WASHINGTON — In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling that the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate is constitutional, the House of Representatives voted — for the 33rd time since the law was passed in 2010 — to repeal it on Wednesday.
The vote was symbolic, as there is no indication that the measure could ever pass the Democrat-controlled Senate or that President Barack Obama would allow Congress to set aside his signature legislative achievement without using his veto.
The vote was largely along political lines, with 239 Republicans and five Democrats voting in favor of repealing the health-care law, and 185 Democrats voting against it.
• Affordable Care Act
Walden (R) Y
Blumenauer (D) N
Bonamici (D) N
DeFazio (D) N
Schrader (D) N
On Thursday, the Senate rejected two bills designed to cut taxes for small businesses, one plan backed by Republicans and the other by Democrats. The GOP plan offered a 20 percent tax reduction for businesses with fewer than 500 employees, but could not overcome a vote on a motion to table the bill, falling by a 73-24 vote.
The Democratic plan would have given a 10 percent tax cut of up to $500,000 to small businesses that grew their payroll from 2011 to 2012. It also provided incentives to purchase new equipment. Needing 60 votes to overcome the threat of a Republican filibuster, the measure failed by a vote of 53-44. Two Republicans, Sens. Scott Brown, Mass., and Dean Heller, Nev., voted for the bill, while Democrat Joe Manchin, W.Va., voted against the measure.
U.S. Senate vote
• On tabling the GOP plan:
Merkley (D) Y
Wyden (D) Y
• On the Democratic plan:
Merkley (D) Y
Wyden (D) Y
— Andrew Clevenger, The Bulletin
