Major Victory for Trump, Republicans: American Health Care Act Passes in House!

Aimee Herd/Heather Sells : May 4, 2017
CBN News

This new bill 'Blocks federal payments to Planned Parenthood for one year—a big win for pro-life Republicans'

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the revised American Health Care Act on a 217-213 vote, according to a Fox News report, Thursday morning. (Photo credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP/via Breitbart.com)

The vote was a major victory for both President Trump and House Republicans, however, now the bill will head to the Senate "where it faces an uncertain fate," according to the report.

House Speaker Paul Ryan commented on the measure that effectively will replace Obamacare if it makes it all the way, saying, "A lot of us have been waiting seven years to cast this vote!"

[CBN News] Here are five big things the bill does:

• Blocks federal payments to Planned Parenthood for one year—a big win for pro-life Republicans

• Eliminates Obamacare tax penalties for those who don't buy coverage

• Includes Medicaid cuts & allows state work requirements for Medicaid recipients

• Changes Obamacare insurance subsidies into tax credits

• Continues family policies that cover grown children until age 26

Democrats are fiercely opposed to the bill. Not a single Democrat [was] expected to support it...

Pre-existing conditions remain a big concern, despite the last-minute amendment. The bill allows states to get federal waivers that would free insurers from other Obamacare coverage requirements. With waivers, insurers could charge people with preexisting conditions higher rates than their peers and raise prices for older consumers.

Many questions still remain around cost, and unfortunately for members and the public at large, the Congressional Budget Office has not released an estimated cost for this latest version of the bill.