The House Ways and Means Committee early Thursday morning cleared its portion of a bill intended to gut Obamacare and partially replace it, taking the first step towards getting the legislation to the House floor.
The committee completed its markup of its part of the American Health Care Act, the GOP leadership’s bill to gut Obamacare and partially replace it. The committee’s portion focuses on eliminating most of Obamacare’s taxes and creates a new tax credit pegged to age instead of income under Obamacare.
The markup started at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday and didn’t end until after 4 a.m. on Thursday morning after voting on a series of amendments.
The markup was broken up into five parts that focused on repealing a tax on tanning beds, renumeration to insurers, a collection of consumer taxes, repeal of a net investment tax and policies such as what plans are grandfathered. Democrats objected to the provisions, with the votes largely along party lines to pass the parts.
“Instead of making smart reforms to ensure all Americans have access to affordable health coverage, Republicans are forcing people to pay more for less,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., in a statement. “This certainly isn’t ‘insurance for everybody,’ as the president promised.”
But Republicans cheered committee passage of the legislation. Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, calling the hearing a “major historic step” to repealing the Affordable Care Act.
“We voted repeatedly to end Obamacare’s crushing taxes and mandates and ensure patients have more power over their own health care,” Brady said in a statement. “This legislation reflects President Trump’s strong commitment to improving healthcare for all Americans.”
Now the ball is in the Energy & Commerce Committee’s court, which was still going through a markup on Thursday morning that started on Wednesday. Democrats have hinted that they have more than 100 amendments to bring before the committee, but as of press time less than ten had been voted on.
The Energy & Commerce Committee is marking up a section that includes ending the Medicaid expansion in 2020.
Once the Energy & Commerce Committee completes its markup, then the final legislative package will head to the House Budget Committee. After the budget committee passes it, then it heads to the House Rules Committee before going to the House floor.
Republican leadership has hoped to get the bill to the Senate and have the chamber pass it before the two-week Easter recess starts in early April.
The White House is mounting an offensive to get reluctant conservatives on board with the bill, meeting with outside conservative groups such as Club for Growth, Freedom Partners and Heritage Foundation on Wednesday night.
All of those groups has opposed the bill, saying that it doesn’t fully repeal Obamacare and doesn’t go far enough.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus has came out strong against the bill. After a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, group members said that Republicans don’t have the votes to get it through the House.
