House Passes American Health Care Act (AHCA)

The House this afternoon voted 217-213 to pass the American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628), as amended. The bill now heads to the Senate where it will be up for intense debate. The AAA will continue to monitor this legislation as it makes its way through the Senate.

The House also voted 429-0 to pass a bill (H.R. 2192) from Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) that would eliminate a congressional exemption from health care changes. The exemption was included in AHCA to comply with budget reconciliation rules.

Two key amendments were added to the healthcare bill in order to ensure Republican support, the Upton Amendment and the MacArthur Amendment. These amendments were two of the more substantial changes to the bill since it was originally introduced. The AAA is currently working on drafting a detailed overview of this legislation and will distribute to members once completed.