Rep. Knight stands by health care vote

Congressman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, is sticking to his vote in favor of the American Health Care Act.

On Wednesday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that the new Republican health care bill would cause 23 million Americans to lose their insurance by 2026.

“We need a health care program that provides options for our communities and is sustainable for the future,” Knight said in a statement to The Signal on Thursday.

“Like it or not, the Affordable Care Act is failing. Individual market premiums have increased by 105 percent and many providers are leaving the marketplace altogether.”

In light of the Budget Office’s report, Knight stood by the Republican bill.

The AHCA was passed on May 4 along party lines as a way for House Republicans to make good on their promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

“The recent CBO score tells us the replacement AHCA will lower premiums and will make the program sustainable for the long run,” he said.

All three of the Democrats who have announced their candidacy for Knight’s seat in the 2018 Congressional race spoke out against the Republican bill on Wednesday.