Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 29 March 2017

Senate, White House pass on House push to revive health bill

April 28 that must be met of House Republicans. Just they provided no specific
to keep the lights on in the this Friday, House Repub- plans or timeline for how
government. Short said licans couldn’t muster the they would proceed.
that “of course” the White votes for their marquee Ryan proclaimed, “We are
House hopes to avoid a legislation to repeal and re- going to work together and
shutdown. And, senior Re- place the health care law listen together until we get
publicans and the White and pulled it off the floor in this right. It is just too impor-
House are eager to move an embarrassing setback tant.”
on to tax overhaul legisla- for Trump and Speaker Paul House Majority Leader
tion. Ryan. But Tuesday morning, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.,
The comments on health they exchanged pledges said: “We promised that we
care from Senate Republi- of unity in a closed-door would repeal and replace
cans and the White House meeting and emerged ea- Obamacare, and that’s
were a cold reality check ger to continue their efforts exactly what we’re going
on the newly revived hopes on health care, although to do.”q
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., joined by Sen.
Roy Blunt, R-Mo., rear, speaks with reporters following a closed-
door strategy session, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, on Capitol Hill
in Washington.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
ERICA WERNER believe it will not work out
AP Congressional Corre- well, but we’ll see.”
spondent “I want to thank the presi-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen- dent and the speaker, they
ate Republicans and the went all out to try to pass
White House sounded repeal and replacement.
ready to abandon efforts Sorry that didn’t work,” Mc-
to repeal and replace the Connell added.
nation’s health care law, White House legislative af-
at least for now, even as fairs director Marc Short
House Republicans insisted also emerged from the
on Tuesday they were not Senate GOP lunch indi-
ready to give up on their cating the administration
years-long quest. was moving on despite
The intraparty dispute President Donald Trump’s
came in the wake of last promises as a candidate
Friday’s collapse of health to immediately get rid of
care legislation in the Obama’s law.
House, a GOP humiliation “We understand there’s
at the climactic moment of probably members in Con-
seven years of promises to gress who feel like ‘Look,
get rid of former President we probably need to revisit
Barack Obama’s Afford- this, and we need to make
able Care Act. an effort to get it done,’
Senate Majority Leader and if that’s the case, if
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the legislation reaches the
made his views clear after president’s desk, I’m sure
a closed-door lunch with he’ll look to sign it,” Short
fellow Senate Republicans told The Associated Press.
and Vice President Mike “But at this time, at this
Pence. time today, there are other
“It’s pretty obvious we were things that we have on our
not able, in the House, to priority list that we’re mov-
pass a replacement. Our ing on to.”
Democratic friends ought Short pointed to the confir-
to be pretty happy about mation of Supreme Court
that because we have the nominee Neil Gorsuch,
existing law in place, and whose nomination will be
I think we’re just going to on the Senate floor next
have to see how that works week, as well as a loom-
out,” McConnell said. “We ing funding deadline on