'I Will Vote No On Healthcare Plan' LoBiondo Says

Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2) will vote no on the American Health Care Act proposal when it goes before the House on Thursday night.

“My prior votes to repeal all or parts of Obamacare underscore what I have long argued - we need a better healthcare system. Regrettably, the current healthcare proposal is not better for South Jersey,” LoBiondo said Wednesday afternoon. “Under the current proposal, many South Jersey residents would be left with financial hardship or without the coverage they now receive. Our seniors on Medicare already struggle to make each dollar stretch. Three South Jersey counties have more than 30 percent of their residents receiving Medicaid assistance. Medical professionals - our hospitals, doctors, nurses – are opposed.”

LoBiondo represents all of Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland and Salem counties, and parts of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

The proposal would replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, the health insurance law passed by former President Barack Obama.

It has been criticized for leaving too many people without coverage and not doing enough to control rising costs.

According to CBS News, LoBiondo is one of 27 House Republicans who oppose the bill. In the House, the bill needs 216 votes to pass. Without Democratic support, the bill can lose no the support of no more than 21 Republican Congressmen.

Earlier this week, three Republican Senators said they were opposed to the bill, including Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Mike Lee and Sen. Rand Paul.

Speaker Paul Ryan, who, along with President Donald Trump, has spearheaded the push to pass the bill, worked to amend the bill this week to accommodate demands from members of his party. But Cotton, of Arkansas, said the changes were insufficient to earn his support. Again, no Democrats are likely to support the bill.

Republicans need 50 or more votes to pass a bill through the Senate. There are 52 Republican Senators.

“I appreciate Vice President Pence, Speaker Ryan and the House Republican leadership for considering these serious concerns during our recent meetings on this proposal,” LoBiondo said. “Unfortunately, the changes outlined do not go far enough to address key and vital issues I have on the bill’s impact on residents and businesses in South Jersey. Simply put, this bill does not meet the standards of what was promised; it is not as good as or better than what we currently have. Accordingly, I will vote no on this healthcare plan.”

However, LoBiondo has come against Trump in the past only to back down.

The longtime Congressman said he would not vote for candidate Trump in the general election after a tape leaked that documented Trump’s graphically vulgar comments about women. Then, on Election Day, LoBiondo reversed course on his promise to write in Pence and voted for Trump.

Patch file photo