Federal Government Policy and Business

GOP health-care bill: House Republican leaders abruptly pull their rewrite of the nation's health-care law

The Washington Post: House Republican leaders abruptly pulled a 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. In a news conference shortly after the decision, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) conceded that his party “came up short.” The decision came a day after Trump delivered an ultimatum to lawmakers — and represented multiple failures for the new president and Ryan. “I don’t blame Paul,” Trump said, referring to Ryan. The decision means the ACA remains in place, and a major GOP campaign promise goes unfulfilled. It also casts doubt on the Republican Party’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.

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