Courtesy of WaPo:President Trump just called me. Still on phone.— Robert Costa (@costareports) March 24, 2017
"We just pulled it," he tells me.
House Republican leaders abruptly pulled a Republican rewrite of the nation’s health-care system from consideration on Friday, a dramatic acknowledgment that they are so far unable to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“We just pulled it,” President Trump told the Washington Post in a telephone interview.
The decision came a day after President Trump delivered an ultimatum to lawmakers – and the defeat represented multiple failures for the new president and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). The decision means the Affordable Care Act remains in place, at least for now, and a major GOP campaign promise goes unfulfilled.
The decision also casts doubt on the GOP’s ability to govern and to advance other high-stakes agenda items, including tax reform and infrastructure spending. Ryan is still without a signature achievement as speaker – and the defeat undermines Trump’s image as a skilled dealmaker willing to strike compromises to push his agenda forward.
Trump has previously said that if this fails he wants to move on, so there is little chance the Republicans will attempt this again.
And let's face it they really don't want to anyway.
The response on Twitter was epic!
Holy smokes. This also entirely destroys the president's bluff for the next round of negotiations. He just straight up folded.— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) March 24, 2017
Substance matters. The reason Ryan, Trump, etc, could ever make a persuasive argument for this bill is there wasn't one to make.— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) March 24, 2017
Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on your complete and utter failure on repealing ObamaCare. #Loser http://pic.twitter.com/FEyziQo6RL— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 24, 2017
Trump will want to pass the blame, as if #Trumpcare wasn't his even though he campaigned for it. Ryan will be the scapegoat. Popcorn please.— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 24, 2017
Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for the next Trump failure.I think Trump just set the record for becoming a lame duck president.— Gryphen 2009 (@Gryphen2009) March 24, 2017
Update: Even Paul Ryan gets it.
Trumpcare dies again. What happened and who's to blame? https://t.co/fdfO2D24jQ http://pic.twitter.com/7V0ll088lx
— Salon (@Salon) March 24, 2017
Source http://ift.tt/2nwYPeW