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ByAlanFram and Andrew Taylor TheAssociatedPress WASHINGTON Ascendant Republicans drove a bud- get through Congress on Friday that gives them an early but critical victory in their crusade to scrap Presi- dent Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The vote trains the spot- light on whether they and Donald Trump can deliver on repeated pledges to not just erase that statute but replace it. Demonstrating the GOP's willingness to plunge into a defining but risky bat- tle, the House used a near party-line 227-198 roll call to approve a measure that prevents Senate Democrats from derailing a future bill, thus far unwritten, annul- ling and reshaping Obama's landmark 2010 law. The budget, which won Senate approval early Thursday, does not need the presi- dent's signature. "The 'Unaffordable' Care Act will soon be history!" Trump tweeted Friday in a dig at the statute's name, the Affordable Care Act. Trump takes the presiden- tial oath next Friday. The real work looms in coming months as the new administration and con- gressional Republicans write legislation to erase much of the health care law and replace it with a GOP version. Republicans have internal divisions over what that would look like, though past GOP proposals have cut much of the exist- ing law's federal spending and eased coverage require- ments while relying more on tax benefits and letting states make decisions. Friday's vote was pre- ceded by debate that saw hyperbole on both sides and underscored how the two parties have alter- nate-universe views of Obama's overhaul. Demo- crats praised it for extend- ing coverage to tens of mil- lions of Americans, helping families afford policies and seniors buy prescriptions, while Republicans focused on the rising premiums and deductibles and limited ac- cess to doctors and insur- ers that have plagued many. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the health care law was "so ar- rogant and so contrary to our founding principles" and had not delivered on Obama's promises to lower costs and provide more choice. "We have to step in be- fore things get worse. This is nothing short of a rescue mission," Ryan said. "Our experimentation in Soviet-style central plan- ning of our health care sys- tem has been an abject fail- ure," said freshman Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Ryan was peddling "my- thology" and said the GOP was moving toward wors- ening health care for con- sumers. "They want to cut ben- efits and run. They want to cut access and run," she said of Republicans. "This is a sad day in the history of this country as Republicans begin the pro- cess of destroying health care in America," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., ar- guing that the GOP has no replacement in hand. "All you have is smoke and mir- rors, and the American peo- ple are getting ready to get screwed." Nine Republicans joined all voting Democrats in op- posing the budget. The budget's approval means Senate Democrats won't be allowed to filibus- ter the future repeal-and-re- place bill — a pivotal advan- tage for Republicans. They control the Senate 52-48, but it takes 60 votes to end filibusters, or endless proce- dural delays that can scut- tle legislation. Republicans have made annulling Obama's law and replacing it a top goal for the past seven years. GOP rifts and an Obama veto prevented them from achieving anything other than holding scores of votes that served as political mes- saging. Trump, too, made tar- geting Obama's overhaul a primary target during his campaign. At his news con- ference Wednesday, Trump — who's supplied few de- tails of what he wants — said his emerging plan will be "far less expensive and far better" than the statute. WASHINGTON In e ar ly G OP v ic to ry o n re pe al , Co ng re ss OK s bu dg et By Joan Lowy The Associated Press WASHINGTON Traffic deaths surged about 8 percent in the first nine months of last year, con- tinuing an alarming up- ward spiral that may be partially explained by more Americans on the roads due to the economic recovery, according to Na- tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration es- timates released Friday. The sharp increase comes as drivers are put- ting more miles on the road than ever, the gov- ernment said. But the rise in deaths is outpacing the increase in travel. Vehicle miles traveled in the first nine months of 2016 rose about 3 percent. There were 27,875 deaths in the first three quarters of last year, compared to 25,808 deaths in the same period in 2015. Experts believe the in- creased travel is mostly a result of an improved econ- omy and low gas prices. But NHTSA's data experts said increased travel and a bet- ter economy alone can't ex- plain the rise in deaths. "We still have to fig- ure out what is underlying those lives lost," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rose- kind said. "If it was simple, we would already know that." The increase in deaths is especially concerning be- cause it has happened at time when cars are safer than ever. Nearly all new cars and light trucks now have electronic stability control and rearview cam- eras, for example. Auto- makers are also beginning to equip more cars with so- phisticated safety technol- ogy like adaptive cruise control, automatic emer- gency-braking and blind- spot monitoring. But there are also trends that are difficult to mea- sure, such as increased use of cellphones and other mobile devices behind the wheel. And researchers are trying to tease out whether legalization of marijuana for recreational or medi- cal use in some states may be leading to more stoned drivers behind the wheel and more crashes. It's not an easy ques- tion to answer, since driv- ers high on marijuana re- act differently than drunk drivers, and there haven't been effective roadside tests for police to determine if a driver is high. Weather is also a con- sideration, NHTSA offi- cials said. Research shows that traffic fatalities go up in warmer weather months when daylight hours are longer and people do more driving. Warmer than nor- mal winters in some areas of the country may be a fac- tor. In the early to mid-2000s, annual traffic deaths regu- larly totaled over 40,000 a year. They started drop- ping sharply in 2008 dur- ing the Great Recession, reaching their lowest level in more than five decades — 32,744 deaths — in 2014. But in the fourth quarter of 2014, fatalities started soar- ing back. In 2015, fatalities rose 7.2 percent to 35,092 deaths. TRANSPORTATION SAFETY Surge in traffic deaths outpaces increase in travel; officials puzzled about the causes "This is a sad day in the history of this country as Republicans begin the process of destroying health care in America." — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. starting at $ 29 95 + $ 8 25 certificate Shop Equipped With 4SmogMachines For Fast Service No appointment Needed The Daily News Office Will Be Closed Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Retail advertising deadline: Tuesday, Jan. 17 edition is Friday, Jan. 13 at Noon. Classified advertising deadline: Tuesday, Jan. 17 edition is Monday, Jan. 16 at Noon. (530) 527-2151 728MAINST.,REDBLUFF DAILY NEWS 25yearsprofessional experience. 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