WASHINGTON — House GOP leaders postponed a much-anticipated vote Thursday on legislation to overhaul the Affordable Care Act amid a Republican revolt that raised doubts about the fate of the measure as well as President Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed negotiating skills. After initially vowing to continue talks through the night, a frustrated White House told a group…
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) released the following statement on the failure of Republicans to pass Trumpcare.
“This is a victory for the American people and our democracy. It’s a testament to the power of the American people to have their voices heard on a bill that would have directly impacted their lives. I hope they will continue to weigh in and show this administration that its reckless policies will not pass muster with them. Clearly the American people didn’t buy the Art of Repeal. The President just learned that healthcare’s not just business – it’s personal when people’s lives are at stake.”
U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) marked the defeat of the Congressional Republicans’ reckless healthcare repeal, lauded the progress made under the Affordable Care Act, and reasserted his commitment to fixing what needs fixing in our nation’s current health care law and system. Republican leadership cancelled the vote on their healthcare repeal bill just minutes before it was scheduled because it didn’t have the support it needed to pass. The bill would have dismantled many of the protections of the Affordable Care Act, gutted funding for Medicaid and Planned Parenthood, raised out-of-pocket costs for seniors and working families, and led to 24 million fewer Americans having health insurance.
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over healthcare and first considered the bill when it was introduced, Rep. Peters has been at the center of the fight to protect health care over the past three weeks. Rep. Peters released the following statement:
“I came to Congress ready to protect what is working with the Affordable Care Act, fix what isn’t, and improve our healthcare system. That’s not what this bill would have done, and President Trump’s failure to get support for his health care plan today makes it clear that a majority of my colleagues agree.
“Twenty-four-million Americans – and 37,000 San Diegans in my district alone – would have been left without health insurance under the Congressional Republicans’ healthcare repeal bill. It is a huge relief to these men, women, and families that they keep their coverage because we blocked this reckless bill.
“I’m proud that so many Americans – including thousands of the people I represent in San Diego – made their voices heard and urged their representatives to oppose this healthcare repeal. It’s largely because of this pressure that this bill was pulled before it even received a vote. I appreciate my constituents speaking up at town halls and through calls and emails to my office to encourage me to keep fighting to improve our healthcare system.
“Congress ended up with this mess because Republican leadership never reached out to Democrats to hear our input or ask for our votes. That’s why we were left with a proposal opposed by doctors, nurses, hospitals, and just about everyone.
“We can do better than this. With this disaster of a bill dead and buried, I hope that we can get to work – together – on real reforms to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable for the American people.”