When Speaker of the House Paul Ryan rushed to the White House to brief Trump on the health care bill hours before the vote, the odds were that the news was not good for Republicans. It’s being reported that Ryan told Trump that he doesn’t have the votes to pass the health care bill, but White House is still pushing ahead on the vote.
Major Garrett of CBS News tweeted:
Mulvaney to @SpeakerRyan when informed he didn't have votes for #Obamacarerepeal — "The president doesn't care. The president wants a vote"
— Major Garrett (@MajorCBS) March 24, 2017
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The fact that Trump is still demanding a vote that he is destined to lose is a symptom of a president who places his own ego ahead of political reality.
Rep. Louie Gohmert tweeted that the vote is likely to be postponed because there are even more no votes among non-Freedom Caucus members than Freedom Caucus members:
Good chance vote may be postponed. Leadership hiding likely more NON-Freedom Caucus No votes than Freedom Caucus No votes.
— Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) March 24, 2017
If Trump gets his way and a vote is held, it is likely to result in a humiliating defeat for this president. The only that Republicans can come back to fight another day on health care is if Ryan postpones the vote. If the Republican health care bill is voted down, it will probably be the GOP’s last shot at replacing Obamacare until after the 2018 election.
Trump wants a vote because he is holding to a delusion about his own powers.
The White House is still saying that the vote is scheduled for 3:30 PM ET.
Barring a miracle, Trumpcare looks dead.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
