Despite revolt, Republican leaders push health reform
Republican leaders have forged ahead with a health care replacement plan despite strong opposition from lawmakers within the party, highlighting the deep divisions surrounding US President Donald Trump’s chief legislative priority.
Two committees in the House of Representatives held marathon sessions starting on Wednesday to debate a sweeping bill that unwinds and replaces the Affordable Care Act, the emblematic health care reforms implemented under Barack Obama.
After 18 hours of debate into the wee hours of Thursday, one of the panels — the Ways and Means Committee — abolished a clause in Obamacare that Republicans hate: a tax on people who fail to purchase health insurance. The 23-16 vote was along party lines.
After seven years of Republican
The critically flawed bill will result in millions of americans losing coverage and benefits and will raise prices for the poor and sick
American Medical Association
efforts to rip up Obamacare, it remained unclear whether Trump has the necessary votes to get the increasingly controversial replacement measure across the finish line — even with Republicans controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Trump and his team are “in full sell mode” regarding the plan, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said.
Republican leaders indicated they want to get the bill to the president’s desk prior to the Easter break in early April.
But the plan suffered a serious blow on Wednesday when several major hospital and medical organisations, including the American Medical Association which represents more than 200,000 doctors, lined up to oppose the American Health Care Act.
The “critically flawed” bill would “result in millions of Americans losing coverage and benefits” and would raise prices for the poor and sick, the association said.
Tempers flared in the House Energy and Commerce Committee as lawmakers clashed over how to proceed. Democrats sought unsuccessfully to postpone the bill’s consideration for 30 days. They also threatened to introduce some 100 amendments, some of which were debated on Wednesday. “If people didn’t like Obamacare, they’re going to hate this,” said House Dem-