenix and cities across the nation to oppose what they called the “worst piece of legislation for women in a generation.” In Phoenix, about 50 people gathered outside the Arizona State Capitol to rally against the health bill.
Tayler Tucker, a representative for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, said the American Health Care Act could block millions of low-income women from coming to Planned Parenthood for breast exams, cancer screenings and birth control.
Here’s where the Arizona delegation stands on the legislation so far.
Sen. John McCain, Republican: His staff says he is still reviewing the details. There are no public statements on his website or his social-media accounts.
Sen. Jeff Flake, Republican: His staff says he is still reviewing the details. There are no public statements on his website or his social-media accounts.
Rep. Tom O’Halleran, Democrat: Opposed the plan as of Wednesday. He has been consistently against the GOP proposals.
Rep. Martha McSally, Republican: Supported the plan as of Monday. She has long favored elements of the GOP plan, notably replacing the individual mandate with refundable tax credits, but like other, more moderate Republicans, her support was contingent on changes that seemed at odds with demands from the House Freedom Caucus.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Democrat: Opposed the plan from the start. He has been consistently against the GOP proposals.
Rep. Paul Gosar, Republican: Opposed the plan as of Tuesday. He told the Los Angeles Times that the process is rushed and, like many of the most conservative House Republicans, has given no public indication he has supported any version of the bill so far.
Rep. Andy Biggs, Republican: Opposed the plan as of Thursday morning. Like many of the most conservative House Republicans, he has never given any public indication he would support any version of the bill so far.
Rep. David Schweikert, Republican: Supported the plan from the start. He has backed the GOP plan, but has focused his public comments on attacking the ACA rather than make the case for its replacement.
He voted with fellow Republicans to pass the GOP bill from the House Ways and Means Committee. He has also offered a series of tweets and Facebook posts critical of the ACA.
Rep. Ruben Gallego, Democrat: Opposed the plan from the start. He has been one of the more outspoken Democrats against the Republican efforts.
Rep. Trent Franks, Republican: Opposed the plan as of Tuesday, but described himself as “undeclared” on Thursday. He is an ardent critic of the ACA who has publicly blamed the Senate’s rules as unavoidably limiting what can be done in the House.
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat: Opposed the plan as of Wednesday. She has been critical of the ACA, but on the eve of the vote spelled out her opposition to the Republican plans.