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Swing-district House GOP feel the heat on health care

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August 11th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

RED OAK, Iowa (AP) – Republican congressman David Young angered conservatives in Iowa when he initially opposed a House Republican health care bill then weeks later backed it.  Independents were frustrated with the two-term congressman’s embrace of a partisan approach to repealing and replacing Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. And now the Democrats are coming.

The collapse of the years-long Republican quest to dismantle “Obamacare” has been a bitter pill for House Republicans who voted for GOP legislation in May, only to see the drive fall apart in the Senate two weeks ago. The affirmative vote looms large for 21 GOP lawmakers, including Young, who represent competitive congressional districts where Democrat Hillary Clinton won or came close in last year’s presidential election.

This summer, Democrats embarked on a national bus tour of those districts.