House delays health care bill to Friday

New York [U.S.A.], Mar. 24 (ANI): The House will vote on legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare on Friday morning, following a day of multiple high-level meetings, which one senior administration official describing the meeting with one word - intense. Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said there are "30 to 40" votes against the bill at this point, as reported by CNN. The Freedom Caucus was delivered a "final offer," said a member of House leadership, chief deputy whip Patrick McHenry. Meadows called the long-standing plan to vote on Thursday, which is also the seven-year anniversary of former President Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act, an "artificial deadline." Since now, no Democrats are expected to support the health care bill, the Republicans can't lose more than 21 of their caucus and still pass the bill. 26 House Republicans have said they will vote against the bill and four more have indicated they are likely to oppose it, according to CNN. Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan have been lobbying members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and also moderate Republicans in an attempt to reach the 216 votes they need to pass the bill. The White House remained upbeat before the vote was delayed, press secretary Sean Spicer said. "Through an open and deliberative process, the President and his team have helped to negotiate a very, very strong bill," Spicer told reporters. "He was on the phone last night well into the 11 o'clock hour with members on an individual basis discussing their support for the bill." The bill introduced earlier this month would roll back many of the Obamacare taxes and eradicate the individual mandate. (ANI)