Miami Republican Representative, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, plans to vote against the House GOP plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, becoming the first Florida Republican to reject Trumpcare outright.
“After studying the impact of this proposed legislation on my district and speaking with many of my constituents, I have decided to vote no on the bill as currently written,” she told the Miami Herald. “The bill’s consequences for South Florida are clear: too many of my constituents will lose insurance and there will be less funds to help the poor and elderly with their healthcare.”
Ros-Lehtinen’s 27th district, which includes Southeast Miami-Dade County, had the largest number of Obamacare enrollees in the country —about 96,300 — as of January, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that at least 14 million people would lose or drop coverage by 2018 under the proposed American Health Care Act, which has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
In opposing the bill, Ros-Lehtinen has broken ranks with fellow Miami Republican Carlos Curbelo, who last week voted for the bill in the House Ways and Means Committee.
The third Miami Republican in the House, Mario Diaz-Balart, is still reviewing the legislation and CBO report and has some “concerns,” his spokeswoman said.
Some Florida Republicans have questioned the House plan on conservative grounds, arguing it remains too interventionist in its approach to the insurance market.
Florida Democrats universally oppose the plan.
“It is wrong to take away health insurance for 24 million people, as well as increase the cost to seniors,” Senator Bill Nelson said.
Ros-Lehtinen is still not a fan of the existing law, but she said its replacement needs to have bipartisan support — and be more humane.
“I voted to repeal Obamacare many times because it was not the right fix for our broken healthcare system and did not live up to its promise to the American people, but this plan is not the replacement South Florida needs,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “We should work together to write a bi-partisan bill that works for our community and our nation without hurting the elderly and disadvantaged among us.”
