WASHINGTON — The latest Obamacare repeal vote on Tuesday marked the first time any House Republicans have ever voted against eliminating the law.
The three Republicans who defected in the 239-286 vote were Illinois Rep. Robert Dold, New York Rep. John Katko and Maine Rep. Bruce Poliquin.
They have something in common: all are freshman members from blue states who represent districts that President Barack Obama won handily in 2012.
While it was the 56th House vote to undermine the law in some way, the chamber has voted four times on standalone bills to repeal Obamacare since the 2010 law was enacted — in Jan. 2011, July 2012, May 2013 and Feb. 2015. Before Tuesday, not a single Republican voted no.
The Republicans’ stated complaint? Their party has no replacement.
“The people of the 10th District sent me to Congress to advance solutions, not sound bites, to the problems we face,” Dold said in a statement. “Casting yet another symbolic vote for full repeal of the law, without any replacement legislation, simply distracts us from the work that must be done to drive costs down, restore access to care and make healthcare work for everyone.”
Dold was first elected in 2010, lost in 2012 and was elected again in 2014. Notably, he voted in favor of the House’s 2011 Obamacare repeal bill.
Rep. John Katko (AP photo)
Poliquin told CQ Roll Call, “I am against Obamacare. It is hurting jobs, hurting our families, limiting choices. But I need to see a tangible, free-market replacement and this bill does not give us that. I need to see how we’re gonna fix this and not just be someone who votes for the 56th time to repeal this.”
“I’ve got to honor my campaign pledge,” Katko the Auburn Citizen. “In the campaign I said that I’m fully committed to either radically restructuring or replacing Obamacare. I would only replace it if there’s a suitable replacement ready to go. There is not right now. I’m compelled to honor my pledge.”
Rep. Bruce Poliquin (AP photo)
Democrats flipped the script on Tuesday — in each previous Obamacare repeal vote, some of them had voted with a unanimous GOP caucus. This time Democrats, shrunken in their numbers, stood united while a few Republicans defected.
