House Speaker Paul Ryan indicated Wednesday that the House would not take up a bill this week to repeal and replace Obamacare, and said Republicans need more time to reach an agreement among Republicans this week.
“We’re at concept stage right now,” said Ryan, R-Wis., who added that lawmakers are discussing elements in the bill now. “I’m hopeful, I don’t want to put any specific odds on it, or an artificial timeline.”
He said Republicans are “90 percent” in agreement on a healthcare package, but added, “we need to be at 95 percent,” and said he’s not willing to schedule another vote at this point. GOP leaders had to pull the bill in March after it became clear the votes weren’t there.
Ryan also dismissed the idea that he has walked away from healthcare negotiations and left it to the White House to get his fractious conference on the same page, hours after the talks appeared to break down Tuesday night.
“I won’t get into who was in what meeting,” Ryan said, confirming that he did not attend Tuesday night’s meeting of key Republicans that Vice President Mike Pence gathered to try to iron out differences among the GOP’s factions on legislation to repeal Obamacare.
Ryan added that, “we want the administration to hear” firsthand what Republican lawmakers think about the issue.
