Struggling to Garner Enough Votes, GOP Delays Vote on Healthcare Bill

By: Kayla Pasacreta

Mitch McConnell has delayed the vote on the Senate GOP’s proposal to repeal Obamacare. The vote on the bill will be delayed until after the Senate’s July 4th recess. This is a very clear sign that the Senate Republicans simply do not currently have the votes to get their bill passed. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, can only afford to lose two Republican votes.

Mitch McConnell, photo via Huffington Post

Five Republicans in the Senate have already publicly opposed the bill. The bill is also met by much public opposition, in light of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring that by 2026, the bill would leave 22 million Americans uninsured. Moderate Republicans say the bill hurts too many, while Conservative Republicans insist the bill does not stray far enough away from Obamacare.

On Tuesday, Trump invited all Republican Senators to the White House to discuss the future of the bill. According to CNN, an aide described the luncheon as, “was an effort to both rally the troops and serve as a policy discussion.” Trump told reporters, “We are going to see what we are going to do. We are getting very close." Trump’s legacy of his first year in office will undoubtedly be marked by if he maintains his campaign promise of immediately repealing Obamacare.

To read more about the GOP's healthcare plan, read here.

Will Republicans be able to garner enough support and consensus within their party to get rid of Obamacare?

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