House Dems plan key vote on pre-existing conditions

House Democrats are planning to hold a vote to protect people with pre-existing conditions, a key issue that powered their victory on Tuesday, quickly after taking the majority next year.

A House Democratic aide said the vote would be on a measure to have the House of Representatives formally intervene in an anti-ObamaCare lawsuit to defend the health law.

{mosads}House Democrats see the vote as an early way to highlight the issue of pre-existing conditions that helped them win back the majority, and potentially put House Republicans in a tough spot. Many House Republicans pledged during the campaign that they supported the protections for pre-existing conditions.

“Voters across the country have delivered a resounding verdict against Republicans’ war on health care,” said Henry Connelly, a spokesman for House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). “The new Democratic House Majority will move swiftly to defend the vital protections for people with people with pre-existing conditions still under legal assault by the GOP.”

The Washington Post reported a plan for a vote on pre-existing condition protections earlier on Thursday.

The lawsuit, brought by Texas and other GOP-led states, seeks to overturn all of ObamaCare. The Trump administration has supported it, specifically calling for the pre-existing condition protections to be struck down.

A conservative federal judge in Texas could rule any day now on the lawsuit, potentially sending out shockwaves if he invalidates the health law, though any ruling is expected to be stayed, and legal experts in both parties are highly skeptical the lawsuit will ultimately succeed in higher courts.