GOP’s Groundhog Day: Voting Once Again to Take Away Health Care Coverage for Millions of Americans, Undermine Women’s Health

Today is Groundhog Day, and House Republicans are once again wasting time and taxpayer dollars on political messaging bills that are going nowhere. We’ve seen this movie before – today’s vote to override the President’s veto marks their 63rd vote since taking the majority to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act and their 12th vote this Congress to undermine women’s access to health services. 

“The House has voted more than 60 times since Republicans took over the majority in 2011 to undo the healthcare law… Consideration of the repeal measure… is expected to stall after this week’s vote. Republicans are not expected to secure the necessary two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto. And once the veto override attempt fails in the House, the Senate won’t be able to consider it.” [The Hill, 2/1/16]

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the GOP reconciliation bill would have serious consequences for the American people:

• The number of uninsured Americans would increase by an additional 22 million people;
• Health insurance premiums would  increase by approximately 20 percent;
• And the deficit outlook would worsen over the long term.

Since 2010, House Republicans have promised time and time again that they would introduce an alternative to replace the health care law:

“We offera plan to repeal and replace the government takeover of health care with commonsense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.” [GOP Pledge to America, 9/20/10]

“We think [the healthcare situation in America] is so urgent that, next year, we are going to unveil a plan to replace every word of Obamacare.” [Speaker Paul Ryan, 12/3/15]

But five years – and 63 votes – later, they have yet to offer any proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act.

“It was unclear … whether Republicans will actually present a plan to replace the current health care law that has been their central policy punching bag since they took over the House...Republican leaders in the House and Senate demurred on whether they would write and vote on a bill this year.” [New York Times, 1/15/16]

As Republicans focus on dismantling the Affordable Care Act, open enrollment for 2016 came to a close on January 31 and millions of Americans have signed up for health care.

“About 11.6 million people have enrolled nationwide since Nov. 1, [said] acting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Andy Slavitt.” [Huffington Post, 1/30/16]

“Three years after the launch of the exchange marketplaces, they seem to be doing ... pretty okay. The uninsured rate is way down, millions of people have used them to get health insurance, and more than 80 percent of them qualified for financial assistance. The exchanges have made it easier for low-income families to enroll in Medicaid, too.” [Huffington Post, 1/30/16]

While Republicans continue to waste time attempting to take away health care coverage and protections from the American people, Democrats will keep working to address the challenges facing our nation. 

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