How Don Young went from no to yes on the House health care bill
Young's vote in favor of the American Health Care Act was a change from his previous position on the bill before it was pulled from the House floor in March. Young said then he wouldn't vote for the bill because of the outsize impact it would have on Alaskans' health care costs.
In the days since the House returned from a two-week recess, Young had been mum about his plans for the vote, frequently showing up as "undecided" on
"I wanted a pause from the first bill that was introduced. I thought it was too fast," Young said.
But
"This bill we passed today will not become law. It'll be changed as time goes by. But unless we move it, or move a vehicle, nothing's going to happen, and that's not good," Young said Thursday in an interview after the vote.
The full extent of the bill's impacts remains unclear, as the nonpartisan
[
"I got a commitment from the speaker to take care of the disproportionate cost -- we and
"And I know we have the money, about
Walker pointed to
"My team and I will continue working with members of our congressional delegation to ensure Alaskans are protected and covered," Walker said.
Differences from 'Obamacare'
Recent amendments to the new plan included one that created a new,
The new plan would repeal the mandate for
Changes to the bill will allow states to opt out of restrictions that keep insurance companies from charging people more if they have "pre-existing" conditions. The range of pre-existing conditions is wide-ranging, from asthma, to cancer, to having undergone a cesarean section or, in some cases, treatment for sexual assault. About 25 percent of Americans have a pre-existing condition, according to the
The bill will also place limits on federal funding for
"Once you get the toothpaste out of the tube, you can't put it back in," Young said of the Affordable Care Act. "But you can improve upon it. And that's what we should do. Does this do the full job? No. But it's the beginning of the process."
The biggest impact to
According to the
The lower tax credits and increased costs under the House bill would increase yearly costs for people on
Nationwide, about 1 in 10 non-elderly people would lose health insurance under the House bill, a ratio that could be even higher for
And the center says that
[What the House health care plan means for
Young said that it was his responsibility to move the bill forward, even though he didn't think it was perfect.
"I had nothing but total complaints about 'Obamacare,' especially from young people," during the 2016 election, he said.
The
On Wednesday afternoon, before House leadership called for Thursday's vote,
"What I have seen that causes me a little worry is the reports that, well, OK, we put this fund over here -- it was a
Murkowski also said she's firmly opposed to removing protections for people who have pre-existing conditions.
"That's not what Alaskans are telling me they think is an acceptable response," she said.
Murkowski said she fears the House "is basically trying to just build the votes rather than build good policy," and get the "monkey off its back" to pass the bill along to the
"That is a legislative strategy. No secret there. But you know this is important that we get it right. And I want to make sure that we're taking the time to get it right," she said.
The
But overall, the
Negotiating for future wins
Thursday's vote was not only about advancing the House bill, Young said.
By backing his party's efforts, he gained more clout to pass future legislation that can benefit
"This is what you have to remember -- it's like a baseball game that goes into overtime. You go to bat a lot of times and you want to make sure you finally get a hit. I believe very strongly that I'm in a position now that throw me a softball and I'm gonna get a hit," Young said.
"You have to have the assurance and the backing of leadership, or your bills don't move," he said. "
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