Members of the Republican Party and the Trump Administration are making great strides to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.

The ongoing healthcare debate is currently divided by party lines. GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander and Democrat Sen. Patty Murray are attempting to work against this trend by teaming up, but are struggling to find a “necessary consensus among Republicans and Democrats,” according to The Washington Post. Alexander and Murray’s efforts to stop the repeal are further hampered by a number of Republicans who would rather chase the ideological trophy of repealing ACA than working on a bipartisan effort to improve it. 

Thus, it would seem as though the U.S.’s political parties are focusing more on “winning” for their own party rather than doing what is right for America as a whole. The Republicans plan to repeal and replace Obamacare all together. They want to create a block grant, allowing each state to spend as much as they please. Democrats are urging as many states to vote in favor of the bipartisan plan. The Democrats, so far, have the governors of a handful of states on their side including those of Alaska, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana.

If the Republicans win, and the Affordable Care Act is replaced with block grants, millions of people will lose their healthcare coverage by 2026. The Republican Party is trying to have their final votes in by Sept. 30 to avoid a possible Democratic filibuster. 

The American Medical Association (AMA), the largest physicians’ association, is on the Democrat’s side. They wrote a letter to Senate leaders stating, if Obama’s law is repealed, tens of millions of Americans’ health insurance will be threatened. The AMA also said Congress should make efforts towards “shoring up” these healthcare plans. 

The Washington Post also reported that, “Nancy Pelosi is telling colleagues that she wants ‘all hands on deck’ to defeat the latest Republican effort to undo the Affordable Care Act.” Pelosi is also calling this new Republican bill a “moral monstrosity” and is strongly encouraging members of Congress to vote against, what she is calling “Trumpcare.”

As of now, the GOP only need three more votes to get their way. If this ordeal ends in favor of the Republicans, tens of millions of Americans will be without health care. This includes, the unemployed, those who cannot afford health care and those with pre-existing conditions, such as anorexia, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, sleep apnea, Parkinson’s disease and more. 

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