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Proposed Health Care Plan Doesn't Sit Well with Ohio Senators

Photo of Sen. Sherrod Brown
Andy Chow
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) visits with labor groups in Columbus.

The controversial attempt to repeal and replace the country’s health-care law is heading to the U.S. Senate where it’s expected to get much higher scrutiny than it did in the House. Both of Ohio’s senators are not happy with the current plan.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown says the American Health Care Act hands out a giant tax cut for the wealthy while pulling back health coverage for 900,000 Ohioans.

Since the official score of the bill has not come out, the exact impact of the bill is still unclear. However, Brown does not believe the bill, as it’s currently written, will pass the U.S. Senate.

“Enough Republicans listen to Gov. Kasich and will say it’s not right to just pull their insurance away, but you know the overwhelming majority of [U.S.] House members did it,” Brown says. 

Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman has also voiced his concern about what the bill and would do to the hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who have coverage under expanded Medicaid.

Two of Ohio’s 12 Republican House members joined Ohio’s four Democrats in voting against it.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.