House Republican leaders decided Thursday in a "late-night huddle" to postpone a vote on the latest ACA repeal plan, pushing the decision past the Trump administration's first 100 days mark, Politico reported.
GOP leaders decided to shelve the vote until at least next week because they did not have the votes necessary to pass the bill, according to the report. By Politico's count, 15 Republicans are solidly in opposition and about 20 are unsure. They need to garner 216 votes, assuming no Democrats will vote for the bill, meaning they can only lose a total of 22 votes, according to the report. The Hill's "Whip List," which tracks congressional opinion on bills, reports 21 Republicans are against the bill.
After working with House conservatives to find compromise, the White House thought a vote could come this week, allowing President Donald Trump to sign off on the law within his first 100 days in office. The first 100 days mark is a somewhat artificial measure, dating back to the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who passed 15 major laws in that time period, according to The New York Times. However, President Trump originally wanted to hold himself to that marker, and as part of his "Contract with the American Voter," he promised to fully repeal and replace the ACA and start to reform the Food and Drug Administration as part of his 100-day action plan.
GOP leadership is confident they will garner the votes they need to pass the bill with time, according to Politico. Most of the holdouts are moderates who are concerned about protections for people with preexisting conditions. However, a handful of conservatives are still reviewing the legislative text and would like to review projections from the Congressional Budget Office before making a decision. The CBO report is expected to be published in a couple of weeks, according to the report.
Read more about the latest healthcare plan here.
Read the full article from Politico here.
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