Frelinghuysen Votes Yes On Revised Health Care Bill

MENDHAM, NJ — U.S.Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Republican representing the 11th District, voted "yes" on a revised version of the American Health Care Act Thursday. He had pledged to vote against the bill's first draft in March because it "would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey." The first version was pulled before it was voted on.

He was one of two New Jersey Congressional representatives to vote for the bill; Rep. Thomas MacArthur, a Republican representing the 3rd District, was the other. The American Health Care Act would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare."

Frelinghuysen explained his vote in a statement, saying:

Obamacare is collapsing across the country and failing to make health care affordable for New Jersey families facing skyrocketing premiums, soaring deductibles, and fewer choices. So doing nothing is not an option!

The earlier version of the House-proposed American Health Care Act was unacceptable to me. Today, I want to reassure New Jersey families that this legislation protects those with pre-existing conditions and restores essential health benefits.

I voted to move this bill to the U.S. Senate, which will have the opportunity to improve this legislation significantly.

Critics of the bill say it will leave millions uninsured and make insurance less accessible for people with pre-existing conditions. Proponents of the bill say it will lower premiums and increase competition.

The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate and could be substantially changed during its debate process. It raised widespread opposition from medical and patient advocacy groups, medical associations and insurance companies alike.

Some area Republicans were in support of the bill, which they saw as long overdue.

"Rodney Frelinghuysen voted yesterday to make sure that health insurance premiums for individuals and business don't go up at economically unsustainable rates," Adam Kraemer, an Essex County Republican Committeeman, told Patch. "If the Adorable Health Care Act (Obama Care) stays as is: health insurance premiums will go up dramatically and options for choice of coverage will be limited. The Republicans are ending the law that mandates that people by and insurance product of dubious quality or pay a fine and thus respecting economic liberty."

>>>READ MORE: American Health Care Act Passes House, Now Heads To Senate

Activist groups in the district had urged Frelinghuysen, the chair Of The House Committee On Appropriations (a.k.a, the purse strings), to vote no on the bill, which they said would leave thousands of North Jersey residents uninsured.

"[Our members] issue a warning to Representatives Frelinghuysen and MacArthur that their actions today will not be soon forgotten. These Congressmen will be up for reelection in 2018 and they should expect to hear dissent from their constituents on election day in the voting booth," the advocacy group Action Together New Jersey said in a statement. "Both of these Congressmen are considered 'moderate' Republicans, however their voting records suggest otherwise."

NJ 11th For Change also released a statement, lambasting Frelinghuysen's vote.

"Frelinghuysen’s heartless vote today shows he cannot be trusted to keep his promises to our district. He promised he would protect our health care and he did not. He promised he would support those with pre-existing conditions, protect the Medicaid expansion, and secure essential health benefits - and he did not," the group wrote.

Image: Rep. Frelinghuysen's official portrait

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