Bera, Jayapal, Krishnamoorthi, Khanna and Harris applaud the failure of GOP effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Indian American congressional representatives have welcomed House Speaker Paul Ryan’s move to withdraw the American Health Care Act on Friday without a vote.
The speaker withdrew the bill, in consultation with President Trump, after it became evident that he won’t have enough votes for its passage.
The bill was part of the White House’s and the Republican congressional delegation’s effort to gut the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. The Republicans have been campaigning to “repeal and replace” Obamacare for seven years, and it was one of Trump’s signature campaign promises last November.
However, the AHCA ran into trouble with, not just the American public — according to a poll, only 17 percent approved of the bill — but with the Freedom Caucus and the moderate wing of the GOP House delegation after the Congressional Research Service estimated that the legislation would result in 26 million more Americans without coverage.
“This bill would have kicked millions of hardworking Americans off of their health care, raised the cost of coverage for families, and imposed an age tax on our parents and grandparents,” Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) said in a statement. “I hope that after cancelling this vote, the Speaker and the majority will hear loud and clear that playing politics with peoples’ health care is not going to work.”
Bera added that, “Now is the time for Democrats and Republicans to come together, because the job isn’t over until every American has affordable and accessible healthcare. Real lives are at stake here and I’m ready to get to work.”
Bera’s Indian American colleagues also welcomed the AHCA outcome.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who had termed the legislation “a travesty and the American people will pay the price,” said in a video message: “This is a huge victory, but we can’t be complacent.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) tweeted on Saturday:
“Yesterday’s defeat of #AHCA was a victory for our country & I was glad to join so many in speaking out against it. But the fight continues!”
Fellow freshman Ro Khanna (D-CA) also celebrated the failure of AHCA with a tweet
“This is a victory for the activists and people, the energy of the grassroots — that’s what defeated this bill.”
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), one of the staunches critics of the bill in the Senate, tweeted:
“This is a testament to the millions of Americans who stood up and spoke out to reject the idea that health care is a privilege & not a right.”