The House will be voting on the American Healthcare Act, aka “Trumpcare” next week, and despite what we’ve been told, it’s not a sure thing. As the day of the vote draws near, more and more house Republicans are leaning against the bill, providing more resistance than President Donald Trump previously expected.
Trumpcare needs 216 votes to pass in the House of Representatives, and since none of the 193 Democrats are expected to vote for it, this leaves the 237 Republicans to ultimately decide its fate. There is a margin of 21 votes that the bill can lose and still pass in the house.
Of the house Republicans, 12 have announced plans to vote against it and 11 are still officially on the fence, but leaning against it. This means that 23 Republican votes could potentially be cast against Trumpcare, leaving it just short of the required number of votes to pass.
The controversial Republican healthcare proposal has earned the nickname “Wealthcare” because it offers steep tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens and leaves many working class people uninsured. The bill has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle and has even been rejected by the typically conservative Freedom Caucus.
The House Freedom Caucus still opposes the GOP replacement bill in its current form.
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) March 17, 2017
California Representative Tom McClintock said to MSNBC:
“I don’t think it’s defensible or sustainable for us to be giving massive tax cuts to investors while we have not assured that the tax system is supporting low-income families as they try to reach out for new health care insurance in the new market we are creating.”
Rep. McClintock (R-CA): Tax cuts for wealthy investors in ACHA are not defensible or sustainable https://t.co/8pmAllhVQp
— All In w/Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) March 17, 2017
Meanwhile, supporters of the bill are standing their ground, fearing that any amount of compromise might lead to losing more votes. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan have repeatedly assured us that Trumpcare is, in fact, the answer to problems with the Affordable Care Act.
A lot could happen between now and the day of the vote, and given the current political climate, it probably will. Amid all the uncertainty, one thing is for sure; The political battle over American healthcare is far from over.
Featured Image: CNN
