Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

The House Republican website still promises their health plan won’t kick millions off insurance

The Congressional Budget Office’s new report rebukes the claim.

President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in the House of Representatives have for months assured Americans that their plan to repeal Obamacare would not leave millions uninsured.

Take this promise on the House Republican website, which was still up as of Monday afternoon:

There were also the many times Trump promised, on the campaign trail and after he was elected, that he would “take care of everyone” and pledging “insurance for everyone.”

On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggested those promises were wrong: The Republican-backed American Health Care Act would leave 24 million more people uninsured compared with current law by 2026.

Republicans argue that the CBO estimate doesn’t tell the whole picture, because their current bill is only part of a “three-prong approach” for health care reform, with more bills coming down the line.

But already, the American Health Care Act is facing a lot of opposition, including from key Senate Republicans. If this bill is on such uncertain ground, how can anyone be sure that future bills will pass?

This really could be it for Republican health care reform, and, despite past promises, it could leave millions without insurance.


Watch: The Republican health care bill makes no sense

More in Politics

Politics
The real reason Americans hate the economy so muchThe real reason Americans hate the economy so much
Politics

Did decades of low inflation make the public far more unforgiving when it finally did surge?

By Andrew Prokop
Podcasts
The Supreme Court abortion pills case, explainedThe Supreme Court abortion pills case, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

How Louisiana brought mifepristone back to SCOTUS.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Politics
Trump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expectedTrump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expected
Politics

As Trump heads to China, attention and resources are being shifted from Asia to yet another war in the Middle East.

By Joshua Keating
Politics
Are far-right politics just the new normal?Are far-right politics just the new normal?
Politics

Liberals are preparing for a longer war with right-wing populists than they once expected.

By Zack Beauchamp
The Logoff
Flavored vapes doomed Trump’s FDA headFlavored vapes doomed Trump’s FDA head
The Logoff

Why Marty Makary is out at the FDA, briefly explained.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Virginia Democrats’ irresponsible new plan to save their gerrymanderVirginia Democrats’ irresponsible new plan to save their gerrymander
Politics

Democrats just handed the Supreme Court’s Republicans a loaded weapon.

By Ian Millhiser