Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:48 pm
After a drawn-out fight among two factions of the Republican Party, the House GOP is set to hold a vote on unpopular Trumpcare on Thursday in hopes of advancing the legislation to the Senate, and ultimately Donald Trump’s desk.
According to Politico, the vote will take place on Thursday and will likely come down to the wire, with very little room for error.
More from Politico:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Republican leaders have called a vote on a plan to replace the health care law, signaling surging confidence that they’re on the cusp of earning enough support to pass it. Though it’s still unclear if House Speaker Ryan and his team have commitments from the 216 members necessary to pass the bill, scheduling a vote suggests they believe they’re closer than ever.
The moment still promises to be heart-pounding. About 18 Republican lawmakers are publicly opposed to the GOP plan, leaving leaders room for only a handful of additional defections. And at least two-dozen members still publicly undecided. House vote-counters crisscrossed the chamber late Wednesday, pigeonholing reluctant colleagues in a last-ditch bid to put the measure over the top.
Just this hour, GOP Congressman Kevin McCarthy told NBC News that Republicans do, in fact, have the votes to advance the legislation after struggling for weeks to gain enough support among members of their own party.
The obvious downside is that this measure would, if signed into law by Trump, result in tens of millions of Americans losing their insurance, eliminate essential health benefits that save lives, and roll back protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions.
The small sliver of good news is that the legislation must get through the Senate before it hits the president’s desk – and that’s where it will likely die.
According to The Hill, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the latest version of the GOP health care legislation has “virtually no chance of becoming law.”
“The reality is Trumpcare cannot pass the Senate,” he added.
If that holds, it will be welcome news for millions of Americans worried tonight about losing coverage that helps them survive – all so Donald Trump and Republicans can score an empty political victory.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
