David Kustoff, Marsha Blackburn back Obamacare repeal

March 24--WASHINGTON -- Two Tennessee Republicans who had been on fence about the GOP healthcare bill now say they will vote for the legislation.

U.S. Reps. David Kustoff of Memphis and Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood said Friday they are supporting the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

"For seven years, Obamacare has been a burden on the American people," Kustoff said. "With premiums rising and insurers dropping out of the exchange at an alarming rate, the failing health care law is in a death spiral. Republicans have promised to repeal this disastrous law and provide relief to the American people. Later today, I will vote to do just that."

Blackburn said, she, too will vote for the bill.

"With the bill as it is currently written, I am voting yes in order to move the process to the Senate," she said.

Blackburn said a provision that she pushed to halt Medicaid expansion as well as pro-life language that she advocated had been included in the bill.

"I understand that when you negotiate a bill and your provisions are included, you vote in good faith for the legislation and work to hold those provisions in the bill until it is signed into law," she said.

The House is scheduled to vote Friday on the GOP proposal, which would eliminate many of the healthcare reforms enacted seven years ago under then-President Barack Obama.

The vote had been scheduled for Thursday but was delayed because the GOP did not have the votes to pass the legislation.

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Kustoff's and Blackburn's decision to vote for the bill leaves just one Tennessee Republican still on the fence.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a physician from South Pittsburg, has said he's leaning toward voting no on the bill because it doesn't do enough to roll back the Obamacare reforms and bring down insurance premiums.

The other four Tennessee Republicans -- Phil Roe of Johnson City, John J. Duncan Jr. of Knoxville, Diane Black of Gallatin and Chuck Fleischmann of Ooltewah -- have all said they will vote for the bill.

The two Tennessee Democrats -- Steve Cohen of Memphis and Jim Cooper of Nashville -- oppose the legislation.

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