House Republicans Vote To Repeal The ACA For The 63rd Time
This Groundhog Day we have House Republicans to thank for making us all feel like we’re living in a real-life version of the Bill Murray classic. Today, the House will vote for the 63rd time to repeal or dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Republican representatives are voting today to override President Obama’s veto on their January bill seeking to replace the President’s landmark health care law. Congressional Republicans have been voting to repeal the ACA since the bill was signed into law in 2012, and none has been successful.
Despite Republican lawmakers insistence on opposing the law it continues to rack up successes. Here are just a few:
- Insured nearly 18 million people: 17.6 million people who were previously uninsured have gained coverage since the ACA went into effect. During the most recent open enrollment period, more than 11 million people enrolled in marketplace plans.
- Cut the uninsured rate by one-third: Since the ACA was signed into law, the uninsured rate has fallen from 16 percent in 2010 to 9 percent in the first half of 2015. Between 2014 and 2015 alone the uninsured rate dropped 2.5 percentage points.
- Enrolled young people: Young people likely have lower health-care costs, and are also less likely to be insured. But this year, young people are making up a larger chunk of enrollees than ever: through December, enrollees under 35 accounted for 35 percent of overall enrollment.
- Made coverage affordable for millions: More than 80 percent of enrollees in the federal marketplace receive tax credits to help cover the cost of health insurance plans thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
- Expanded Medicaid coverage: Thanks to the ACA’s first Supreme Court saga, states are allowed to opt-in to Medicaid expansion under the ACA. But since the law was passed, 32 states—including Louisiana most recently—have accepted expansion and increased Medicaid eligibility to cover individuals making up to 138 percent of the poverty level.
Throughout the more than 3 years of congressional Republicans’ partisan attack on the law, they have yet to present a viable alternative. Instead of acknowledging the success of the ACA and presenting concrete proposals for remaining problems in our health care industry, like the high cost of prescription drugs, conservative lawmakers continue to rehash tired, failed conservative policies.
BOTTOM LINE: Today’s vote marks the 63rd time congressional Republicans have voted to repeal or dismantle the Affordable Care Act since it was signed into law in 2012. But through multiple Supreme Court challenges and more than 60 repeal votes, the Affordable Care Act has succeeded in bringing quality, affordable health coverage to millions of Americans. Instead of continuing their futile partisan fight, congressional Republicans should turn their attention to building on this historic law’s success.
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