10-Year Timeline Of House Republican Attacks On Americans’ Health Care Brings Us To Today
This Monday marks the 10 year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, which protects coverage for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and extended insurance coverage to 20 million Americans.
This anniversary also represents a full decade of House Republican attempts to attack our health care system.
These attacks include assaults on the Affordable Care Act’s funding to combat disease outbreaks, its provisions that even Vice President Pence admitted make coronavirus testing affordable, and its protections for Americans battling pre-existing conditions.
Last year, House Republicans voted to advance funding for their lawsuit that would repeal the ACA in its entirety. And this year they’ve downplayed the risks of coronavirus: voting against vital bipartisan funding to combat the virus and putting Americans in harm’s way by telling them to continue going to bars. As our government scrambles to respond to the immediate threat to public health and our economy that Coronavirus presents, all evidence points to the damage done by Republicans’ continuous war on Americans’ health care.
“We need a strong health care system more than ever. But Washington Republicans are still refusing to end their decade long war on the Affordable Care Act and its provisions that help us combat COVID-19,” said DCCC Spokesperson Robyn Patterson. “It’s disturbing that, 10-years after it started making health care more affordable and more accessible for everyday people, House Republicans are continuing to attack a law that protects the Americans put most at risk by the deadly pandemic.”
Timeline of House Republicans’ 10-Year War On Our Health Care System
2019
January 2019: House Republicans Voted Against Authorizing House Intervention Into The Texas Court Case That Found The Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional. [H Res 6, Vote #19, 1/09/19; CQ, 1/09/19]
The Lawsuit “Threatens To Kill The Entire Affordable Care Act.” “A lawsuit that threatens to kill the entire Affordable Care Act could be a political disaster for the GOP, but most Republicans aren’t trying to stop it — and some openly want it to succeed.” [Axios, 1/10/19]
2018
Americans Claim Health Care As Their Top Issue In The 2018 Midterm Elections. [NBC News, 11/6/18]
House Democrats Win Majority In 2018 Midterm Elections. [CNN, 11/7/18]
2017
May 2017: House Republicans Voted For The American Health Care Act – The Republican Health Care Repeal Bill. [HR 1628, Vote #256, 5/4/17; CQ, 5/4/17]
HEADLINE: Trump, GOP Leaders Take Victory Lap After House Passes ‘Trumpcare’ [NBC News, 5/4/17]
The Atlantic: AHCA Canceled Funding For The Prevention And Public Health Fund Which “Allows The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention To Supplement Lagging Public-Health Funding And Respond To Public-Health Crises” “On the other side of the revenue coin, the bill would cancel unobligated funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund after 2018. That fund allows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to supplement lagging public-health funding and respond to public-health crises via a wide range of mechanisms, including block grants to states. That fund also covers the CDC’s childhood lead prevention program.” [The Atlantic, 3/6/17]
2016
December 2016: Republicans Planned To Move Immediately To Repeal The Affordable Care Act Once Trump Became President. “Republicans in Congress plan to move almost immediately next month to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as President-elect Donald J. Trump promised. […] Republicans said they hoped that the certainty of repeal would increase pressure on Democrats to sign on to some of these ideas.” [New York Times, 12/2/16]
HEADLINE: G.O.P. Plans Immediate Repeal of Health Law, Then a Delay [New York Times, 12/2/16]
February 2016: House Republicans Voted For Overturning Obama’s Veto Of A Bill To Repeal Major Portions Of The Affordable Care Act. [HR 3762, Vote #53, 2/2/16; CQ, 2/2/16]
House Republicans Attempted “To Overturn President Obama’s Veto Of Legislation To Repeal Obamacare.” “House Republicans are moving on to a new round of budget fights after failing on Tuesday to overturn President Obama’s veto of legislation to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. […] The 241-186 vote, appropriately scheduled for Groundhog Day, was the 63rd time the House has voted to overturn all or part of Obama’s signature health care law.” [Washington Post, 2/2/16]
January 2016: House Republicans Voted To Repeal Major Portions Of The Affordable Care Act. [HR 3762, Vote #6, 1/6/16; CQ, 1/6/16]
HEADLINE: House Votes to Send Bill to Repeal Health Law to Obama’s Desk [New York Times, 1/6/16]
2015
October 2015: House Republicans Voted For House Passage Of A Bill To Repeal Major Portions Of Affordable Care Act, Including Prevention And Public Health Fund. [HR 3762, Vote #568, 10/23/15; CQ, 10/23/15]
HEADLINE: House Republicans vote to repeal Obamacare, again [Los Angeles Times, 10/23/15]
March 2015: House Republicans Voted For A Republican Budget That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. [H. Con Res. 27, Vote #142, 3/25/15]
House Republicans’ Budget “Demands The Full Repeal Of The Affordable Care Act.” “To make matters more complicated, the budget demands the full repeal of the Affordable Care Act, including the tax increases that finance the health care law. […] White House officials estimated that between the Affordable Care Act repeal and the cuts to Medicaid, 37 million people would lose health insurance, more than doubling the ranks of the uninsured.” [New York Times, 3/18/15]
February 2015: House Republicans Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act. [HR 596, Vote #58, 2/3/15; CQ, 2/3/15]
HEADLINE: House G.O.P. Again Votes to Repeal Health Care Law [New York Times, 2/3/15]
The Hill: The Vote Was The Fourth Vote To “Completely Repeal” The Affordable Care Act; For The First Time, The Bill Included Instructions For Committees To Replace The Bill, But With No Deadline To Finish. “The GOP House on Tuesday voted for the fourth time to completely repeal ObamaCare, but this time with instructions for several committees to replace the healthcare law with new policies. […] This is the first time the House has coupled an ObamaCare repeal vote with instructions to write a replacement, but they included a significant caveat. The legislation doesn’t impose any deadlines on committees to finish their work.” [The Hill, 2/3/15]
2014
April 2014: House Republicans Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 96, Vote #177, 4/10/14; CQ, 4/10/14]
The House Republican Budget Included “The Total Repeal Of The Affordable Care Act Just As Millions Are Reaping The Benefits Of The Law.” “Mr. Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman and a possible White House contender in 2016, laid out a budget plan that cuts $5 trillion in spending over the next decade. He said it would bring federal spending and taxes into balance by 2024, through steep cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, and the total repeal of the Affordable Care Act just as millions are reaping the benefits of the law.” [New York Times, 4/2/14]
2013
May 2013: House Republicans Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act. [HR 45, Vote #154, 5/16/13; CQ, 5/16/13]
HEADLINE: House to Vote Yet Again on Repealing Health Care Law [New York Times, 5/14/13]
New York Times: “Since 2011, Republicans Have Spent No Less Than 15 Percent Of Their Time On The House Floor On Repeal In Some Way.” “The 37th time won’t be the charm. But House Republicans are charging forward anyway this week on a vote to repeal President Obama’s signature health care overhaul, which will put the number of times they have tried to eliminate, defund or curtail the law past the three-dozen mark. […] That means that since 2011, Republicans have spent no less than 15 percent of their time on the House floor on repeal in some way.” [New York Times, 5/14/13]
March 2013: House Republicans Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 25, Vote #88, 3/21/13; CQ, 3/21/13]
HEADLINE: Ryan budget target: Obamacare repeal [Politico, 3/13/13]
2012
July 2012: House Republicans Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act. [HR 6079, Vote #460, 7/11/12; CQ, 7/11/12]
HEADLINE: House Republicans vote, again, to repeal health care law [CNN, 7/11/12]
Rep. Hensarling: Health Care Reform “Happens To Be The Seminal Issue Of Our Time.” “Republicans, however, said the issue remains a priority for their constituents and defended the need to combat what they call a threat to patient-focused health care and the economy. ‘It is not a game to be played,’ declared House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, before the voting started. Earlier, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, told CNN that health care reform ‘happens to be the seminal issue of our time.’” [CNN, 7/11/12]
2011
April 2011: House Republicans Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; Washington Post, 4/15/11]
HEADLINE: Ryan to 32M Americans: No Insurance for You [The New Republic, 4/5/11]
April 2011: House Republicans Voted For Repealing Prevention and Public Health Fund. [HR 1217, Vote #264, 4/13/11; CQ, 4/13/11]
HEADLINE: House votes to kill preventive health fund [Associated Press, 4/14/11]
Associated Press: The Prevention And Public Health Fund Included Grants To “Train Public Health Workers In Responding To Infectious Disease Outbreaks.” “House Republicans continued their multipronged attack on the health care law enacted last year with a vote Wednesday to eliminate a section in the law providing $15 billion over the next decade on such preventive health care issues […] Secretary Kathleen Sebelius […] announced another $750 million to coordinate efforts to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer, increase physical activity to prevent obesity and train public health workers in responding to infectious disease outbreaks.” [Associated Press, 4/14/11]
January 2011: House Republicans Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act. [HR 2, Vote #14, 1/19/11; CQ, 1/19/11]
On Eve Of Vote, A House Republican Aide Called A Study Pointing Out Risks Of Repeal For Americans With Preexisting Conditions “Politics And Public Relations.” “As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that are red flags for health insurers, according to an analysis that marks the government’s first attempt to quantify the number of people at risk of being rejected by insurance companies or paying more for coverage. […] A Republican House aide, speaking about the report on condition of anonymity because it was not yet public, said, ‘When a new analysis is released on the eve of a vote in Congress, it’s hard to view it as anything but politics and public relations.’ The House’s new GOP leaders plan to begin debate Tuesday on a bill that would repeal the health-care law in its entirety. The vote is set to conclude on Wednesday.” [Washington Post, 1/18/11]
2010
November 2010: After Republicans Took Control Of The House, Incoming Speaker Boehner Vowed To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. “Voters have given Republicans a mandate to cut government and roll back the Obama administration’s health care ‘monstrosity’ in the next Congress, the incoming speaker of the House of Representatives said Wednesday. Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, is poised to lead the House following the GOP’s massive gains in Tuesday’s midterm elections.” [CNN, 11/3/11]
HEADLINE: Boehner says Obama health plan on the block after GOP wins [CNN, 11/3/11]
March 2010: House Republicans Voted Against The Affordable Care Act. [HR 3590, Vote #165, 3/21/10; CQ, 3/21/10]
New York Times: House Democrats Passed The Affordable Care Act “Over Unanimous Republican Opposition.” “House Democrats approved a far-reaching overhaul of the nation’s health system on Sunday, voting over unanimous Republican opposition to provide medical coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans after an epic political battle that could define the differences between the parties for years. […] The debate on the legislation set up a bitter midterm campaign season, with Republicans promising an effort to repeal the legislation, challenge its constitutionality or block its provisions in the states.” [New York Times, 3/22/10]