House May Have to Vote Again on GOP Health Care Bill: Report

Most people assumed that when the House narrowly passed its health care bill last week, the bill was then sent along to the Senate for a vote. But according to a report from Bloomberg, that isn't actually the case, and now the House might have to vote on the bill all over again. Apparently, Republican House leaders may want to rewrite parts of the American Health Care Act depending on Congressional Budget Office estimates, which are expected to be released next week, to make sure it follows Senate rules allowing it to be passed with a simple majority. Changes would be necessary if the CBO determines the AHCA wouldn't save at least $2 billion. If they sent it to the Senate, they'd likely lose the ability to make those changes.

The news that Paul Ryan was holding onto the bill before sending it to the Senate surprised a number of Republican representatives. But Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer says that's what happens when the House votes on a bill "before they knew what was in it." Changes to the AHCA would require at least some sort of vote, and that vote isn't guaranteed to go Republicans' way after weeks of backlash following the passing of the bill. A recent poll cited by US News & World Report found 53% of Americans prefer Obama's Affordable Care Act to the AHCA, with only 27% favoring the AHCA. (More American Health Care Act stories.)