House Republicans Postponing Planned Health Care Bill Vote Could be Disastrous for Trump

Donald Trump’s two biggest during his election were a border wall which Mexico would pay for and the immediate repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. And while Trump has pushed for both, neither seems likely to happen anytime soon. The wall hasn’t been approved by lawmakers, but Trump and Customs and Border Patrol have started accepting bids to build it. Trumpcare, on the other hand, isn’t looking nearly as healthy and the health care bill vote was postponed. Is Trump losing his already tenuous grip on the majority party?

How Does the Planned Health Care Bill Vote Affect Trump's Administration?

With such a big rift existing between Democrats and Republicans under the Trump administration, it’s been critical for Trump to hold the majority in both House and Senate to get anything accomplished. But even that majority has at times not been enough to get some things accomplished. Vice President Mike Pence had to cast a historic tie-breaking vote to get confirmation for Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. Trump’s original pick for Labor Secretary, Andy Puzder, withdrew from consideration just 24 hours before his confirmation hearings on the news that Republicans publicly stated they would not support him. And then there are still many key positions in the administration waiting to be filled.

image via a katz / Shutterstock.com

With such a seemingly shaky grip on things at the moment, Trump needed a big win — and his repeal and replace plan was supposed to be exactly that. Trump promised that Obamacare would be swept out the door on day one, but that’s most definitely not the case. Trump publicly stated “who knew health care would be so complicated”, which foreshadowed the trouble the administration would encounter with its American Health Care Act (AHCA).

The AHCA has come under fire from not only Democrats, but House Republicans, as well. Conservatives and Moderates are fighting over small changes within the plan, and Democrats are seizing the opportunity to keep the ACA running. And while President Trump and Vice President Pence lobbied aggressively to add changes to jockey support, it was too little too late.

The planned vote was postponed.

President Trump praised the House Republicans' plan to alter the Affordable Care Act, March 7, at the White Hous… https://t.co/IuyLN3WEhY

— Thus Spake (@thus_spake) March 7, 2017

The vote was pushed just 24 hours, but it was still postponed. And that’s a huge sign of weakness and fracture within the controlling party. The delay puts the AHCA in doubt as a whole and hints that the Republican party may waste the advantage they have with their majority.

Watch the news clip from NBC News regarding the delayed health care bill vote:

Expect Republicans to push hard for repeal, but don’t expect a victory for AHCA anytime soon. Until the AHCA issue is resolved, traders should avoid health and hospital stocks altogether.

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