West Tennesseans react to House vote to repeal Obamacare

JACKSON, Tenn. — It was a big day Thursday on Capitol Hill as house Republicans deliver on a campaign promise to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Just weeks after a failed attempt, the American Health Care Act passed Thursday by a slim margin, and West Tennesseans were watching.

“I feel obliviously very disappointed,” Cindy Boyles said. “I feel very frustrated that so many people are going to lose their health care.”

Some West Tennesseans took to the streets after lawmakers in Washington voted to repeal and replace Obamacare, a vote that could affect thousands in the Volunteer State.

“And basically that vote for ‘yes’ means that tens of thousands of people in Tennessee are going to be without affordable health care,” Boyles said.

“It’s already expensive enough going to the doctor, even when you got insurance,” Shannon Ross said. “If you don’t have insurance, it makes it worse.”

Others say Thursday’s vote was a small victory.

“A step in the right direction,” Bob Huntress said. “They would probably be a different hundreds of thousands that lost it when they enacted it, but OK. I do realize, yes, that’s going to happen.”

Protests sprang up across the country just after the vote, which saw every Democrat oppose the Republican measure that passed 217 to 213.

“It’s going to be sad,” Ross said. “It’ll be a lot of people that can’t afford to go to the hospital, like elderly people, kids.”

“I think when we have health care for everyone, that makes our economy stronger. It makes our country stronger,” Boyles said. “Everyone should have access to health care, and I think that as a country we can do that.”

The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled senate.

“I think today was probably just some theater,” Huntress said. “The senate could easily go the other way. I don’t think anything really significant is going to change.”

“Yes, there are problems with Obamacare. We can fix it,” Boyles said. “And that’s what they need to focus on instead of trying to repeal this thing. Let’s just fix it.”

Under the new plan, an additional $8 billion will be allocated to help people with pre-existing conditions pay for health insurance.

The bill will now move to the Senate floor where it must receive 51 votes for approval.