House GOP withdraws health care proposal

Friday, April 19, 2013, Vol. 37, No. 16

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have put off a vote on legislation to rescue a main feature of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul — affordable coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions — after it ran into strong opposition from both conservatives and Democrats.

The legislation is a departure from past GOP efforts to kill the Affordable Health Care Act outright, and faced a White House veto threat.

Democrats are against it because it would bail out the struggling program to help those with pre-existing conditions get insurance by raiding a disease prevention provision the administration says is essential.

Conservative groups also urged Republicans to vote against it, saying it perpetuated the federal role in health care.