Whitfield Votes to Repeal Funds Authorized in Obamacare

Statement

Rep. Ed Whitfield, (KY-01), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, today voted to repeal nearly $18 billion in mandatory spending under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) often referred to as "Obamacare."

The bill, H.R. 1217, rescinded $17.75 billion in mandatory spending included in the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was created by the PPACA legislation. Discretion over this multi year, mandatory spending would be left solely to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to spend as he or she sees fit. Designating the funding as mandatory circumvents the annual appropriations process and drastically reduces Congress' oversight role.

Following the vote, Rep. Whitfield issued the following statement:

"Today, the House took yet another step toward repealing this new health care law by defunding a portion of the program that gave the Secretary of Health and Human Services complete authority and discretion on how to spend nearly $18 billion, without any further oversight. With federal spending and borrowing increasing, Congress must not cede its oversight role of taxpayer dollars. I look forward to continue working on repealing this bill and replacing it with measures that are truly bipartisan such as allowing individuals to buy insurance across state lines and meaningful medical liability reform."

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

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