Esty Breaks With Party for Health Care Bill

Connecticut Fifth District Rep. Elizabeth Esty became the only House Democrat Friday to break with her party in supporting the GOP-sponsored bill intended to undo insurance cancellations for Americans who signed up for the Affordable Care Act.

The bill passed the House of Representatives Friday thanks in part to support from Esty and 38 other House Democrats. Esty defended her vote for the Upton Bill in a statement on her website Friday.

"My top priority is ensuring that the Affordable Care Act works well for folks in my district," she said. "I am hearing from small business owners and other affected individuals in central and northwest Connecticut who feel blindsided by recent cancellation notices from their insurance companies ... Today’s bill may not be the perfect solution, but the need for swift corrective action is urgent for many people in my district."

The bill, proposed by Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), would allow private insurers to continue to sell customers existing plans, even if they do not meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Esty, a supporter of the President's act, said repealing Obamacare was not the answer, but that "everyone should have access to quality affordable health care."

The decision has drawn detractors on the left and right. Mark Greenberg, a Republican running for congress in Connecticut's fifth district, called her move "political pandering."

"It is clear that Esty has not suddenly 'seen the light,'" said Greenberg in a statement. "Instead, she has carefully gauged the political climate and in very calculated fashion, voted for a bill that was going to pass with or without her —and one that faces probable defeat in the U.S. Senate and a veto by President Obama."

The bill moves to the Senate, but President Obama has vowed to veto it if it hits his desk, according to political website The Hill.