Kansas congressman Estes praises House passage of health care bill

In one of his first votes as a new representative, Ron Estes voted Thursday for a bill that will repeal and replace major parts of the Affordable Care Act, often called “Obamacare.”

The American Health Care Act passed 217-213 in the U.S. House of Representatives. It now goes to the Senate for a vote.

“The AHCA is a historic first step toward putting people – not politics – back at the center of our health care system,” Estes said in a statement Thursday evening.

Estes was elected on April 11 in a special election to replace Rep. Mike Pompeo, who was selected to head the CIA by President Trump.

“The voters of the 4th District sent me to Congress to find solutions to complex issues facing our country,” Estes said in the statement. “Obamacare has unquestionably hurt more people than it has helped, and it has forced Americans to buy insurance they don’t like, don’t need, and can’t afford. I’m very pleased that we were able to pass the first step in a multi-step process to repeal and replace Obamacare.”

The state’s other three representatives – Lynn Jenkins, Roger Marshall and Kevin Yoder – also voted for the bill. All three are Republicans.

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Kansas congressman Estes praises House passage of health care bill."