Note at 10:45 a.m. on May 17: Thursday's vote was the 37th time that House lawmakers have voted to try to curtail Obamacare in some manner, but the third vote on repealing the law outright.
The 37th time is unlikely to be the charm for House Republicans who voted on Thursday yet again to derail Obamacare.
In a largely partisan vote that has become almost routine, the measure to reeal the law passed the Republican-controlled House — this time by a vote of 229-195.
To Democrats, it's a waste of time — they control the Senate, which will simply ignore the House vote. Besides, the president would never sign it.
As The Associated Press points out, Democrats note that the Affordable Care Act "has been upheld by the Supreme Court, and millions are already receiving some benefits, from young adults able to stay on a parent's insurance until age 26, to seniors on Medicare whose high prescription drug bills have been reduced."
Republicans, however, "see a political advantage to keeping the pressure up as the administration tries to get all the moving parts of the law finally working," the news agency says.
And, as The Washington Post reports:
"This slew of three-dozen repeal votes have changed both how the Affordable Care Act works and how the public perceives it.
"Last month, the Kaiser Family Foundation polled Americans on whether the Affordable Care Act is still law. Twelve percent of Americans — that's about one in eight people — think that Congress repealed the Affordable Care Act. Another 23 percent aren't sure or refused to answer the question."
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