Fate of Trumpcare in limbo after GOP infighting postpones vote

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On the 7th anniversary of Obamacare, House and Senate members gathered outside the capitol Tuesday to show their support for the Affordable Care Act.

WITH THE WHITE HOUSE's foot on the pedal down to the floorboard, it looks like a vote on the GOP-sponsored American Health Care Act will occur sometime later today, the 7th anniversary of the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.

UPDATE March 23, 12:30 p.m. PST - House vote has been postponed. It won't happen today. GOP House members to meet tonight to try and hammer out differences. Therefore, there's more time for you to contact your representative.

Despite Donald Trump's threat to "go after" members of the GOP who are thinking of voting "no" on the measure, and a lot of arm-twisting, many Republicans are still wavering between their loyalty to their party or to their country, between a complete rejection of the Affordable Care Act or simply a fix. 

RELATED: AAPI Congressmembers vow to fight Trumpcare

"Thanks to this law, more than 20 million Americans have gained the security and peace of mind of health insurance," said President Obama in a statement released this morning. "Thanks to this law, more than 90 percent of Americans are insured — the highest rate in our history. Thanks to this law, the days when women could be charged more than men and Americans with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage altogether are relics of the past," Obama wrote. "America is stronger because of the Affordable Care Act."

For whatever reason, there is enough uncertainty whether or not there are enough votes to pass Trumpcare that the GOP leadership has delayed the vote that was supposed to have taken place this morning (March 23). The more the White House tries to appease the conservative Republicans, who want a complete repeal of Obamacare,  moderate GOPers who think the bill is becoming too extreme and harmful to their constituents, are switching their pearlier support of the Paul Ryan's Trumpcare.

The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, national nurses' organizations and AARP have opposed the Paul Ryan proposal saying it would be disastrous for patients and the American public - costs would go up and more people will be left without affordable health care.

RELATED: CBO says new version of Trumpcare is even worse than before

Also included in Trumpcare, for reasons that are difficult to justify: a tax break for the wealthy. Essentially, it doesn't promise health care for all, only "access" to health care.

Please forward this letter from Republican Jeff Jeans, who is alive today because of Obamacare, to your representatives, especially if your congressmember is one of those Republicans sitting on the fence.

Every vote counts and you can still be a factor in defeating Trumpcare.

*** Obamacare saved my life  Friend -- I was a lifelong Republican and worked on Ronald Reagan and George Bush's campaigns. My grandparents were even invited to Reagan's inauguration. I vehemently opposed Obamacare when it became law, as I recently shared during my question to Paul Ryan during a televised CNN Town Hall. But then Obamacare saved my life. I took a new job and moved my family across the country -- but due to a glitch, my employer was unable to offer health care coverage. I lost my voice and ignored it for quite some time, thinking it was an allergy. My voice never returned, and I was having difficulty breathing, so my wife made an appointment with the doctor. I was diagnosed with stage III, borderline stage IV vocal cord cancer, and I had no health insurance. We offered cash upfront to pay for my treatments but were denied over and over again. We had always assumed that if you had money that you could get treatment. We were wrong -- six weeks away from being dead wrong! Although I had cancer, Obamacare gave me access to an insurance card, and I began receiving life-saving treatments the day my insurance plan took effect. I would be dead if it weren't for Obamacare, the same law I had so loathed. People across the country have received life-saving care, thanks to Obamacare. But that isn't stopping the House from moving forward with a vote to repeal the law, tomorrow. We can't allow that to happen. Join thousands of Americans who support quality, affordable coverage for every American. Add your name now and we'll follow up with ways you can take action right now. Now it is my time to give back and work on behalf of the legislation that saved my life, helping others to avoid the same pitfalls I had fallen into. Health care should not change with every new administration, and we should be able to rely on steady, affordable care with guaranteed patient protections. Access to timely treatment, affordable medication, and regular doctor visits are essential for every American. Obamacare allows people to take responsibility for themselves, purchase insurance, and pay for their own care. Repealing it with no adequate and immediate replacement will destabilize the health care market and leave millions of my fellow cancers survivors at risk in the future. Constant worry about having affordable care is an added stress that no patient needs. After my experience gaining health care through the Affordable Care Act, I began a Facebook page called "Obamacare Saved My Life." It has given me the opportunity to meet thousands of others who are reliant on Obamacare for coverage -- and they are terrified about the future. My wife and I share that same anxiety, even though I've been cured of cancer and am one of the lucky ones. It would only take one incident of cancer, one heart attack, one stroke, one bad car wreck, or a bad fall to join the ranks of those labeled as "pre-existing." It only takes one test to show that you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure to be thrown into that group with us. Americans now know what better health care is, and we should all demand it -- for the well-being of our citizens and our economy -- for America. Anything less is simply not an option. If you agree, make your voice heard now: https://my.ofa.us/Obamacare-Works Thanks, Jeff Jeans