8 GOP leaders whose AHCA vote likely to dictate outcome

The nation is anxiously awaiting the House's vote on the Republicans' American Health Care Act and several GOP leaders could play a major role in the ACA alternative's fate.

USA Today highlighted the following eight GOP leaders whose vote will likely decide if the AHCA passes.

1. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa. As a co-chairman of the moderate-leaning Tuesday Group, Rep. Dent is primarily interested in how tax credits will help Americans buy insurance and has argued tax credits do not do enough to help Americans pay premiums. He told MSNBC he is voting against the bill on March 20, 2017.

2. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.  Rep. King, a moderate, has swayed from a hard "no" to an "undecided" on the AHCA. When President Donald Trump asked Rep. King during a meeting this week if he would align with Trump on the bill, Rep. King did not answer. His worry stems from the bill cutting Medicaid spending by billions of dollars.

3. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev. Like Rep. King, Rep. Amodei is undecided on how he will vote. He sought amendments to the bill that would entail linking tax cuts for payers to premium reductions for consumers. He also wants to exclude residents with only one payer in their county from paying a penalty if they have a gap in the coverage.

4. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz. Rep. Franks said he is not a firm yes at the point because he is not confident the Trump administration will maintain the anti-abortion provisions.

5. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. Rep. Pearce is concerned with the bill's impact on Americans affording coverage as New Mexico opted to expand Medicaid under the ACA.

6. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. Rep. Mooney said he is holding off on his decision to see if any updates arise. He has not provided an answer one way or the other and said he wants to hear from his constituents before making a final decision.

7. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. On March 21, 2017, Rep. Issa told reporters he was "leaning yes" after the GOP announced changes to the bill, such as allowing the Senate to increase tax credits for low and moderate income Americans.

8. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas. Rep. Barton said he is a "friendly leaning no" on the bill. USA Today reported the congressman worked to freeze Medicaid two years ago and is seeking a freeze in the legislation.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.