Members of the Florida delegation split on party lines as Republicans in the U.S. House failed to override enough voters on Tuesday failed to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill ending much of his signature health-care law and defunding Planned Parenthood.
On a party lines vote, the override garnered 241 votes while 186 members of Congress stood against it.
After the override went down, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., looked ahead to November.
“We have now forged a path that is a clear path to repealing Obamacare without 60 votes in the Senate,” Ryan said. “So what we are proving today is that if we have a Republican president next year, we will repeal Obamacare and we will replace Obamacare.”
Part of the congressional leadership as senior deputy majority whip, U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., insisted the GOP had done the right thing in attempting to repeal Obama’s health-care law even if the votes weren’t there to override the veto.
"I proudly voted in favor of overriding the president's veto of the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act," Ross said. “The president must start admitting his failed policies and broken promises of Obamacare. Americans across the country, especially in Florida, repeatedly have demanded a repeal of this disastrous health-care overhaul, but the president and Democrats in Congress deliberately have chosen to ignore their cries and rejected this important repeal legislation.
"Holding firm in our promise to protect Americans and the unborn, my Republican colleagues and I immediately brought forth this bill once more to override the president’s unjust veto of eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, repealing individual and employer mandates, repealing the medical device and 'Cadillac' taxes, and enhancing Medicare solvency.” Ross added. “Unfortunately, however, the lack of support by House Democrats today caused this essential veto-override to fail. I am extremely disappointed in my Democratic colleagues who refused to represent the will of the American people by instead voting in favor of increasing health-care premiums, tax coercion, and funding abortion providers.
"Moving forward, Republicans in Congress cannot simply be the party of repeal," Ross said in conclusion. “We must, and will, continue offering viable solutions and support efforts to enact real, patient-centered healthcare reform that returns healthcare decisions back to Americans and their physicians."
“The House and Senate – two-thirds of the legislative branch – gave a green light to lift the burden of Obamacare from the American people, defund Planned Parenthood, and put those conservative solutions directly on the president’s desk for consideration,” said U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla. “But rather than work with the House and Senate, President Obama checked the veto box in a move that holds back the will of Congress and the American people. That’s unacceptable in my book and why I voted to override his veto. Make no mistake; I will continue to fight for patient-centered and economically-responsible health care for Americans and work to ensure that no federal tax dollars go to abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.”
Democrats mocked the Republicans for their latest attempt to repeal Obama’s health-care law with U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., taking to Facebook and noting Tuesday was Groundhog Day, comparing the GOP to the 1990s Bill Murray film “Groundhog Day” where a man lives the same day over and over again.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, (DNC) also referenced the film on Tuesday.
"Phil Connors couldn’t avoid doing the same thing over and over again each day in the film ‘Groundhog Day,’ with hilarious results,” Wasserman Schultz said. “House Republicans marked Groundhog Day today by taking their 63rd vote to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act, and the 12th vote this Congress to restrict women’s access to health care – no laughing matter. Under Speaker Ryan, House Republicans are continuing their obsession with interfering in a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body and her health. They should stop wasting taxpayers’ time and money, and instead focus on expanding access to quality, affordable health care for everyone. Enough is enough.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
