Smith Votes to Bypass Senate Rules and Strip ObamaCare Provisions from Budget

Statement

Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today voted in favor of H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act.

Congressman Lamar Smith: "I remain dedicated to dismantling ObamaCare because it remains just as harmful to Texans as it was when it was first rammed through Congress five years ago. The House has already taken multiple votes to repeal, replace and dismantle ObamaCare, yet the Senate has been hindered from taking similar action because of its outdated 60-vote requirement. Today's vote allows us to finally move past Senate rules and strip ObamaCare measures from the congressional budget. In addition this bill takes funding from Planned Parenthood and gives it to community health centers that provide care for women's health. And finally, it reduces our deficit by almost $130 billion. These are the kinds of strong actions we must continue to take in order to rein in an out-of-control Obama administration."

Despite rising health care costs and ObamaCare's unpopularity, Republicans in the Senate have lacked the 60 votes necessary to vote on repeal of ObamaCare measures, among other things. Just weeks ago, Smith was joined by almost 60 colleagues in calling for changes to Senate rules to do away with the 60 vote threshold for purposes of "consequential" legislation.

According to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, under ObamaCare the cost of insurance in Texas has increased by 79 percent for the average 27-year-old man, and 54 percent for the average 40-year-old man. The average 27-year-old woman has seen increases of 29 percent and the average 64-year-old woman's insurance has increased by 18 percent.

Source