Trump's First Legislative Effort Fails as G.O.P. Pulls Bill to Repeal Obamacare

[DonViejo]

By ROBERT PEAR, JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, JENNIFER STEINHAUER and THOMAS KAPLANMARCH 24, 2017

WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders, facing a revolt among conservatives and moderates in their ranks, pulled legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act from consideration on the House floor Friday afternoon in a humiliating defeat for President Trump on the first legislative showdown of his presidency.

Paul D. Ryan, the House speaker, rushed to the White House shortly after noon to tell Mr. Trump he did not have the votes for a repeal bill that had been promised for seven years — since the day President Barack Obama signed his landmark health care act into law.

Vice President Mike Pence and Tom Price, the health secretary, rushed to Capitol Hill for a late appeal to House conservatives, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

“You can’t pretend and say this is a win for us,” said Representative Mark Walker, Republican of North Carolina, who conceded it was a “good moment” for Democrats.

“Probably that champagne that wasn’t popped back in November may be utilized this evening,” he said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/24/us/politics/health-care-affordable-care-act.html?emc=edit_na_20170324&nl=breaking-news&nlid=57435284&ref=cta

[yankeepants]

1. Mr. Walker sounds like a good loser.

I hope he gets used to it.

[frazzled]

2. *Seven* effing years

They've been yelling this day and night for a full cicada cycle: winning votes from an addled and misguided electorate over it. They tried to repeal it like 60+ times. Trump promised to make it his first big hoo-ha, and he'd get it done in a day. And what did they come up with after all this time? Bupkus. No, worse than bupkus: a bill so bad that no one could support it.