WASHINGTON, DC (WHTC) – A revised GOP healthcare bill is headed to the Senate after clearing the House. The final vote was 217-213.
GOP leaders and President Trump have been working all week to get a group of wary Republicans on board. A big sticking point involved a dispute over protections for pre-existing conditions.
Zeeland Congressman Bill Huizenga released the following statement:
“While today is a significant first step, it’s important to remember that this is the beginning, not the end of the journey to fix our nation’s broken healthcare system. The American Health Care Act provides the relief countless families across West Michigan have been asking for. The AHCA repeals the job-destroying taxes and punitive mandates of ObamaCare while lowering premiums and restoring the freedom for hardworking Michiganders to choose the healthcare plan that best fits their needs – not what Washington dictates they must have.
“This legislation also includes important protections for Americans to ensure those with a pre-existing condition are not denied coverage. Lastly, in terms of Medicaid, the AHCA provides states with the flexibility and tools necessary to innovate so each state can meet the unique needs of their residents. As the American Health Care Act heads to the Senate, I encourage our Senators to remember that ObamaCare is collapsing. It’s time to move away from the Washington knows best mentality and let the American people make their own health care decisions.”
GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan said Obamacare continues to prompt chaos and is collapsing. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi chided Republicans for bringing their bill back after it collapsed in March. She called it a “zombie” bill, rising from the dead.
The GOP healthcare bill faces an uncertain fate in the closely-divided Senate.
