A Red Congressman in a Blue District, Culberson Votes for Obamacare Repeal
Republican members of Congress from districts won by Hillary Clinton were caught between a rock and a hard place Thursday afternoon as the vote for the American Health Care Act neared: Should they buck their party or risk angering their constituents?
Representative John Culberson, whose west Houston 7th District is one of the wealthiest in Texas, decided to fall in line and vote yes. Hillary Clinton won the 7th by about 1.5 points in November.
Needing 216 votes, the bill passed by a razor-thin 217-212 margin. Of the 23 Republicans in Clinton-won districts, 14 voted for the AHCA, which aims to repeal the Affordable Care Act passed under President Barack Obama in 2010. Nine Republicans in Clinton-won districts bucked their party, including Will Hurd, who represents a district along the Texas-Mexico border. But not Culberson.
In a statement shortly after the vote, the National Republican Congressional Committee praised Culberson for sticking with his Republican politics.
Read more: http://www.houstonpress.com/news/houstons-culberson-votes-to-repeal-obamacare-9413629