All but one member of Kentucky’s delegation will be voting against the healthcare reform bill Sunday night including Democrat Ben Chandler.
WHAS11's Stephanie Collins talked with several Kentucky and Indiana representatives Sunday as the vote nears.
The vote has begun and whether voting for or against this bill, each representative that we spoke with did comment on how this is historic.
Louisville's representative, John Yarmuth (D), believes this is the most significant vote since the creation of Medicare 40 years ago.
It's why Yarmuth went to Washington with a campaign promise to reform healthcare. He plans on keeping that promise.
Yarmuth talked to President Obama who told him, “don’t do this for the Democratic Party. Don't worry about the politics of it, do it because its right. Do it for America."
But the vote is not the right thing for elected Kentucky republicans who say they want healthcare reform just not this one.
Brett Guthrie told WHAS11, "85% of people who have health insurance, it's going to increase their premiums 14% and it's also going to put new taxes on small businesses and make it harder for our economy to grow so it's not a matter are you for health insurance reform or not it's a matter of are you for this bill or not."
As the Washington leadership counts votes, they can now count on Indiana’s Baron Hill who had been uncommitted until Sunday.
Currently there are more than one million Kentucky residents without healthcare.
Kentucky's 2nd District Representative knows these figures but believes healthcare should be reformed incrementally not in one large, expensive package.
Not acting is not an option according to Louisville’s John Yarmuth who points to the skyrocketing costs of healthcare and says the vote for him will be an emotional moment.
