Rep. Frelinghuysen To Vote 'No' On American Health Care Act

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Republican from New Jersey, will vote no on the American Health Care Act, he announced in a statement Friday morning.

"Unfortunately, the legislation before the House today is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey," Frelinghuysen said in the statement.

He did not rule out voting on a modified version of the bill in the future, saying, "I remain hopeful that the American Health Care Act will be further modified. We need to get this right for all Americans."

Frelinghuysen, the chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, had previously expressed doubt about the bill during a telephone town hall meeting last week.

"I'm not sold on the current version of the bill being debated that went through three committees, with one more to come this week," Frelinghuysen told constituents on the March 20 call.

He later called the bill a "step in the right direction" in a March 21 Facebook post.

The House Committee on Appropriations controls federal purse strings and drafts legislation to fund different aspects of the government.

A vote on the American Health Care Act was originally supposed to take place Thursday, but was postponed as negotiations continued into Friday morning.

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You can read his full statement here:

Seven years after enactment of Obamacare, I wanted to support legislation that made positive changes to rescue healthcare in America.

Unfortunately, the legislation before the House today is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey. In addition to the loss of Medicaid coverage for so many people in my Medicaid-dependent state, the denial of essential health benefits in the individual market raise serious coverage and cost issues.

I remain hopeful that the American Health Care Act will be further modified. We need to get this right for all Americans.

Image: Rep. Frelinghuysen's official portrait