This was a vote on a motion to recommit with instructions that would have delayed the implementation of legislation repealing a health care reform law until all members of Congress forfeit the health insurance benefits they receive through the federal government employee health insurance program (known as the “Federal Employees Health Benefits program”). A motion to recommit with instructions is the minority's opportunity to torpedo or significantly change a bill before a final up-or-down vote on the measure. If successful, the motion sends the legislation back to committee with instructions to amend the legislation as specified.  This motion to recommit was offered by Democrats to a Republican-backed bill repealing a 2010 landmark health care law that provided health insurance coverage to 30 million Americans.

Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) urged support for the motion to recommit: “…This motion to recommit says the following: In the spirit of that principle, members who support the repeal should live with its consequences. This repeal will become effective when a majority of this House and a majority of the other body are dismissed from membership in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program that the taxpayers fund for the members of the House. There are serious consequences of this bill. We believe that repealing it is unfair and wrong, just plain wrong. But it would be even more plain wrong for those who support repeal to live by a different standard.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) did not respond directly to Andrews, but argued that the Democratic motion to recommit was simply intended to prevent the health care reform law (which he referred to as “ObamaCare”) from being repealed. He urged members to oppose the motion: “The motion to recommit is simply an effort to protect ObamaCare from being repealed, period. If you think the new health care law will improve how health care is delivered in the U.S., then support the motion to recommit.  But if you believe, as most Americans do, that the new health care law will put America on the wrong path--that the open-ended entitlement design of the new law will contribute to putting us on a path to bankruptcy, that the policies in the law will deny patients access to the care that they want and need, if you believe that the new law will increase health care costs, not lower them, and that the new law is generating great uncertainty for our businesses, is hurting our economy and that the new law is unconstitutional--then vote against the motion to recommit.”

The House rejected this motion to recommit by a vote of 185-245. Voting “yea” were 185 Democrats. All 240 Republicans present and 5 Democrats voted “nay.” As a result, the House rejected a motion to recommit that would have delayed the implementation of legislation repealing a major health care reform law until all members of Congress forfeit the health insurance benefits they receive through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.