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---
title: AHCA: The House Voted to Repeal Obamacare More Than 50 Times
description: Republican leaders in the House of Representatives canceled a vote on a Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act.
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author: Tessa Berenson
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article:published_time: 2017-03-24T19:59:28.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T04:01:48.937Z
article:section: Politics
og:title: Reminder: The House Voted to Repeal Obamacare More Than 50 Times
og:description: But they pulled a vote on Friday when it looked like it couldn&#x27;t pass.
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twitter:title: Reminder: The House Voted to Repeal Obamacare More Than 50 Times
twitter:description: But they pulled a vote on Friday when it looked like it couldn&#x27;t pass.
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# Reminder: The House Voted to Repeal Obamacare More Than 50 Times

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## Tessa Berenson


Mar 24, 2017 7:59 PM UTC

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## Tessa Berenson


Mar 24, 2017 7:59 PM UTC

After [a contentious debate](http://time.com/4712345/ahca-healthcare-polls-unpopular/?xid=homepage) Friday, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives canceled a vote on a Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act.

That came after the House voted to repeal or amend the Affordable Care Act more than 50 times [since it was passed](http://fortune.com/2017/03/24/ahca-obamacare-vote/) in October 2009.

According to [a Washington _Post_ analysis](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/03/21/the-house-has-voted-54-times-in-four-years-on-obamacare-heres-the-full-list/?utm%5Fterm=.3324710f7040), by March 2014 they had already voted on it 54 times, including measures to undo, update to change it. Republicans took control of the House in 2011, and on January 19 of that year they voted on, and passed, a measure to repeal all of the Affordable Care Act. (It was never considered by the Senate).

Other measures weren’t as far-reaching, as in March 2014 when the House passed an act meant to ensure that volunteer firefighters aren’t counted as employees under the ACA’s shared responsibility provisions.

But Friday was supposed to be the date of the most serious effort to repeal and replace the law, since Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House. But Speaker Paul Ryan decided to pull the bill after House Republicans [didn’t coalesce](http://time.com/4712026/ahca-house-freedom-caucus-health-care-repeal/?xid=homepage) behind the plan and the measure looked [doomed to fail](http://time.com/4712627/ahca-republicans-fall-short-votes/).

“This is our moment,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer [said Friday](http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/24/watch-white-houses-sean-spicer-holds-daily-press-briefing-as-health-care-vote-draws-near.html), outlining the stakes of this vote. “This is our opportunity to do it, but it is now up to members to make that decision whether or not they want to be part of this effort to repeal Obamacare.”

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