Michigan lawmakers react to House passing of GOP health care bill

The House passed a revised version of the American Health Care Act during Thursday's session and Michigan lawmakers are reacting.

The final vote was 217 in favor and 213 against. The bill now goes to the Senate.

READ: House passes revised GOP health care bill

Senator Debbie Stabenow released the following statement:

“I’m committed to working across the aisle to lower health care costs for Michigan families and small businesses, make prescription drugs more affordable, and improve care for middle-class families.  House Republicans instead passed a plan today that would raise costs for Michigan families, eliminate protections if you or a family member has a preexisting condition like cancer or a heart condition, and take us back to the days when insurance companies were in charge of your health care.  I will strongly oppose this plan in the Senate.”

Senator Gary Peters tweeted out the following video prior to the vote:

Congressman John Conyers released the following statement:

"I’ve served in Congress for 52 years and it’s hard for me to recall a time when we’ve voted on something so obviously and intentionally harmful to seniors and working people in this country. This legislation strips healthcare from 24 million people. It requires seniors to pay 100% or more of their income in premiums. This legislation dramatically cuts Medicaid, directly contradicting Mr. Trump’s claim not to."

Congressman Dan Kildee released the following statement:

“I voted no on Trumpcare because it forces families to pay higher costs for worse health care. It is absolutely heartless that 24 million people will lose their insurance under Trumpcare. Under the Republican health care plan, Americans with pre-existing conditions will lose the guarantee of coverage and be segregated into high-risk pools, where they will face higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles. Trumpcare also creates an ‘age tax’ and steals from Medicare, forcing older Americans to pay more out of pocket. Simply put, Trumpcare is reckless and dangerous."

Congressman Tim Walberg released the following statement:

“Obamacare is on the brink of collapse and has failed to live up to its many promises. Families and small businesses are facing skyrocketing premiums and insurers are dropping out of the marketplaces leaving behind fewer options. One-third of the counties in the United States only have one insurance provider to choose from and some counties have no choice at all. We told our constituents we would fix the mess Obamacare created, and this legislation is an important step towards undoing the damage and providing relief. It moves power away from Washington, gives flexibility to states, and puts doctors and patients at the center of their health care decisions. It brings back choice and competition, drives down costs, and provides protections for patients with pre-existing conditions. As this bill heads to the Senate, we must continue working on solutions to rescue families from a rapidly collapsing health care system.”

Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence released the following statement:

“There has been no bipartisan input, no thorough review of the bill and no CBO score to gauge the impact of this healthcare plan. On an issue as important to our economy, and vital to the wellbeing of ordinary Michiganders and Americans, this can be called nothing but an outrage. The ACA is not perfect, but it has provided insurance to millions of Americans, and saved thousands of lives. The bill pushed the uninsured rate to a record low rate of 8.6%, something we should celebrate. From the original scoring of this bill, we know that the Republican plan will drastically increase the uninsured rate in this country, and take away insurance from at least 24 million Americans. The Republican’s plan punishes those who have a gap in insurance coverage by imposing a 30% increase in premiums."

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell released the following statement:

“Today, my colleagues in the House of Representatives voted to rip health insurance away from at least 24 million Americans and turn back the clock on progress to ensure quality, affordable healthcare for all. This legislation literally means life or death for people across this country – it guts protections for pre-existing conditions, ends Medicaid expansion – which reduced the uninsured rate in Michigan by half – charges older Americans five times more for care, and steals from Medicare – all in order to give $600 billion in tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations. This is not who we are."

Congressman Sander Levin released the following statement:

“Today, House Republicans turned their backs on the health needs of millions and millions of Americans. Their rigid ideology has blinded them to what matters most for the families of America – insurance for good health. This will not be the decisive step. Millions of Americans have already risen up, told us their stories – and more will now in still larger numbers. Over $1 trillion would be taken from Medicare, Medicaid and premium assistance for Americans purchasing health insurance to provide a trillion dollars in tax breaks primarily for insurance companies and other corporations and for some of the very richest Americans."

Congressman Dave Trott released the following statement on his website:

"Since coming to Congress, I have been committed to replacing the Affordable Care Act with common-sense solutions that give every Michigan family access to affordable, high-quality care.  I believe the verdict on the Affordable Care Act was rendered last November and Michigan voters made it clear they want to see a new direction for our nation's health care system. While this legislation is not perfect, I believe it is better approach than was taken by the Affordable Care Act.  My viewpoint is reflected in the words of one of my constituents from Livonia, who recently told me, 'health insurance, right now, is more in need of reform than ever.' With individual premiums expected to be hit with another double digit increase, Michigan families cannot afford to wait."