The House will vote Thursday on the GOP's long-sought legislation to repeal and replace portions of former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, Republican leaders announced on Wednesday. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy confidently predicted success after a day of wrangling votes and personal arm-twisting by President Donald Trump.
After an earlier failure when Republican leaders were forced to pull the bill for lack of votes, the decision to move forward indicated confidence on the part of GOP leaders. A successful outcome would be the culmination of seven years' worth of promises by Republicans to undo Obama's signature legislative achievement, but could also expose House Republicans to political blowback by endorsing a bill that boots millions off the insurance rolls.
And there's no guarantee that the bill, if passed by the House on Thursday, will actually become law. First the Senate must work its will, and the House legislation has generated significant opposition in the upper chamber. Nonetheless, victory in the House would provide some vindication of the GOP's ability to govern in Republican-controlled Washington, and provide a long-sought win for Trump, who has been in office more than 100 days without a significant congressional victory save Senate confirmation of a Supreme Court justice.
As he announced the vote would go forward, McCarthy was asked if leaders were confident they had the votes and he replied: "Yes."
The announcement Wednesday evening came at the end of a day when House Republican leaders and Trump intensified their already fierce lobbying to save the long-promised legislation, agreeing to changes that brought two pivotal Republicans back on board.
Democrats stood firmly united against the health bill. But they generally applauded a separate $1 trillion-plus spending measure to keep the government running, which passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 309-118 earlier Wednesday.
Residents and health care organizations gathered in Solana Beach Wednesday in opposition to the Republican health care plan — called the American Health Care Act.
Donna Marie Robinson, a North County resident, said she was shocked when she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2015. She said she considered herself to be a healthy person, working out five days a week. Robinson said the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, helped her survive. She now fears that the House bill would eliminate protections in place for people like her, who have pre-existing conditions.
“I lay awake at night wondering what’s going to happen,” Robinson said. “How is this going to affect me. And that is the last thing I need because the stress is not good for my heart.”
Robinson and other residents at the town hall called Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and other representatives, urging them to vote against the bill.
KPBS reached out to Congressman Issa on twitter:
@jeanguerre Undecided and still reviewing changes. Always like to actually read legislation and review its impact before taking a position!
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) May 3, 2017
Carlsbad resident Katrina Young said the vote will be life-changing for many people. Her 19-year-old son has cystic fibrosis and she said that thanks to the Affordable Care Act, he is able to attend college.
“Access to health insurance is more than just numbers on a page, Young said. “It’s more than just a list of diseases and medicines. It’s someone’s life and more importantly it’s someone’s potential for life.”
Recent revisions to the House bill include $8 billion in additional funding for people with pre-existing conditions. While that sounds good on the surface, organizers at the event said it is a “drop in the bucket” and that it will not actually help. They also fear Issa and other representatives will use is as an excuse to vote for the bill.
According to the San Diegans For Health Coverage, there are more than 1.7 million people in San Diego County with pre-existing medical conditions.
