Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) marked the defeat of the Congressional Republicans’ reckless healthcare repeal, lauded the progress made under the Affordable Care Act, and reasserted his commitment to fixing what needs fixing in our nation’s current health care law and system. Republican leadership cancelled the vote on their healthcare repeal bill just minutes before it was scheduled because it didn’t have the support it needed to pass. The bill would have dismantled many of the protections of the Affordable Care Act, gutted funding for Medicaid and Planned Parenthood, raised out-of-pocket costs for seniors and working families, and led to 24 million fewer Americans having health insurance.

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over healthcare and first considered the bill when it was introduced, Rep. Peters has been at the center of the fight to protect health care over the past three weeks. Rep. Peters released the following statement:

“I came to Congress ready to protect what is working with the Affordable Care Act, fix what isn’t, and improve our healthcare system. That’s not what this bill would have done, and President Trump’s failure to get support for his health care plan today makes it clear that a majority of my colleagues agree.  

“Twenty-four-million Americans – and 37,000 San Diegans in my district alone – would have been left without health insurance under the Congressional Republicans’ healthcare repeal bill. It is a huge relief to these men, women, and families that they keep their coverage because we blocked this reckless bill.

“I’m proud that so many Americans – including thousands of the people I represent in San Diego – made their voices heard and urged their representatives to oppose this healthcare repeal. It’s largely because of this pressure that this bill was pulled before it even received a vote. I appreciate my constituents speaking up at town halls and through calls and emails to my office to encourage me to keep fighting to improve our healthcare system.

“Congress ended up with this mess because Republican leadership never reached out to Democrats to hear our input or ask for our votes. That’s why we were left with a proposal opposed by doctors, nurses, hospitals, and just about everyone.

 “We can do better than this. With this disaster of a bill dead and buried, I hope that we can get to work – together – on real reforms to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable for the American people.”

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Click here or above to see Rep. Peters speak during today’s debate over the Republican healthcare bill.

The uninsured rate in San Diego County dropped from 17% to 10% between 2013 and 2015, when the coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act were implemented. The rate in Rep. Peters’ district dropped from 9.4% to just 5.4%. The 250,000 San Diegans who gained coverage under the expansion of Medi-Cal would have been at risk of losing their health insurance under the Republican repeal plan.

Summary of Rep. Peters’ actions on healthcare since the Republican repeal bill was introduced:

•          Participated in a marathon 27 hour meeting on the Republican healthcare repeal bill and voted against advancing it out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. During that meeting he urged fiscal responsibility and bipartisanship, and shared the story of a San Diego family who benefitted from coverage  gained under the Affordable Care Act. View Rep. Peters’ remarks here, here, and here.
•          Spoke out against the Congressional Republican’s healthcare repeal bill in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
•          Sent a letter signed by 95 of his colleagues demanding that Speaker Ryan give the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) time to “score” the substantive changes to the Republican healthcare repeal bill before scheduling it for a vote in the House.
•          Spoke directly to a number of his Republican colleagues that were on the fence this week, urging them to oppose the bill and instead work together on real healthcare reforms.
•          Participated in the debate on the House floor today, helping to make the case that members of both parties should vote against the bill and get to work together.