WASHINGTON, D.C. — Obamacare repeal died in the GOP-controlled Senate early today. The final vote for the Health Care Freedom Act, designed to eliminate core components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), went down on a 49-51 vote, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John McCain of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining with all 46 of the chamber’s Democrats and both of its independents to defeat the measure, reported HuffPost.
“We are pleased the latest attempt to strip away health care from millions has hit another roadblock,” said Chad Griffin, HRC president. “The Trump-Pence-McConnell plan would cause insurance premiums to drastically rise and leave millions of Americans uninsured, with a particularly devastating impact on low-income senior citizens, women, children, LGBTQ people and people living with HIV. While today was a win for millions of Americans, our fight is far from over. We will continue to urge the Senate to step away from partisan attacks on the ACA and work to improve our health care system through an open and democratic process.”
Beyond repealing key provisions of the ACA, the bill would also cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which could jeopardize the ability of clinics to deliver preventive health services, including HIV testing and transition-related care. The ACA’s public health and prevention fund, established to expand investments in the nation’s public health infrastructure, would also be repealed. Health centers, like those operated by Planned Parenthood, often offer the only culturally competent healthcare available, especially in rural and isolated areas.
In the face of these partisan attacks on access to health care, HRC members have logged 45,000 calls and emails to congressional offices on both sides of the aisle. Our members and supporters voiced their support for the ACA at rallies across the country including Atlanta, Cincinnati, Nashville and on Capitol Hill. HRC also joined key civil rights and health care organizations in letters to the Senate emphasizing the need to protect Medicaid.
