Democratic health care proposal fails in the Senate

The resolution was intended to repel a rule of the Trump administration that allowed some plans not to require coverage of pre-existing conditions, the latest action by the minority party to focus on the health care issue mid Road.

Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin used the Congressional Review Act to force a vote overturning the Trump administration rule to expand short-term insurance plans. Forty-nine Democrat Senators supported the resolution and would have needed an additional Republican vote – in addition to Collins – to reach the 51-vote threshold for the measure to be passed, though the GOP-controlled House of Commons 39 probably did not follow the legislation. . This made the Wednesday morning series of events a largely symbolic vote aimed at compelling moderate Republicans to take a politically difficult vote.

The Trump administration facilitated the purchase of these plans, allowing people to buy coverage for just under a year, compared to the Obama administration's 90-day limit.

"The Trump administration is in the process of rewriting the rules on the guaranteed health protection upon which millions of Americans depend," said Baldwin, who is due to be re-elected this year in a state that President Donald Trump had won in 2016, in a statement before the vote. "These junk insurance plans may deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and must not provide essential health services such as prescription drugs, emergency visits, and maternity care." . "

Baldwin also touted in his statement that more than 20 health organizations, such as the American Heart Association and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, have supported his efforts.

Collins cited the lack of protection for people with pre-existing conditions in a statement explaining his vote.

"Short-term and short-term plans do not provide protection to registrants who have pre-existing conditions," Collins said. "As I have often pointed out, it is essential that people with pre-existing conditions be covered.At the same time, we can not ignore the fact that many people do not have one." affordable health insurance option The underlying flaw of the Affordable Care Act is that it does not provide affordable coverage, but I think this flaw can be addressed without jeopardizing the protections offered. to people with pre-existing diseases. "

The Congressional Review Act is a law widely used by Republicans since Trump came into office to overturn the rules of the Obama era.

GOP leaders criticized the Democratic proposal before the vote, saying it would remove a low-cost insurance option for families who, according to Republicans, would have been penalized by the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.

"They must surely have a better answer than to remove one of the remaining options that some Americans still prefer to all that the Democrats have been able to find," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell before the vote. "Our constituents deserve more options, not less."

"I think the most important thing to remember is that Obamacare is not the only way to get coverage for pre-existing conditions – there are better ways to do that," said the Senate majority whip, John Cornyn, prior to the vote. "That's what they would like to get people to buy, and it's not fundamentally true."

In an address to the Senate on Tuesday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called the Trump administration's regulation of short-term health care plans "fundamentally flawed."

"All my colleagues should vote for this, but I suspect my colleagues across the way have a different idea because since they took control of Congress and the Presidency, Republicans have deliberately, relentlessly undermined the health care of Americans, "he added. I said.