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Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives passed their American Health Care Act (AHCA), aimed at replacing Obamacare, on May 4. The bill still has to pass the Senate, where lawmakers plan to write their own version of health care reform, but House representatives will have to answer to their constituents — namely, the members of Congress who voted for "Trumpcare" and face reelection in 2018.
Every seat in the House is up for grabs next fall, so the Republicans who voted for the AHCA (that current estimates say could make 24 million Americans lose their insurance in the next 10 years) will be forced to successfully defend their choice or lose their job. In fact, attack ads targeting 24 representatives who voted for the bill quickly surfaced, asking, "How could you do this do us?" Funded by the healthcare advocacy group Save My Care, the ads called out Republicans from districts that either voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential election or at least stand a chance of turning blue in 2018, including Reps. Martha McSally of Arizona, Mimi Walters of California, and Lee Zeldin, John Faso, and Elise Stefanik of New York.
We have President Trump for the next four years (unless something really dramatic happens), but congressional elections give the country a say in how the government's operating much sooner. If you don't like the way your representatives are voting, do something about it — campaign against them, be sure to vote in 2018, and encourage your friends and family to vote, too.
Now, let's take a look at who voted for what Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards deemed the "worst bill for women's health in a generation."
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