Lack Of Support Delays Vote On GOP Health Care Bill
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
WASHINGTON (CBSMiami/AP) - House Republican leaders have postponed a vote on their health care bill in a setback for President Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan.
Prospects for the Republicans' showcase health care bill had looked grimmer by the minute Thursday despite Trump's personal lobbying of conservatives. That still left the legislation short of the votes needed for passage.
A senior Republican official said the vote would be delayed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss internal discussions.
House Republicans plan to meet behind closed doors Thursday night to consider their next steps.
Republicans were intent on voting to dismantle Obamacare on Thursday, the seventh anniversary of former President Barack Obama signing the bill into law.
Trump has warned Republicans there will be political consequences if the bill fails.
"I think there's going to be a price to be paid but it's going to be with their own voters," said Trump.
Moderate Republicans opposed to the bill point to the estimate that 24 million Americans losing coverage in a decade and higher out-of-pocket costs for many low-income and older people, as predicted by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
