NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District Representative Steve Scalise is getting back to work as the House Majority Whip on Capitol Hill.
One of his big accomplishments before a gunman shot him in June was getting a health care bill passed in the House of Representatives that Republicans hoped would be their ticket to “repeal and replace” Obamacare.
But, that bill died in the Senate.
Scalise watched it happen from his hospital bed.
“I followed the Senate action,” says Scalise. “And, when they were not successful in passing the bill–I watched that vote on the Senate floor. And, it was just–it was very disappointing to see them not figure out a way to come together.”
Scalise says it wasn’t easy getting the votes to pass the American Health Care Act in the House. The “fragile” coalition he helped build passed the bill by just a few votes: 217-213.
The vote was always going to be close. But, Scalise said he didn’t give up, unlike the Senate.
“They were maybe one or two votes short, which means you’re close,” says Scalise. “And, if you are close to the finish line, you keep pushing until you get it across. You don’t fumble the ball. You don’t give the ball to the other team. You keep fighting until you get it done.”
Scalise says he will keep fighting.
“I am surely not done fighting to reform our health care system, both repeal and replacing it, in a way… that lowers costs and puts patients back in charge,” promises Scalise. “Our bill in the House did that.”