Republicans Delay Health Care Vote

WASHINGTON, DC — Republican leaders have delayed a vote on the American Health Care Act, which had been scheduled to be held Thursday night, according to multiple outlets including NBC News and NPR. The reports cited GOP sources.

Reuters later reported that the White House confirmed the delay. The report notes that officials said the vote would take place Friday in the light of day. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise's office announced, "Members are further advised that votes are now expected in the House tomorrow," according to CNN's Jeremy Diamond.

But there continued to be conflicting reports. John Bresnahan of Politico said that, according to Republican sources, there was no set date for the vote. And even while the delay was being reported, President Trump was still saying the vote would be held Thursday night.

The Congressional Budget Office released a score evaluating the impact of recent changes to the AHCA. It found that the new version offers $200 billion less of deficit reduction than the previous version, while still leaving an estimated 24 million additional people without coverage by 2026.

The plan to hold the vote today seemed to be driven, in part, by the fact that it aligned with the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act's signing.

Less than two hours prior to the reports of a delay, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had definitively said the vote would be held Thursday and the bill would be passed.

A reporter asked if there was a backup plan if the bill didn't make it through, and Spicer said, "No, it's going to pass. So that's it."

Meanwhile, many Republicans still seem opposed to the proposed law. Rep. Mark Meadows, the leader of the conservative Freedom Caucus, said he wanted to support the president's bill but still had his doubts.

Rep. Tom Massie, a conservative Republican from Kentucky, criticized GOP leadership on CNN for ramming the bill through committee, cajoling members not to offer amendments and papering over differences on policies within the party.

On CNBC, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said, "Clearly, we don't have the votes yet."

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Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images