The US House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans, passed a new version of the American Health Care Act to repeal and replace Obamacare, by a vote of 217 to 213. The Republican leaders of the house have blurred to gain sufficient support for the vote after adding a series of changes since an earlier version was taken from a vote in Parliament at the last minute of March.
"We can not wait for Obamacare to collapse. We have to change that, and that's what we're going to do today," said Kevin McCarthy, the majority leader of the House before the vote.
Under the latest House bill, the 50 US states are allowed to seek exemptions from the key provisions of Obamacare, the former President Barack Obama's signature law. The bill will also provide more than $ 8 billion over five years for high-risk pools aimed at helping states and insurers deal with high-cost patients. Including additional money, a total of $ 138 billion will be funded for high-risk pools over the next decade. The bill is now being sent to the Senate where it faces significant challenges.
"If victorious, Republicans will be having a big press conference at the beautiful Rose Garden of the White House immediately after vote!" Trump tweeted minutes before the voting.
