U.S. House advances measure to repeal Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that is aimed at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Under the legislation, Planned Parenthood will be blocked from receiving most of its federal funding for a year.

The House voted 217–213 on Thursday to approve the American Healthcare Act (AHCA), which would eliminate more than $390 million of over $450 million in annual federal funding to Planned Parenthood, Life Site News reported. The measure would redirect funding to community health centers that do not perform abortions.

The bill has been praised by pro-life leaders for blocking federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

"It's about time that Planned Parenthood start looking somewhere else for revenue rather than American taxpayers, who have no interest in funding abortion," Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, said.

"House leadership should be commended for listening to their constituents and getting a bill passed that defunds Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion vendor," she added.

Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said the "new health care bill ensures that we are one step closer to getting the federal government entirely out of the business of subsidizing abortion."

The House was originally supposed to vote on a health care bill on March 24, but the measure was pulled after many conservatives opposed it. Pro-life groups were initially hesitant to support the original bill due to their concerns that the health care tax credits it provides to people could be used for abortions.

The revised bill gives insurance companies the option whether to cover "essential benefits" like maternity care, which Obamacare critics say are "essential" for only half the population.

The measure also eliminates Obamacare tax penalties for those who do not buy coverage, and it continues family policies that cover grown children until age 26, according to CBN News.

The legislation is now headed to the Senate, where Republicans hold a 52–48 majority. Senate Republicans are using a process known as budget reconciliation so that only a majority vote is required to pass the bill.

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York contended that AHCA is "going nowhere fast" in the Senate. He urged Senate Republicans to reject the repeal of Obamacare and work with Democrats to "improve our healthcare system in a bipartisan way."