A bipartisan deal to repeal automatic cuts to Medicare payments for doctors sailed through the House on Thursday, with only a small group of lawmakers opposing it.
The House approved legislation that would repeal a formula for Medicare known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) by a vote of 392-37 — a rare, overwhelming show of bipartisan support for major legislation in the chamber.
{mosads}Even the “rule,” which sets parameters for floor debate, passed with nearly all members in favor; the tally was 402-12, with five members voting present. Rules typically pass along party lines, even on bills with bipartisan support.
Thirty-three Republicans and four Democrats opposed the Medicare bill negotiated by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The Republicans in opposition consisted of fiscal hawks who didn’t want to vote for a measure that would add to the deficit. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation would cost $214 billion over the next decade, with $73 billion of that total offset with spending cuts or new revenue.
“While I support an SGR replacement, I cannot vote in favor of a bill that costs more than $200 billion, while Congress only pays for $70 billion, leaving more than $130 billion to our children and grandchildren. We cannot continue to solve every problem by adding to the deficit,” Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) said in a statement.
Boehner’s office has touted that the Medicare bill would cost far less than keeping the current Medicare payment rates in place — something Congress has done for more than a decade through a series of “doc fixes.”
The four Democrats who voted against the deal were Reps. Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), Jan Schakowsky (Ill.) and Pete Visclosky (Ind.).
Schakowsky said she opposed it in part because it included language codifying current law, known as the Hyde Amendment, that prohibits the use of taxpayer funding for abortions.
“I believe we need to get rid of the Hyde restrictions altogether, and, as a proud member of the Pro-Choice Caucus, I reject the idea that those restrictions should have any place in this bill,” Schakowsky said.
Some of the offsets include requiring seniors earning more than $133,000 to pay a higher share of premium costs and create a $147 deductible for certain supplemental “Medigap” plans.
Below is a list of all 37 lawmakers who voted against the bill:
1. Justin Amash (R-Mich.)
2. Rod Blum (R-Iowa)
3. Dave Brat (R-Va.)
4. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.)
5. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.)
6. Ken Buck (R-Colo.)
7. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.)
8. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.)
9. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.)
10. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.)
11. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
12. Tom Graves (R-Ga.)
13. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.)
14. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.)
15. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.)
16. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
17. Sam Johnson (R-Texas)
18. David Jolly (R-Fla.)
19. Walter Jones (R-N.C.)
20. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)
21. Steve King (R-Iowa)
22. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho)
23. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.)
24. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
25. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas)
26. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)
27. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.)
28. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.)
29. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.)
30. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)
31. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.)
32. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas)
33. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.)
34. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)
35. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.)
36. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.)
37. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.)
— Peter Sullivan contributed.