Nine Democrats Defect, Back GOP Motion to Ensure Coronavirus Vaccine Development

Dr. Nita Patel, Director of Antibody discovery and Vaccine development, lifts a vial with
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Sean Moran

Nine House Democrats defected from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and voted for a Republican amendment to ensure that a Democrat bill would not hamper the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

As the House prepared to vote on H.R. 1425, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, which would increase the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) offered a motion to recommit.

Walden’s motion to recommit would send the bill back to the Energy and Commerce Committee and attach an amendment to H.R. 1425 to ensure that the bill would not “adversely affect research on, development of, or approval of any drug (including any biological product) intended to treat or prevent infection with the virus that causes COVID–19.”

Democrats defeated Walden’s motion to recommit, with 223 votes against the measure and 187 votes in favor of the motion to recommit.

Nine Democrats reportedly broke rank and voted with Republicans on the motion to recommit. Those Democrats include:

  1. Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY)
  2. Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA)
  3. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)
  4. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)
  5. Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT)
  6. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL)
  7. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN)
  8. Rep. Max Rose (D-NY)
  9. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)

Walden, the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said on the House floor that Congress should adopt this measure to ensure the production of a coronavirus vaccine.

He said, “This motion should be adopted. It would prevent the bill from upending the very progress we’re all counting on for innovators to develop new vaccines and therapies to confront this killer coronavirus.”

“The Democrats – with a straight face – have come to the floor today to move a bill that would do grave damage to medical innovation,” Walden added.

“Let’s at least make sure that an unintended, but dangerous consequence of this bill does NOT take effect,” he said. “Let’s make sure that it will NOT inhibit research and innovation for a treatment or a cure to COVID-19.”

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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