Pelosi Outmaneuvers GOP To Save Obamacare With 234-179 Vote

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Carissa House-Dunphy
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Donald Trump promised his supporters in 2016 to “repeal Obamacare on day one” only to find out that it wouldn’t be so easy. After two failed attempts with two healthcare replacement bills that left people with pre-existing conditions out and raised costs for millions of Americans, Trump is faced with another failed promise to deal with in November 2020 when he runs for reelection. To address this, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to step in and repeal the legislation entirely.

During a pandemic, it makes far more sense to expand protections under the Affordable Care Act, which protects those with pre-existing conditions and allows parents to keep their children on their health insurance until the age of 22, than to take them away. Recognizing this, Democrats in the House passed a resolution to expand the legislation.

 

 

According to ProtectOurCare.org:

‘Today the House of Representatives passed the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act” a landmark bill introduced and championed by House Democrats to improve health care for Americans by building on key provisions in the Affordable Care Act. The bill lowers the costs of health insurance by offering increased financial assistance to more people, strengthens protections for pre-existing conditions and improves health care by incentivizing holdout states to expand Medicaid and expanding Medicaid eligibility for mothers 12 months postpartum. The bill will lead to coverage for 4 million additional people and lower health care costs for another 13 million.’

Despite the importance of healthcare during a pandemic, with thousands of people being admitted to hospitals for life-saving treatment, Trump intended to make good on his promise to his supporters by asking the Supreme Court to repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety, a move that could take healthcare away from more than 20 million Americans. The SCOTUS has yet to hear the case.

 

The New York Times reported on Friday that:

‘The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court late Thursday to overturn the Affordable Care Act — a move that, if successful, would bring a permanent end to the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans.’

It isn’t just the global pandemic that makes cuts to – or the total repeal of – Obamacare bad timing. The healthcare legislation is at its highest point of popularity since it was passed in 2009. Republicans are likely to feel that bad timing in November, particularly those in states where the ACA has been particularly successful.

According to Forbes:

‘The Affordable Care Act wins 55% support among the public for its “highest rating” since becoming law nearly a decade ago, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll released Friday. Kaiser said the “clear majority” of support is the highest in more than 100 polls the nonprofit health foundation has conducted. The ACA was signed into law in 2010 by President Barack Obama and has expanded health insurance coverage to more than 20 million Americans.’

Featured image screenshot via YouTube



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