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WASHINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Republican backed bill to replace the Affordable Care Act was passed in two separate committees in the House of Representatives on Thursday, as the GOP hastens the pace to make good on its promise to scrap the signature legislation by former President Barack Obama.
The Ways and Means Committee voted 23 to 16 for the bill at around 4 a.m. local time (9 a.m. EST) after convening for 18 hours to study the paperwork, while the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 31 to 23 to clear the bill in the afternoon, after 27 hours' of debate.
"Today the House took a decisive step forward in fulfilling a promise to the American people that has been years in the making: repealing and replacing Obamacare with affordable, patient-centered reforms," Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden said.
The bill, named the American Health Care Act, is expected to be examined by the House Budget Committee next week and if approved, will come before the House for a full vote, which House Speaker Paul Ryan hoped will be scheduled for the week of March 20.
But the speedy approval of the bill has raised eyebrows from both sides of the aisle, as some lawmakers worry that such a hasty push may heighten the risk of glitches during the implementation phase of the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he is waiting from a report from the Congressional Budget Office on how the new bill would affect the national budget, while Republican Senator Tom Cotton advised his colleagues to "get it right, don't get it fast".
"I don't think the Senate would vote on that bill," Cotton said, adding that many within the GOP hold similar skepticism for a draft that has formulated over so little time.
In face of the opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump tried to sooth worries on a tweet Thursday, saying "Despite what your hear in the press, healthcare is coming along great. We are talking to many groups and it will end in a beautiful picture."
The GOP on Monday unveiled the American Health Care Act, which it said will "deliver relief from Obamacare's taxes and mandates and lay the groundwork for a 21st century health care system."
The proposed bill sought to axe penalties levied on individuals and employers who don't purchase health plans, but instead encouraged people to stay insured by allowing insures to place a 30 percent surcharge on the premiums of those who were not continuously covered by health plans.
Two of the most popular features of the Affordable Care Act, including letting young adults 26 or younger to stay on their parents' healthcare package and forbidding insurers to deny coverage to those with preexisting conditions, were kept in the proposed draft.
