Republicans regained control of the Senate late Tuesday, meaning come January, a whole new set of GOP lawmakers will be poised to help shape the federal government’s health care priorities for the next six years.
Some tight races were not yet called by late Thursday, including the race between Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in Arizona and between Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen and Republican Sam Brown in Nevada.
Still, the new class of Republican senators thus far appears to be largely critical of the 2010 health care law and largely opposed to access to abortion.
Here’s a glance at their health care priorities:
Jim Justice, R-W.Va.
Justice replaces retiring Sen. Joe Manchin III, I-W.Va. Manchin, who until earlier this year identified as a Democrat, shares many of the same positions on health care, including an opposition to abortion.
Justice, who changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 2017, signed one of the country’s strictest bans in the nation in 2022. It includes narrow exemptions for medical emergencies, rape and incest but only through eight weeks of pregnancy for adults.
His campaign website states that “there should be reasonable federal limits on late-term abortion when babies can feel pain.”
Justice opposed the Senate’s 2017 effort to repeal the 2010 health care law, telling the Charleston Gazette-Mail “it would cripple us beyond belief.” But he has been silent about the law’s future, including whether he would support extending health care subsidies that expire at the end of 2025.
In March, Justice vetoed a bill passed by the state legislature that would have removed vaccination requirements for students in virtual public schools and allowed private schools to set their own standards.
In vetoing the bill, Justice said vaccine requirements have “kept our communities safe.”
John Curtis, R-Utah
Curtis, a Republican member of Congress representing a Republican-heavy district, won his bid to replace moderate Republican Sen. Mitt Romney. Curtis defeated a candidate endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump in the primary.
Curtis, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who also used to identify as a Democrat, has described himself as “absolutely pro-life” and has said he supports Utah’s near-total abortion ban.
In 2022, he joined Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., to introduce a measure that would expand private dental coverage through the federal marketplace. Also in 2022, he joined Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. to introduce a bill that would allow people to voluntarily enroll themselves onto a “do not sell” list to keep them from purchasing a gun that they could use to attempt suicide.
In Congress, he’s focused more heavily on energy and environmental issues. He has staked out climate change as one of his pet issues in the House and is co-chair of the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus.
Jim Banks, R-Ind.
Banks, a Republican congressman from Indiana, won a seat that will be vacated by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., who Hoosiers elected governor.
Banks is a conservative and staunch Trump supporter who has been extremely vocal in his opposition to abortion and health care for people who are transgender.
On abortion, Banks has said he would support an abortion bill in the Senate that stops “abortions of babies who feel pain and have a heartbeat, I will proudly vote for a bill to do that.”
Under his previous leadership as chair of the Republican Study Committee, the group released a set of “American Family Principles” to “support efforts to end abortion.”
Banks introduced legislation this year that would allow health care providers to opt out of participating in abortions, though similar federal laws already exist.
He has also been vocal in the debate about the rights of transgender people. In 2022, he filed a discharge petition on a bill that would make it a violation of federal law for a recipient of federal funds to allow trans women or girls to participate in women or girls sports.
In 2017, Banks voted to repeal the 2010 health care law.
But Banks has also worked on issues that have more bipartisan support, like tackling health care monopolies.
Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio
Bernie Moreno, a political outsider and former car dealer, doesn’t have a policy background on health care.
His platform is light on health care issues except he highlighted his support for “a ban on late-term abortion,” a term that he did not define. He said in an interview with The Hill that he supports “common-sense restrictions” after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Moreno received blowback in the waning days of the election cycle joking about suburban women older than 50 who support abortion rights.
Moreno has said he doesn’t want to repeal the 2010 health care law but would like to give states more responsibility for Medicare and Medicaid.
Tim Sheehy, R-Mont.
Tim Sheehy, another political outsider who is the former CEO of Bridger Aerospace, opposes abortion and has said he supports “exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother” and that he believes “any further limits must be left to each state.”
Sheehy has criticized the 2010 health care law, arguing “Montanans face higher premiums year after year.”
He said he supports expanding telehealth, promoting transparency, competition and protections for people with preexisting conditions, but has not offered many specific policy proposals.
Dave McCormick, R-Pa.
McCormick, former CEO of one of the world’s largest hedge funds, defeated Sen. Bob Casey, the chair of the Special Senate Committee on Aging.
On abortion, McCormick has said he supports exceptions for rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger but that he does not support a national ban.
He has also said he supports restrictions on “late-term abortions” and wants to make contraception “more accessible and affordable.”
McCormick has been critical of the 2010 health care law, saying he opposes a provision allowing children to stay on their parents’ health insurance up to age 26.
McCormick has also called for rolling back the 2022 reconciliation bill.
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