House of Representatives Passes Amendments to Defund PPACA

On February 18, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed nine amendments to cut government funding for the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The amendments were attached to legislation known as a Continuing Resolution that would fund the government from March through September of this year. 

The most sweeping amendment would deny funding for any provision of the health care law.  Another amendment that passed would bar the payment of salaries to any official who funds the law. Two more targeted amendments that passed would strip funding for the Department of Health and Human Services and the IRS for implementation of the law. Eight Democrats joined with Republicans in supporting the amendment to strip funding from the IRS for implementation of the law.  Additionally, an amendment passed that would strip funding for the implementation of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).

Congress must pass a Continuing Resolution to fund the government by March 4 or a government shutdown could occur. The Democratically-controlled Senate and President Obama have both expressed opposition to the amendments passed by the House and are likely to oppose the entire Republican-authored Continuing Resolution.

The following nine amendments that impact the PPACA passed as part of the Continuing Resolution:

Rep. Rehberg (R-MT) authored an amendment that prohibits federal funding from being used to pay any employee, officer or contractor to implement the provisions of President Obama’s health care law, stopping the Department of Health and Human Services from implementing the law.

Rep. King (R-IA) authored an amendment that strips funding for any provision of the President’s health care law.

Rep. King (R-IA) authored an amendment that prohibits the payment of salaries for any officer or employee of any federal department or agency with respect to carrying out the President’s health care law. (This amendment has virtually the same effect as Rep. Rehberg’s amendment.)

Rep. Emerson (R-MO) authored an amendment that bars the use of funds in the bill from being used to implement the individual mandate and penalties and reporting requirements of the President’s health care law.

Rep. Price (R-GA) authored an amendment that prohibits the use of federal funds from being used to carry out the medical loss ratio restrictions in the President’s health care law. These provisions require insurers to spend at least a certain percent of their premium revenues on medical care.

Rep. Gardner (R-CO) authored an amendment that blocks funds for Health Insurance Exchanges, a set of state-regulated health care plans offered under the President’s health care law.

Rep. Burgess (R-TX) authored an amendment prohibiting the use of funds for employee and officer salaries at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the Department of Health and Human Services, created by the President’s health care reform bill.

Rep. Pitts (R-PA) authored an amendment that prohibits the funding of salaries for any officer or employee of the government to issue regulations on essential benefits under section 1302 of the President’s health care law.

Rep. Hayworth (R-NY) authored an amendment that prohibits funds for the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).