In a humiliating failure, President Donald Trump and GOP leaders pulled their bill to repeal “Obamacare” off the House floor Friday when it became clear it would fail badly — after seven years of nonstop railing against the law.
Democrats said Americans can “breathe a sigh of relief.” Trump said the current law was imploding “and soon will explode.”
Thwarted by two factions of fellow Republicans, from the center and far right, House Speaker Paul Ryan said President Barack Obama’s health care law, the GOP’s No. 1 target in the new Trump administration, will remain in place “for the foreseeable future.”
It was a stunning defeat for the new president after he had demanded House Republicans delay no longer and vote on the legislation Friday, pass or fail.
His gamble failed.
Instead Trump, who campaigned as a master deal-maker and claimed that he alone could fix the nation’s health care system, saw his ultimatum rejected by Republican lawmakers who made clear they answer to their own voters, not to the president.
In a press release today Congresswoman Aumua Amata said, “Although House leadership has pulled the bill for now it would not have affected American Samoa in the first place.
“Because this is a reconciliation bill, only those provisions included in the 2010 Affordable Care Act can be considered in this bill.”
Aumua said, “The reason reconciliation is being used, is to make it easier to pass in the Senate where it will only require 51 votes instead of the usual 60. The good news is that there is a three step process and the territories will be considered in step three.”
In order to secure affordable and quality healthcare for the territories, Congresswoman Amata has introduced legislation to be considered in the third phase of reform which will make long overdue changes to how the territories are funded.
Aumua said, “In short my language would make it so the territories are funded the same as the states when it comes to Medicaid.”
According to the congresswoman, “Although step three will be considered at a later time, I wanted to introduce it now so we can get the discussion started.
“To that end, I have already spoken to Speaker Ryan who assures me that my proposal will be taken up in the third phase, and I look forward to working with him and the committee chairmen when that happens.”
Congress is scheduled to have several district work periods coming up, and during that time, Aumua said she will be hosting town-hall meetings to update our people about my efforts in Washington to improve their healthcare, and other the work we are doing on their behalf.
