WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives spent part of its week debating proposals to lift some restrictions on health insurance requirements, mostly having to do with whether coverage of pre-existing conditions must be covered.

Alabama’s Republican representatives voted in ways that would allow the coverage reductions and the Democratic representative voted in ways that would not. More health care bills are expected to come up in the House this week.

Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending May 10.

HOUSE

Healthcare Coverage Standards

The House on May 9 voted, 230 for and 183 against to prohibit states from offering in their health insurance exchanges diluted versions of the coverage required by the Affordable Care Act. The bill (HR 986) would prohibit the Trump administration from granting waivers allowing states to offer short-term policies that omit or weaken ACA requirements. The law’s standards are intended to guarantee coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions while requiring ACA policies to cover “essential health benefits” including pediatric care, mental health and substance-abuse treatments, emergency care, outpatient services and maternity care. Backers of the administration’s waiver policy said it gives states flexibility to develop lower-priced coverage alternatives. But critics call such policies junk insurance” that would eventually bring down the ACA-required coverage by siphoning off healthy and younger policyholders.

Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, said: “You can sign up for one of these what we call `junk policies,’ and you’re perfectly well, and then all of a sudden you have some kind of an illness that – guess what – is not covered and won’t be covered because by then you’ll have a pre-existing condition. (This bill) would protect pre-existing conditions, no questions, period, end of story.”

Greg Walden, R-Oregon, said no member of Congress wants to eliminate coverage of pre-existing conditions, but “what we’re arguing about here is (whether) health insurance is affordable for Americans, and are there better ways using states as laboratories to innovate and bring down the cost of care and the cost of insurance.”

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Alabama

Voting yes: Terri Sewell, D-7

Voting no: Bradley Byrne, R-1, Martha Roby, R-2, Mike Rogers, R-3, Robert Aderholt, R-4, Mo Brooks, R-5, Gary Palmer, R-6.

Democratic Stance on Pre-Existing Conditions

Voting 302 for and 117 against, the House on May 9 adopted a Democratic-sponsored amendment to HR 986 (above) that would prohibit the Trump administration from granting Affordable Care Act waivers that would result in state-run exchanges raising the cost of comprehensive coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions, thereby imperiling the coverage.

Frank Pallone, D-New Jersey, said that “by encouraging states to promote and expand short-term insurance plans, the administration is giving insurers a green light to directly discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions.”

Greg Walden, R-Oregon, quoted the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as stating the administration’s policy on Affordable Care Act waivers “does nothing to erode pre-existing conditions. (They) cannot be waived.”

ALABAMA

Voting yes: Sewell

Voting no: Byrne, Roby, Rogers, Aderholt, Brooks, Palmer

Republican Stance on Pre-Existing Conditions

Voting 182 for and 231 against, the House on May 9 defeated a Republican motion to HR 986 (above) asserting that neither current law nor Trump administration policies would allow state-run insurance exchanges to sell policies under the Affordable Care Act that weaken protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

Greg Walden, R-Oregon, said, “You can run your ads, you can deceive people, you can mislead people, but we will always fight to protect people with pre-existing conditions.”

Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, said “It is not enough to say that you protect pre-existing conditions, it is what happens on the ground that matters. … The administration has tried every play in the book to undercut (and) sabotage … protections for pre-existing conditions,” and has joined a lawsuit “to invalidate the entirety of the ACA.”

A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

Alabama

Voting yes: Byrne, Roby, Rogers, Aderholt, Brooks, Palmer

Voting no: Sewell.

$19.1 Billion Disaster Relief

Voting 257 for and 150 against, the House on May 10 passed a bill (HR 2157) that would provide $19.1 billion to homeowners, businesses, farmers, local governments and other entities ravaged by wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, mudslides, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions and typhoons in the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico, in recent years. The bill drew GOP opposition because it omits $4.5 billion sought by the administration in security funding and humanitarian aid on the southern border.

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Alabama

Voting yes: Roby, Sewell

Voting no: Byrne, Rogers, Aderholt, Brooks, Palmer

Added Funding for Border Children

Voting 189 for and 215 against, the House on May 10 defeated a Republican motion to add $2.88 billion to HR 2157 (above) for programs to care for more unaccompanied migrant children who have entered the United States at the southern border.

Kay Granger, R-Texas, said the motion “provides another opportunity … to provide the funding necessary to continue to care for these children.”

Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, called this “the wrong bill” for funding those programs. “And keep in mind, this is the one-year anniversary of the child-abuse policy that separates kids at the border.”

A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

Alabama

Voting yes: Byrne, Roby, Rogers, Aderholt, Brooks, Palmer

Voting no: Sewell

 KEY VOTES AHEAD

The House will take up health care bills this week, while the Senate will debate disaster aid and judicial nominations.