Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act:

“Seven years ago, Obamacare was sold to the American people as a plan that would reduce healthcare costs and improve the quality of care for all Americans. In the years since, western North Carolinians have seen the opposite with plans cancelled, costs skyrocketing, and choice virtually nonexistent.

“Since it became law, I committed to repealing and replacing this broken law and today’s House passage of the American Health Care Act is the first step in that process. The AHCA removes many of Obamacare’s most disastrous policies including the government mandate that all Americans buy health insurance, the employer mandate that has hurt job creation and small business growth nationwide, and the law’s myriad taxes which have drastically restrained economic growth.

“But the AHCA is about more than just repealing Obamacare, it is about replacing it with a healthcare system that actually works. Our plan does that by maintaining popular Obamacare provisions including protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay on their parent’s health insurance until the age of 26. It also expands health savings accounts and the use of refundable tax credits. 

"The AHCA makes the most significant changes to Medicaid in a generation, achieving the entitlement reform President Reagan first called for in the 1970s. These changes remove the authority from Washington bureaucrats and empower each state to tailor the program to meet the needs of their individual citizens.

“Today’s vote on the AHCA is the first step in our three phase process to undo the damage of Obamacare and repair our nation’s healthcare system. This is the beginning and more work must be done. I’m proud to have worked closely with President Trump and his Administration to pass this law and look forward to continuing our efforts to create a healthcare system that actually works in the days and weeks ahead."