Pa. lawmakers react to historic health care vote

July 29--The Affordable Care Act remains intact, following yet another failed attempt by the Republican-controlled Congress and White House to dismantle President Barack Obama's signature legislative accomplishment.

So what might happen next politically in the nation's ongoing debate about the health care system?

"This is not yet a settled issue about how it's going," Terry Madonna, director of Franklin & Marshall College's Center for Politics and Public Affairs, said.

Madonna continued: "They might well fix the Affordable Care Act. That's the way the Democrats are coming at it and saying, and some Republicans are saying that."

For years, many GOP candidates, including U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-Sewickley, from the 12th district, and U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Everett, from the 9th district, have made opposition to the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, main focuses of their campaigns.

But, since Donald Trump became president in January, Republicans have not actually been able to repeal or replace the ACA, despite controlling the legislative and executive branches.

Most recently, early Friday morning, the Senate rejected the Health Care Freedom Act, a scaled-down proposal nicknamed the "skinny repeal" bill, that would have made a few changes to the ACA, including repealing the individual mandate and the employer mandate penalty.

It went down 51-49 with three Republicans -- Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John McCain of Arizona -- voting against the measure, joining all Democrats and independents. McCain signified his nay in dramatic fashion, standing on the Senate floor -- with a scar above his left eye from a recent brain cancer surgery -- and giving a thumbs-down gesture.

His vote seemed to signify an end to the latest round of political debate on the issue that has placed Pennsylvania's two senators -- Sen. Bob Casey Jr., a Democrat, and Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican -- on opposite sides.

Casey opposed the Health Care Freedom Act and other Republican attempts to tear down the Affordable Care Act.

"The Senate Republican scheme was a terrible bill for the middle class and that's why it was rejected on a bipartisan basis," Casey said. "It's now time for Democrats and Republicans to work together on common sense solutions that will make our health care system more affordable and bring down costs for families. I commend Senator McCain for his courageous vote."

Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman Marcel Groen joined Casey, calling the failed GOP plan a "heartless" and "disastrous" idea that "rejected common sense solutions."

Toomey has been a strong proponent of repealing Obamacare. He was a chief architect of the Better Care Reconciliation Act -- a full ACA repeal and replace amendment -- that did not progress past a procedural vote on Tuesday.

"I am disappointed with this setback on efforts to fix our broken health care system," Toomey said. "For the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians suffering from the higher costs and fewer choices caused by Obamacare's collapse, Congress must not give up on repealing and replacing the failed health care law."

Earlier this month, before votes were taken on the GOP proposals, Val DiGiorgio, chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, said "inaction is not an option" because "Obamacare is in a death spiral."

Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at (814) 532-5056. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Sutor.

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