(Youngstown, Ohio)- U.S. President Donald Trump is set to visit Youngstown Ohio Tuesday night as the U.S. Senate has voted to open debate on legislation to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law.
Trump, has been urging Republicans to support an effort to repeal and replace Obama's statute.
The Associated Press reports that Ohioans have mixed feelings about Republicans' efforts. They report that some who rely on government assistance say they're having trouble sleeping at night because they're worried about their medical expenses. Others are hopeful the republican plan will make things more affordable for them.
Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman voted yes Tuesday, to Start the Debate on Healthcare Reform he has been facing immense pressure from both sides.
Portman, released a statement Today about the vote saying "The Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, isn’t working for Ohio."
“The most recent version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) is an improvement over the first Senate bill.
The measure includes reforms that will help lower premiums on families and small businesses and provide $45 billion in new resources for states to address the opioid epidemic and give recovering addicts an opportunity to access treatment as they work to get back on their feet.
I continue to have concerns, however, about the Medicaid policies in the bill, and that’s why I’ve been working to ensure that those on traditional Medicaid will have access to care and those on expanded Medicaid continue to have good health care options under a new system, including affordable health care options on the private market.
“Over the last week, I’ve continued to have good conversations with the president, the vice president, administration officials and my colleagues about ways to improve this bill further, including a plan to help those on Medicaid expansion and other low-income Americans get access to affordable health care on the private market."
Senate Republicans barely cleared a procedural hurdle on a vote of 51-50. Arizona Republican John McCain came back to the Capitol to cast a yes vote, despite being diagnosed with a brain tumor last week. Vice President Mike Pence was needed to cast the tiebreaker vote.