Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) is holding a press conference to provide an update on the status of the vote on his health care bill.
The press conference begins at 4 p.m. EST and you can watch it live in the video above.
The remarks by Ryan come after reports surfaced that President Donald Trump told him to “pull” The American Health Care Act, meaning no vote would take place as anticipated. The president had a long conversation with Washington Post reporter Robert Costa.
President Trump just called me. Still on phone.
“We just pulled it,” he tells me.
Trump reportedly said in the conversation that he’s not faulting Ryan for the lack of support in the bill.
The president also called New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who he told that it’s the Democrats’ fault the bill didn’t pass. Trump appeared to hint that he will not continue to pursue health care reform.
TRUMP tells me in interview this is now the Democrats’ fault, and that he anticipates that when Obama “explodes” they will be ready to deal
The House Democrats responded to the reports of the bill being withdrawn on Twitter.
The House Republican #TrumpCare health bill. ↓
On Tuesday, Trump threatened GOP lawmakers that their jobs would be on the line during the next election cycle if they didn’t back the health care bill that would repeal former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
A vote on the bill was set to take place Thursday, but it never gained enough support in the House. Then, it was to take place Friday, but that was off the table as well.
As it stood, the bill offered a three-phase plan to get rid of Obamacare. That included tax provisions like individual and employee mandates and reforming the Medicaid program.
It would have allowed for states to continue enrolling in the Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion until 2020 and given out tax credits for those earning less than $75,000 annually. In addition, it would require companies to cover pre-existing conditions.
Once it was introduced, it lacked support across the aisle and also with House Republicans.
Opponents of the bill said that the legislation would have reduced coverage while increasing deductibles.