Ever since Donald Trump took office as President of the United States, one of his priority objectives had been to mobilize his Republican-majority Congress in order to remove the most significant vestiges of the previous administration. One major target was the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, which Trump and his supporters have accused of forcing all taxpayers to shoulder the expenses of health care, something he feels should be handled privately.
Several attempts to pass a repealing measure on Obamacare have been pushed by Republicans in Congress over the past couple months, to no success.
But that standoff was not going to last forever. On May 4 there was a final breakthrough and President Trump’s measure has taken its first step.
GOP nearly united
In a stunning rally, a new “repeal and replace Obamacare” bill finally got through the House of Representatives after a tense vote. While past votes ended in failure due to an exploited divide between the Trump-aligned conservative Republicans and the moderates, this time around Trump has somehow rallied enough GOP Representatives to pull together and pass the measure.
The final tally had 217 “YEA” votes for passing the bill. Of the “NAY” side, 20 moderate GOPs joined with all 192 remaining House Democrats. Three others (one D and two R) did not vote.
But that was enough for Trump, who praised the passing of the “repeal and replace Obamacare” bill as having nearly completed the unification of Republicans in Congress, even as healthcare premiums start going down.
The House Speaker Paul Ryan echoed the President’s optimism, declaring that this milestone will finally put the Affordable Care Act, a “failing law," in the past.
He stated that the act’s repeal and eventual replacement will return “power from Washington back to the States.”
Contrasting music
The House vote that pushed through the “repeal and replace Obamacare” was also inundated with some meaningful “background music” from both sides of the divide. The GOP was certain of victory on Thursday that they walked into the House basement with the “Rocky” theme song “Gonna Fly Now,” blaring in the background.
Democrats however, had their own comeback against the majority after the passing of the bill. As the GOP were patting each other on the back and voicing solidarity with President Trump, the minority took up chanting the chorus of the Supremes song “Na Na Hey Hey (Goodbye”), and vowed that the Republican triumph – which they say would remove healthcare coverage from 24 million people by 2026 – will be a big help in restoring the Democratic Party to House majority in the midterm elections next year.
