HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/PAUL RYAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The House hopes to vote on legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare Friday [3-24-17] morning, following a day of drama and multiple high-level, tension-filled meetings, a White House official said.
President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan have been lobbying members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and also moderate Republicans in an attempt to reach the 216 votes they need to pass the bill.
Republicans can’t lose more than 21 of their caucus and still pass the bill, since no Democrats are expected to support it. According to CNN’s ongoing whip count, 26 House Republicans have said they will vote against the bill, and four more have indicated they are likely to oppose it, though negotiations were ongoing Thursday.
Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said there are ’30 to 40′ votes against the bill at this point.
‘We have not gotten enough of our members to get to yes at this point,’ Meadows said Thursday afternoon.”
-MJ Lee, Deirdre Walsh, Lauren Fox, and Phil Mattinly, “Not enough votes — House delays health care bill to Friday,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, March 23, 2017